se. People in Spain had
heard so many queer things from across the sea that they were beginning
to lose faith in Columbus. The men who had lost health and money in the
unlucky second voyage of the Admiral were now lazy loafers about the
docks, or they hung about the court and told how Columbus had made
beggars of them, while they hooted after and insulted the two sons of
Columbus who were pages in the queen's train. They called the boys the
sons of "the Admiral of Mosquitoland."

Then came the ships with news of Roldan's rebellion, but with little or
no gold. And people said this was a fine viceroy who couldn't keep order
among his own men because, no doubt, he was too busy hiding away for his
own use the gold and pearls they knew he must have found in the river of
Paradise he said he had discovered.

Then came five shiploads of Indian slaves, sent to Spain by Columbus,
and along with them came the story that Columbus had forgiven Roldan for
his rebellion and given him lands and office in Hayti.

King Ferdinand had never really liked Columbus and had always been sorry
that he had given him so much power and so large a share in the profits.
The queen, too, began to think that while Columbus was a good sailor, he
was a very poor governor. But when she heard of the shiploads of slaves
he had sent, and found out that among the poor creatures were the
daughters of some of the chiefs, or caciques, of the Indians, she was
very angry, and asked how "her viceroy" dared to use "her vassals" so
without letting her know about it. Things were indeed beginning to look
bad for Columbus. The king and queen had promised that only members
of the Admiral's family should be sent to govern the island; they had
promised that no one but himself should have the right to trade in the
new lands. But now they began to go back on their promises. If Columbus
cannot find us gold and spices, they said, other men can. So they gave
permission to other captains to explore and trade in the western lands.
And as the complaints against the Admiral kept coming they began to talk
of sending over some one else to govern the islands.

More letters came from Columbus asking the king and queen to let him
keep up his slave-trade, and to send out some one to act as a judge of
his quarrel with Roldan. Then the king and queen decided that something
must be done at once. The queen ordered the return of the slaves
Columbus had sent over, and the king told one of hi