his new world certain of our men,
seed corn as it were, organs also to gather knowledge against his
speedy return with power of ships and men. For surely Spain would be
grateful,--surely, surely! But he was not ready yet to set sail for
Spain. He meant to discover more, discover further, come if by any means
he could to the actual wealth of great, main India; come perhaps to
Zaiton, where are more merchants than in all the rest of the world, and
a hundred master ships laden with pepper enter every year; or to Quinsai
of the marble bridges. No, he was not ready to turn prow to Spain, and
he was not likely to bleed himself of men, now or for many days to come.
All these who would lie in hammocks ashore must wait awhile, and even
when they made their colony, that is not the way that colonies live and
grow.

Beltran said, "Some of you would like to do a little good, and some are
for a sow's life!"

It was Christmas Eve, and we had our vespers, and we thought of the day
at home in Castile and in Italy. Dusk drew down. Behind us was the deep,
secure water of St. Thomas, his harbor. The Admiral had us sound and
the lead showed no great depth, whereupon we stood a little out to avoid
shoal or bar.

For some nights the Admiral had been wakeful, suffering, as Juan Lepe
knew, with that gout which at times troubled him like a very demon. But
this night he slept. Juan de la Cosa set the watch. The helmsman was
Sancho Ruiz than whom none was better, save only that he would take a
risk when he pleased. All others slept. The day had been long, so warm,
still and idle, with the wooded shore stealing so slowly by.

Early in the night Sancho Ruiz was taken with a great cramp and a
swimming of the head. He called to one of the watch to come take the
helm for a little, but none answered; called again and a ship boy
sleeping near, uncurled himself, stretched, and came to hand. "It's all
safe, and the Admiral sleeping and the master sleeping and the watch
also!" said the boy. Pedro Acevedo it was, a well-enough meaning young
wretch.

Sancho Ruiz put helm in his hand. "Keep her so, while I lie down here
for a little. My head is moving faster than the _Santa Maria_!"

He lay down, and the swimming made him close his eyes, and closed eyes
and the disappearance of his pain, and pleasant resting on deck caused
him to sleep. Pedro Acevedo held the wheel and looked at the moon. Then
the wind chose to change, blowing still very lightly but bea