by G. A. Henty
Chapter 5: Shipwrecked.
For six days the Swan sailed westward before a gentle wind. Thenclouds were seen rising in the north, and spreading with greatrapidity across the horizon.
"We are in for a tempest," Captain Reuben said. "Never have I seenthe clouds rising more rapidly.
"Get her sail off her, Standing, as quickly as possible."
The crew fell to work, and in a very few minutes the Swan wasstripped of the greater part of her canvas. But quickly as the menworked, the storm came up more rapidly, and the crew had but halffinished their work when, with a roar and turmoil that almostbewildered them, the gale struck the vessel. Her head had been laidto the south, so that the wind should take her astern; and it waswell that it was so, for had it struck her on the beam, she wouldassuredly have been capsized, even had not a rag of canvas beenshown, for the wind would have caught her lofty forecastle andpoop. As it was she plunged heavily forward, quivering as if from ablow. Then her bluff bows bore her up and, with a leap, she sprangforward and sped along before the gale.
"I have seen as sudden a squall among the Greek islands," CaptainReuben shouted in the mate's ear; "but never elsewhere. I hope thatthis may prove as short as do the gales in that quarter."
"I hope so," the mate replied, "for we know not how far the landmay be distant."
But though the captain knew it not, they had been caught in one ofthose furious gales that were, afterwards, the terror of theSpaniards; blowing for a week or ten days without intermission, andbeing the cause of the wreck of many a stout ship. The sea got uprapidly, and the wind seemed to increase in fury as night fell, andfor three days the ship ran before it. The waist was frequentlydeluged with water, and it required six men at the helm to keep herstraight before the wind.
The crew were worn out with fatigue and want of sleep, for runningas they were in this unknown sea, none could say what might happen,or when land might be sighted ahead. The captain never left thepoop--he and the mates taking their places, by turn, with the menat the helm; for the slightest error in steering might have causedthe vessel to broach to, in which case nothing could have savedher. Sheltered as was the caboose, it was found impossible to keepa fire alight, and officers and men, alike, had to contentthemselves with biscuit and draughts of ale.
The vessel rolled till her bulwarks were under water, and theyardarms at times dipped into the sea, and the men on deck wereforced to lash themselves to some standing object, to retain theirfooting. The captain occasionally made his way forward to theforecastle, where the men not on duty were huddled together, andspoke cheeringly to them, saying that the gale could not last muchlonger, and that as the Swan had weathered it so far, she wouldhold on to the end.
At the commencement of the storm a tremendous rain had fallen, butwhen this had ceased the sky had cleared up, and for the last twodays the sun had shone out brightly, and not a cloud had been seen.
When morning broke on the fourth day a cry of dismay broke from thewearied men on deck, for ahead could be seen land, stretching awayon both bows. The news brought the crew from below, and theyclustered on the forecastle, gazing in the direction of this newdanger.
"We must try and get some sail on her mizzen, Standing," thecaptain said. "Our only chance is to bring her head to wind."
"We can try, Captain, but I fear that you will never bring herround."
"It is our only chance," the captain repeated, and with a loudshout, he called for some hands to come aft.
The mizzen was shaken out and, as soon as the sheets were hauledaft, the helm was put down. A cry burst from the crew as she cameround, for as the wind took her on the beam she lay farther andfarther over. A great wave struck her broadside, sweeping thebulwarks away as if they had been paper, and carrying a number ofthe crew off the forecastle into the sea. Still farther over shewent, and all thought that she would capsize; when there were aseries of reports, like musket shots, as the lashings of theshrouds parted. This was followed instantly by a crash, as themizzen mast snapped off, two feet above the deck.
Relieved of the strain, the Swan righted somewhat. Another greatwave swept over her forecastle, still further diminishing thenumber of the crew, but it carried her head round. She came up ontoan even keel, and again started on her mad course before the wind.
"Go forward, Pengarvan, and see how many hands we have lost," thecaptain said. "Not that it makes much difference, for they have butgone a short time before the rest of us, for nothing short of amiracle can save us, now."
It could now be seen that the coast was steep and rocky, and thatthe waves were breaking with tremendous force upon it. It was butabout four miles distant, and in less than half an hour they wouldbe upon it.
"We must try to anchor, Standing."
The first mate shook his head.
"We will try, Captain, but our anchors will never hold her in theteeth of this gale. If they did, the hawsers would go like packthread."
