o far to the
east had they traveled. They found there men and kingdoms and ways not
so mightily unlike ours."

"They went that way," answered Pedro, jerking his hand eastward, "over
good land! And maybe, whatever they said, they were lying to us! I'm
thinking most of the learned do that all the time!"

"Well," said Sancho, "if we do come back, we'll have some rare good
tales to tell!"

There fell a pause at that, a pause of dissent and exasperation, but
also one of caught fancy. It would undoubtedly be a glory to tell those
tales to a listening, fascinated Fishertown!

Juan Lepe said, "For months I've been with a trader running from San
Lucar to Marseilles. I've had no news this long while! What's doing at
Palos?"

They were ready for an audience, any audience, and forthwith I had the
story of the Admiral fairly straight--or I could make it straight--from
that day when we parted on the Cordova road. These men did not know what
had happened in March or in April, but they knew something of May. In
May he came to Palos and settled down with Fray Juan Perez in La Rabida,
and to see him went Captain Martin Pinzon who knew him already, and the
physician Garcia Fernandez and others, and they all talked together
for a day and a night. After that the alcalde of Palos and others in
authority had letters and warrants from the Queen and the King, and they
overbore everything, calling him Don and _El Almirante_ and saying that
he must be furnished forth. Then came a day when everybody was gathered
in the square before the church of Saint George, and the alcalde that
had a great voice read the letters.

"I was there!" said Fernando. "I brought in fish that morning."

"I, too!" quoth Sancho. "I had to buy sailcloth."

It was Pedro chiefly who talked. "They were from the King and Queen, and
the moral was that Palos must furnish Don Cristoval Colon, Admiral of
the Ocean-Sea--and we thought that was a curious thing to be admiral
of!--two ships and all seamen needed and all supplies. A third ship
could be enterprised, and any in and around Palos was to be encouraged
to put in fortune and help. Ships and those who went in them were to
obey the said Don Cristoval Colon or Columbus as though he were the
Queen and the King, the Bishop of Seville and the Marquis of Cadiz!
It didn't say it just that way but that was what it meant. We were to
follow him and do as he told us, or it would be much the worse for us!
We weren't to put in at