n chief, who had fled from the outrages
perpetrated at Hispaniola, urged the Cubans to repel the invaders.
Though unable to rouse in a mass the peace-loving islanders, he
gathered a small band around him, and valiantly contended to resist
the landing. His efforts were quite unavailing. Gunpowder soon
triumphed. The Indians were speedily put to flight, and the chieftain
Hatuey was taken prisoner.

Velasquez ignobly and cruelly condemned the heroic patriot to be
burned alive; but religiously the fanatic invader wished, though he
burned the body, to save the soul. A priest was appointed to labor for
the conversion of the victim.

"If you will embrace our religion," said the priest, "as soon as the
fire has consumed your body, you will enter heaven, and be happy there
forever."

"Are there Spaniards," inquired Hatuey, "in that happy place of which
you speak?"

"Yes," replied the priest; "such as are holy."

"Then I will not go there!" Hatuey energetically rejoined. "I will
never go to a place where I shall meet one of that cruel people."

The poor Indian was burned to ashes. The natives gazed upon the
spectacle with horror. They were appalled, and ventured to make no
farther resistance to their terrible conquerors.

Such is Spain's title-deed to the island of Cuba. God has not smiled
upon regions thus infamously won. May the United States take warning
that all her possessions may be honorably acquired. "God helps," says
blind unbelief, "the heavy battalions;" but experience has fully
proved that "the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to
the strong."

One or two colonies were soon established upon the conquered island.
They grew very rapidly. Velasquez was appointed governor; Cortez was
his secretary.

Many families were enticed from Spain by the charms of this most
beautiful of the isles of the ocean. A gentleman came from old Castile
with four beautiful daughters. Velasquez became attached to one;
Cortez trifled grievously with the affections of another. The governor
reproached him for his infamous conduct. The proud spirit of Cortez
could not brook reproof, and he entered into a conspiracy to proffer
complaints against the governor, and to secure his removal. It was a
bold and a perilous undertaking.

Cortez prepared to embark in an open boat, and push out fearlessly but
secretly into the open sea, to make a voyage of nearly sixty miles to
Hispaniola. There he was to enter his complaints to Die