d although the real authors of
that letter had been afterwards discovered, Maldonado could never forget
the treatment he had suffered at that time. Besides this, he was the
intimate friend of Antonio Altamirano, whom Gonzalo had recently put to
death. Considering all these circumstances, Maldonado was so thoroughly
convinced of the imminent danger in which he stood, that he immediately
quitted his tent with only his sword and cloak, not even taking time to
saddle a horse, though he had several good ones, or speaking to any of
his servants. Though a very old man, he walked as fast as possible all
night in a direction towards the sea, and concealed himself in the
morning among some tall reeds near the shore about three leagues from
where the ships of Aldana lay at anchor. As he was much afraid of being
pursued, he revealed his situation to an Indian who happened to be near;
and whom he prevailed upon to construct a float of reeds and straw, on
which the Indian carried him on board one of the ships.

In the morning, Martin de Robles went to the tent of Maldonado; and
finding him withdrawn as he expected, he immediately waited on Gonzalo,
whom he informed of the circumstance, adding, "As the army was
diminishing daily by the number and quality of the fugitives, he begged
leave to advise that they should quit the present camp, and march into
the interior provinces, as formerly agreed upon, without granting
permission to any one to go into the city of Lima, lest many more might
use that pretence for an opportunity to desert. Several of his own
company, he said, had applied for leave to go into the city, to procure
provisions; but he considered it better for himself to go therewith a
detachment of soldiers to collect the provisions and necessaries
required, that he might keep all his men in sight, and that he proposed
on this occasion to take Maldonado from the Dominican convent, where he
understood he had taken refuge, and to bring him a prisoner to the camp,
where he ought to undergo condign punishment, as a warning to others."
Gonzalo approved all that was said on this occasion by De Robles, in
whom he had great confidence as a person who had taken part with him in
all the past troubles, and desired him to act in the way he proposed. De
Robles accordingly, taking all his own horses and attendants and those
belonging to Maldonado, took along with him to Lima all the soldiers of
his company in whom he could confide. After coll