d accompanied by Bishop Ramirez, who was returning to Spain
to be consecrated. This ecclesiastic had been Guzman's most staunch and
zealous partisan during the investigation. He had gone so far as to
threaten with excommunication anyone who should testify against the
governor, and had actually excommunicated Vadillo. Against this act
Vadillo had protested to the King, and the King had reprimanded the
Bishop and had compelled him to withdraw the writ of excommunication.
Guzman therefore took the Bishop along with him, partly so that the
latter might be formally consecrated and have his conduct if possible
vindicated, and partly to aid himself in his appeal to the Council for
the Indies.

Vadillo did not trouble himself to go to Spain to counteract Guzman's
appeal. A month before the departure of Guzman and the Bishop he left
Cuba for Hispaniola, conscious of having done his duty. He had been a
fearless and thorough investigator and a just judge; and he had rendered
to Cuba and to the Spanish crown services far greater than he ever
received compensation or credit for. Indeed, he did not enjoy so much as
the gratitude of the people of Cuba, most of whom were partisans of
Guzman or of some other political leader, and had become so accustomed
to the corrupt ways which had been followed for years that they were
inclined to resent any attempt at reform.

Upon the expiration of his sixty days' incumbency, Vadillo designated
Manuel de Rojas to be governor in his stead, until an appointment of
permanent character could be made by the Admiral at Hispaniola. Rojas
was reluctant to accept the place, knowing that he would find it more
arduous and even perilous than before, but he was finally prevailed upon
to do so, apparently more through a sense of public duty than for any
expectation of personal advantage.

CHAPTER XI

The first governorship of Gonzalo de Guzman was marked with two features
of very great importance to the young nation--for such we may properly
regard Cuba as having been at that time. One of these was the
development of the ecclesiastical establishment into a strong and
sometimes dominant force in the body politic and social; and the other
was the crisis of the protracted problem of dealing with or disposing of
the native Indians. These two matters were, as they had been from the
beginning, closely related to each other.

It is a commonplace of history that there was a certain thread of
religious moti