s officers named
Bobadilla to go over to Hayti and set things straight. And he sent a
letter by him commanding Columbus to talk with him, to give up all the
forts and arms in the colony and to obey Bobadilla in all things.

Bobadilla sailed at once. But before he got across the sea matters, as
we know, had been straightened out by the Admiral; and when Bobadilla
reached Hayti he found everything quiet there. Columbus had made friends
with Roldan (or made believe that he had), and had got things into good
running order again.

This was not what Bobadilla had reckoned upon. He had expected to find
things in such a bad way that he would have to take matters into his own
hand at once, and become a greater man than the Admiral. If everything
was all right he would have his journey for nothing and everybody would
laugh at him. So he determined to go ahead, even though there was no
necessity for his taking charge of affairs. He had been sent to do
certain things, and he did them at once. Without asking Columbus for his
advice or his assistance, he took possession of the forts and told every
one that he was governor now. He said that he had come to set things
straight, and he listened to the complaints of all the black sheep of
the colony--and how they did crowd around him and say the worst things
they could think of against the Admiral they had once been so anxious to
follow.

Bobadilla listened to all their stories. He proceeded to use the power
the king and queen had given him to punish and disgrace Columbus--which
was not what they meant him to do. He moved into the palace of the
Admiral; he ordered the Admiral and his brothers to come to him, and
when they came expecting to talk things over, Bobadilla ordered that
they be seized as prisoners and traitors, that they be chained hand and
foot and put in prison.

Columbus's saddest day had come. The man who had found a new world for
his king and queen, who had worked so hard in their service and who had
meant to do right, although he had made many mistakes, was thrust into
prison as if he were a thief or a murderer. The Admiral of the Ocean
Seas, the Viceroy of the Indies, the grand man whom all Spain had
honored and all the world had envied, was held as a prisoner in the land
he had found, and all his powers were taken by a stranger. He was sick,
he was disappointed, he was defeated in all his plans. And now he was in
chains. His third voyage had ended the worst of all. H