St. George la Mina on the coast of Africa, nor
touch at the King of Portugal's islands, and that was the whole of it!"

"All seamen were to be given good pay," said Sancho. "And if anybody
going was in debt, or even if he had done a crime--so that it wasn't
treason or anything the Holy Office handles--he couldn't be troubled
or held back, seeing it was royal errand. That is very convenient for
some."

Pedro lost patience. "You'd make the best of Hell itself!"

"He'd deny," put in Fernando, "Holy Writ that says there shall be
sorrows!"

They embarked upon loud blame of Sancho, instance after instance. At
last I cut them across. "What further happened at Palos?"

They put back to that port. "Oh, it didn't seem so bad that day! One and
another thought, 'Perhaps I'll go!' Him they call The Admiral is a big
figure of a man, and of course we that use the sea get to know how a
good captain looks. We knew that he had sailed and sailed, and had had
his own ship, maybe two or three of them! Then too the Pinzons and the
Prior of La Rabida answered for him. A lot of us almost belong to the
Pinzons, having signed to fish and voyage for them, and the Prior is
a well-liked man. The alcalde folds up the letter as though he were in
church, and they all come down the steps and go away to the alcalde's
house which is around the corner. It wasn't until they were gone that
Palos began to ask, 'Where were three ships and maybe a hundred and
fifty men _going_?'"

"We found out next day," said Fernando. "The tide went out, but it came
back bearing the sound of where we were going!"

"Then what happened in Palos?"

"What happened was that they couldn't get the ships and they couldn't
get the men! Palos wouldn't listen. It was too wild, what they wanted
to do! It wouldn't listen to the Prior and it wouldn't listen to Doctor
Garcia Fernandez, and it wouldn't even listen to Captain Martin Alonso
Pinzon. And when that happens--! So for a long time there was a kind
of angry calm. And then, lo you! we find that they have written to the
Queen and the King. There come letters to Palos, and they are harsh
ones!"

"I never heard harsher from any King and Queen!" said Fernando.

"There weren't only the letters, but they'd sent also a great man, Senor
Juan de Penelosa, to see that they got obedience. Upshot is we've got to
go, ships and men, or else be laid by the heels! As for Palos, her old
sea privileges would be taken from her, and she cou