ere was the _Pinta_ no man knew! Perhaps halfway
back to Spain or perhaps wrecked and drowned like the flagship. The
Nina, a small, small ship and none too seaworthy, carried all of Europe
and Discovery.

CHAPTER XXII

IN the small, small cabin of the _Nina_ Christopherus Columbus sat for a
time with his head bowed in his arms, then rose and made up a mission to
go to the cacique Guacanagari and, relating our misfortune, request aid
and shelter until we had determined upon our course. There went Diego de
Arana and Pedro Gutierrez with Luis Torres and one or two more, and they
took Diego Colon and the two St. Thomas Indians. It was now full light,
the shore and mountains green as emerald, the water its old unearthly
blue.

The _Nina_ swung at anchor just under the land and the now receding tide
uncovered more and more those sands where the Santa Maria lay huddled
and dying. The Admiral gazed, and the tears ran down his face. He was so
great that he never thought to hide just emotion. He spoke as though to
himself. "Many sins have I, many, many! But thou wilt not, O God, cast
me utterly away because of them! I will not doubt Thee, nor my calling!"

There was little space about him. The _Nina_ seemed to quiver, packed
and dark with men. His deep voice went on, and they could hear him, but
he did not seem to know that they were there. "As though upon a raft,
here a thousand leagues in Ocean-Sea! Yet wilt Thou care for thy Good
News. I will come to Spain, and I will tell it. Chosen, and almost by
very name pointed out in Thy Book! The first Christian shore that I
touch I will walk barefoot and in my shirt at the head of twelve to the
first shrine. And, O my Lord, never more will I forget that that tomb in
which thou didst rest, still, still is held by the infidel!" He beat his
breast. "_Mea culpa! mea culpa!_"

His voice sank, he looked at the sky, then with a turn of the wrist
at the wheel he put that by and became again the vigilant Admiral of a
fleet of one. "She will hold together yet a while! When the tide is out,
we can get to her and empty her. Take all ashore that can be carried or
floated and may be of use. Up and down--down and up!"

The inhabitants of Hispaniola were now about us in canoes or swimming.
They seemed to cry out in distress and sympathy, gazing at the _Santa
Maria_ as though it were a god dying there. Their own canoes were living
things to them as is any ship to a mariner, and by analogy our