herus started. "That is the laugh of Don Luis de St. Angel!"

Don Luis de St. Angel was, I knew, Receiver of the Ecclesiastical
Revenues for Aragon, a man who stood well with the King. The horsemen
were close upon us. Suddenly the laugher cried, "Saint Jago! Here he
is!"

We were now five mounted men and a trudger afoot. The cavalier who had
laughed, a portly, genial person with a bold and merry eye, laughed
again. "Well met, Don Cristoval. Well met, Admiral! I looked to find you
presently! You sailed out of port at sunrise and I two hours later with
a swifter ship and more canvas--"

"'Don' and 'Admiral'!" answered Master Christopherus, and he spoke with
anger. "You jest in Spain! But in France it shall be said soberly--"

"No, no! Don and Admiral here! Viceroy and Governor here--as soon as you
find the lands! Wealthy here--as soon as you put hand on the gold!" Don
Luis de St. Angel's laughter ceased. He became with portentous swiftness
a downright, plain man of business. He talked, all of us clustered
together on the Cordova road.

"The Archbishop kept me from that audience yesterday, leaving Don Alonso
de Quintanella your only friend there! The Queen was tired, the King
fretted. They thought they had come a long way, and there you stood,
Master Christopherus, shaking your head! Don Alonso told me about it,
and how hopeless it seemed! But I said, 'If you conquer a land don't you
put in a viceroy? I don't see that Don Cristoval isn't as good as
Don This One, or Don That One! I've a notion that the first might not
oppress and flay the new subjects as might the last two! That is a point
to be made to the Queen! As for perpetuity of office and privileges down
the ages, most things get to be hereditary. If it grows to be a swollen
serpent something in the future will fall across and cut it in two. Let
time take care of it! As for wealth, in any land a man who will bear an
eighth of the cost may fairly expect an eighth of the gain. This setting
out is to cost little, after all. He says he can do it with three small
ships and less than a hundred and fifty men. If the ships bring back no
treasure, he will not be wealthy. If there is a little gain, the Spains
need not grudge him his handful of doubloons. If there is huge gain, the
King and Queen but for him would not have their seven eighths. The same
reasoning applies to his tenth of all future gain from continents and
islands. You will say that some one else will arise t