e violent and
lustful. But the Indians seemed to think that he said that he could
not. They still doubted, I think, our mortality. As yet they had seen no
mighty stranger bleed or die.

Arana would have kept his garrison within the walls. But indeed it
was not healthful for them there, and at the very word of confinement
faction rose. There were now two parties in La Navidad, the Commandant's
party and Escobedo's party.

The heat increased. It was now March. An illness fell among us. I took
Guarin into counsel and gave in water the bitter inner bark of that
tree shredded and beaten fine. Those who shook with cold and burned with
fever recovered.

Fray Ignatio was among those who sickened. He left after some days his
hammock, but his strength did not come back to him. Yet, staff in hand,
he went almost daily to Guarico. Then, like that! Fray Ignatio died. He
died--his heart stopped--on the path between Guarico and La Navidad.
He had been preaching, and then, Guarin told me, he put his hand to his
side, and said, "I will go home!" He started up the path, but at the big
tree he dropped. Men and women ran to him, but the butio was dead.

We buried Fray Ignatio beneath the cross on the hilltop. The Indians
watched, and now they knew that we could die.

The heat increased.

At first Diego de Arana sent out at intervals exploring parties. We were
to learn, at least, Guacanagari's country. But the heat was great, and
so many of those left at La Navidad only idle and sensual. They would
push on to a village--we found in Guacanagari's country many hamlets,
but no other town like Guarico--and there they would stop, with new
women, new talk, and the endless plenty to eat and sleep in the
shade. When, at their own sweet will, they returned to La Navidad,
the difficulties had been too great. They could not get to the high
mountains where might or might not be the mines. But what they did was
to spread over the country scandalous news of scandalous gods.

At last Arana sorted out those who could be trusted at least to strive
for knowledge and self-control and sent these. But that weakened him at
La Navidad, draining him of pure blood and leaving the infected, and by
mid-April he ceased any effort at exploration. It must wait until the
Admiral returned, and he began to be hungry indeed for that return.

Escobedo and Pedro Gutierrez were not hungry for it--not yet. These
two became the head and front of ill, encouraging every i