ild, he drew his
sword and marched into the sea. In a formal speech he again took
possession, in the names of the sovereigns, of the seas and lands and
coasts and ports, the islands of the south, and all kingdoms and
provinces thereunto appertaining. These rights he declared himself ready
to maintain "until the day of judgment."

While another document was receiving the signatures of the members of
the expedition, Saavedra, who was standing near the margin of the bay,
took up a little water in his hand and tasted it. It was salt.

In the excitement of actually reaching the coast of so broad and
beautiful a sea, no one had happened to think of finding out whether the
water was fresh or salt. This discovery made it certain that they had
found, not a great inland lake, but the ocean itself.

Pizarro scowled; he wished that he had not missed this last chance of
fame. Since he had discovered nothing it was not likely that his name
should be mentioned in Balboa's report to the King, at all. But Balboa,
high in expectation of the change which this fortunate adventure would
make in his career, went on triumphantly exploring the neighboring
country, gaining here and there considerable quantities of gold and
pearls. Saavedra, who had inherited an estate in Spain just before the
expedition started, and expected on his return to Darien to go home to
look after it, watched Pizarro with growing distrust and anxiety.

"I think you are ready to accuse him of witchcraft," said Balboa lightly
when Saavedra hinted at his suspicions. "You have not given me one
positive proof that the man is anything but a rather sulky, unhappy
brute who has had ill luck."

"He is ill-bred, I tell you," said Saavedra stubbornly. "He is making up
to the Indians, and that is not like him. We shall have trouble there
yet."

Balboa laughed and went to his hut, there to fling himself into a
hammock and take a much-needed nap. Saavedra, coming back in the
twilight, spied an Indian creeping through the forest toward a window in
the rear of the hut. He was about to challenge the man when there was a
yelp from the bushes, and Cacafuego leaped upon the prowler and bore him
to earth, tearing savagely at his throat and receiving half a dozen
wounds from the arrows the Indian carried in his hand and in his belt.
He had been trained by Pizarro to fly at an Indian, and made no
distinctions. Within an hour or two the poison in the arrow-points began
to take effect,