"I am afraid so, Standing; but there is nothing else to do."
The first mate went forward, and he and Pengarvan saw the anchorsgot in readiness, and the cables ranged along, so as to run outwith perfect freedom. Then Pengarvan made his way aft again to thepoop.
"Do you mean to cut away the mast, Captain?"
The captain nodded.
"I wouldn't, sir," the mate went on. "She will never hold, mast orno mast; and if it stands, we make a shift to run her head foremoston the rocks, and this will give us a better chance than if shedrifts broadside on."
"You are right, Pengarvan. Yes, it will be better to leave itstanding."
When within a quarter of a mile of the shore, the helm was againput down and, as the vessel came partly round, the the anchors werelet go. The hawsers ran out rapidly, and the topsail, which was theonly sail on her, was let go, the wind catching it and tearing itinto ribbons as it was loosed. There was a jerk and a surge as theanchors brought her up, but at the same moment a great wave struckher head. The cables parted, and she again swung round towards theshore.
"It is all over with us, my lad," the captain said to Roger, whowas standing quietly beside him. "God forgive me, I have broughtyou all here to die."
"It is not your fault, father. It was all for the best, and we knewwhen we started that there were perils before us."
"Goodbye, my lads! We will die as we have lived--brave men--and mayGod have mercy on us all.
"Now, Roger, obey my last orders. Go forward, and climb up to theend of the bowsprit. It may be that, if she strikes, you may beable to leap forward onto the rocks. They are somewhat lower, justahead, than elsewhere."
"But I do not want to be saved, if no one else is, father," Rogercried passionately.
"You have always obeyed me heretofore," the captain said, quietly,"and you will do so now. Go forward at once, and do as I say. Godbless you, my boy."
He clasped Roger in his arms, in a moment's close embrace, and thenpointed forward.
Roger's eyes were blinded with tears as he obeyed the order. Thebowsprit in those days did not, as now, run out almost horizontallyfrom the ship's bow; but stood up like a mast, leaning somewhatover the bow, and carried a yard and small square sail upon it.Roger climbed up as far as the yard and then, aiding himself by thehalyards, swarmed up until he reached the cap. When he did so thevessel was but little more than a hundred yards from the shore.
The water was deep up to the rocks, for the waves struck on theseunbroken, flying up in masses of spray which flew far over theland. On his lofty post, thirty feet above the forecastle andforty-five above the water, Roger was nearly level with the top ofthe rock ahead; and as the vessel rose on the waves, could see aflat land, extending far inland.
He looked down. Two or three of the sailors had followed him ashigh as the yard, and many others were gathered on the forecastle.Some were kneeling in prayer, others had thrown themselves downdespairingly on the deck, but most were standing, looking forwardwith set faces at the rocky barrier so close at hand.
Roger looke
d aft. The men at the tiller had quitted it now, andgone forward. Standing and Pengarvan were standing, one on eachside of the captain. The latter took off his cap and waved it tohis son, and the mates lifted their hands in token of adieu.
A cry from below caused Roger, as he returned the salute, to lookround. They were but a ship's length from the rocks. Another momenta great wave lifted the vessel, and on its crest she wentthundering forward. The rocks seemed to leap up against the spar towhich Roger clung. It snapped off just below his feet, then a greatvolume of water and spray shot up from below, and he was thrownhigh into the air. The wind caught him and carried him away inland,and he fell, with a crash that left him senseless.
It was long before he recovered consciousness. As soon as he didso, he crawled on his hands and knees to the edge of the cliff, andlooked down. The Swan had disappeared. Not a sign of her remained,not so much as a floating timber showed on the surface of thewater.
Roger crawled back again for some distance, and then threw himselfdown, and wept despairingly. He lay there for hours, until the heatof the sun, blazing almost vertically down, roused him. Then he goton to his feet and looked round.
In front of him stretched a slightly undulating country. Patches ofmaize, here and there, showed that it was cultivated; and in thedistance he saw a large village, with buildings of a size thatproved that the people had made some advance towards civilization.Slowly and painfully, for he was greatly bruised by his fall, hemade his way to the nearest maize patch, and ate several heads ofgreen corn. Then he started for the village.
When within a few hundred yards of it, he came upon three women,who were coming out with baskets on their heads. They paused as heapproached them, and then, with a cry of astonishment and fear,turned and ran towards the village.
