uccess, as
their horses were already completely tired with their rapid march from
camp. They returned, therefore, believing that, even if they were to get
up with the fugitives, they would be unable to take them by force, as
they were all men of quality, who would rather be slain than surrender.
On their way back to camp, they fell in with Hernando Bravo, who had
fallen behind his companions, and on bringing him a prisoner to Gonzalo
he was ordered to immediate execution. Donna Ynez Bravo, who was sister
to the prisoner and wife to Nicolas de Ribeira, one of the fugitives, on
hearing the situation of her brother, hastened to the camp accompanied
by her father, and threw herself at the feet of Gonzalo, whom she
earnestly implored to spare the life of her brother. Being one of the
most beautiful women of the country, and of the highest rank, and being
seconded by most of the officers who served under Gonzalo, he at length
allowed himself to be prevailed on to pardon her brother, who was the
only person, during the whole subsistence of his usurpation, whom he
forgave for a similar offence. On granting this pardon, Alfonzo de
Caceres, one of the captains under Gonzalo, kissed his hand saying:
"Illustrious prince! accursed be he who abandons you, or hesitates to
sacrifice his life in your service." Yet, within three hours afterwards,
Hernando Bravo and several others made their escape from the camp. Among
these who now deserted were several persons of consideration who had
attached themselves to Gonzalo from the very commencement of the
troubles, so that their defection gave him infinite vexation and alarm,
insomuch that hardly any one dared to speak to him, and he issued
peremptory orders to put to death every person who might be found beyond
the precincts of the camp.

On the same night, Captain Martin de Robles sent a message to Diego
Maldonado, who had been alcalde of Cuzco, usually called the rich,
intimating that Gonzalo had resolved in a consultation with his officers
to put him to death. Maldonado very readily believed this information,
as he had formerly been one of the inhabitants of Cuzco who made offer
of their services to the late viceroy. Likewise, although then pardoned
by Gonzalo, whom he accompanied in the march to Quito against the
viceroy, he had fallen under new suspicions, and had even been put to
the torture, on account of a letter which was dropt near Gonzalo,
containing some very unpleasant truths; an