n Columbus, who was a skillful sailor and knew all the signs
of the sky, and all about the weather, happened to notice the singular
appearance of the sky, and saw that there was every sign that a big
storm was coming on. So he sent word to Governor Ovando again, telling
him of this, and asking permission to run into the harbor of Santo
Domingo with his ships to escape the coming storm. But the governor
could not see that any storm was coming on. He said: Oh! that is only
another way for the Admiral to try to get around me and get me to let
him in. I can't do it. So, he sent back word a second time that he
really could not, let Columbus come in. I know you are a very clever
sailor, he said, but, really, I think you must be mistaken about this
storm. At any rate, you will have time to go somewhere else before it
comes on, and I shall be much obliged if you will.

Now, among the twenty-six vessels of the gold fleet was one in which
was stored some of the gold that belonged to Columbus as his share,
according to his arrangement with the king and queen. If a storm came
on, this vessel would be in danger, to say nothing of all the rest of
the fleet. So Columbus sent in to Governor Ovando a third time. He told
him he was certain a great storm was coming. And he begged the governor,
even if he was not allowed to come up to Santo Domingo, by all means
to keep the fleet in the harbor until the storm was over. If you don't,
there will surely be trouble, he said. And then he sailed with his ships
along shore looking for a safe harbor.

But the people in Santo Domingo put no faith in the Admiral's
"probabilities." There will be no storm, the captains and the officers
said. If there should be our ships are strong enough to stand it. The
Admiral Columbus is getting to be timid as he grows older. And in spite
of the old sailor's warning, the big gold fleet sailed out of the harbor
of Santo Domingo and headed for Spain.

But almost before they had reached the eastern end of the island of
Hayti, the storm that Columbus had prophesied burst upon them.

It was a terrible tempest. Twenty of the ships went to the bottom. The
great gold fleet was destroyed. The enemies of Columbus--Bobadilla,
Roldan and the rest were drowned. Only a few of the ships managed to get
back into Santo Domingo Harbor, broken and shattered. And the only ship
of all the great fleet that got safely through the storm and reached
Spain all right was the one that carr