Their cries brought a number of people to the doors. Among thesewere many men, who had caught up spears, and bows and arrows, atthe alarm. Seeing but one person approaching, in a garb altogetherstrange to them, they stood in surprise. As he came up their wonderheightened, at perceiving that his color was altogether differentfrom their own; and they dropped their threatening weapons, andstood as if paralyzed by wonder.
Roger had not faltered in his step, as he saw them issue out. Deathhad no terror for him, now his father and all his friends weregone; and he was altogether reckless of what befell him. Thefearlessness of his demeanor added to the effect produced by hisappearance. His cap was gone, and the rays of the sun, falling uponhis fair hair, added to the effect produced by his white skin.
The natives, taking him for a supernatural being, bowed themselvesto the ground before him in an attitude of adoration. The cries anduproar that but a minute before had sounded in the village suddenlyceased, and were succeeded by the hush of deep awe.
Roger walked on between the prostrate natives, and seated himselfon a stone at the door of a hut. The natives gradually rose totheir feet and approached him timidly. He made signs that he wantedto drink, for a raging thirst had been induced by the heat.
One of the natives ran into a hut and reappeared with a bowl,filled with a liquid, which he humbly presented to Roger. Thelatter patted his head in token of thanks, and then took a longdrink of the contents of the bowl. These were totally unlikeanything he had before tasted; being pulque, a slightly fermenteddrink obtained from the juice of the agave, most useful of all thevegetable productions of Central America.
A native, who was distinguished by his dress from the rest, nowgave an order; and in a short time two women approached, bearing atray with some flat cakes of fine bread, and fruits of differentkinds. More to please the natives than because he was hungry, forhe felt little inclination for food, Roger partook of some ofthese.
The chief then harangued him at considerable length. When he hadfinished, Roger, who had stood up while he was addressing him,said:
"I do not know a single word of what you are saying to me, but Ithank you for your kindness."
He then shook hands with the chief, to whom that form of greetingwas evidently new, and patted him on the shoulder.
The chief then conducted him to a large house. It was no higherthan the rest, but was built of stone, well fitted together. Theroof was roughly thatched, and could, Roger thought, afford but apoor shelter in time of rain. He did not know that, except at thecommencement of a storm, rain was of comparatively rare occurrenceupon the coast.
Inside the house showed signs of comfort. There were some seatsdecorated with carving. A finely woven mat covered the floor. Armsand utensils hung from the walls.
Several of the natives, evidently persons of consideration in thevillage, followed the chief in. Some girls and women came in froman interior room, and saluted the stranger with the greatestrespect. They examined him timidly, one of the younger girlstouching his hand gently, as if to make sure that it was skin, andnot some strange covering, that gave it its color.
Roger took off his jacket, which was by this time dry, and turnedup the sleeve of his shirt. As he did so, a general exclamation ofsurprise and admiration broke from the natives at the whiteness ofthe skin; which was far more striking, to them, than the bronzedhue of his face and hands.
The chief made various signs, which Roger at last understood to bea question as to whence he had come. He pointed in the direction ofthe sea, and tried to signify that he had arrived from a very longdistance.
An hour passed, and Roger was beginning to wonder what the nextmove would be, when a native entered and, saluting the chief, saidsomething to him. The women and children at once retired. A fewminutes afterwards the chief went to the door, and motioned Rogerto accompany him.
Coming down the street of the village was a procession. At its headwalked two persons, evidently of high rank. They wore mantles,falling from their shoulders nearly to the ground, ornamented withdesigns executed in brightly colored feathers. They had circlets ofgold round their heads, and heavy necklaces and bracelets of thesame metal. Beneath the mantles they wore short petticoats of softwhite material. Their spears and their arms were carried behindthem, by attendants. Behind these came a number of men and women,walking in regular order, carrying bowls of fruit, trays of cookedfood, and other offerings.
Roger saw at once that they must have come from a place ofimportance; which must be near at hand, as they had doubtless setout upon the receipt of a message, dispatched by his presententertainer. He guessed that the report must have been a favorableone of him, and that the natives were impressed with the idea thathe was a superior being. It was, therefore, needful for him tocomport himself so that this impression should be confirmed.
The chiefs bowed profoundly as they approached him, stooping so farforward that one hand touched the earth, and was then carried totheir forehead. Roger did not understand the meaning of this, buthe bowed graciously, as if accepting the homage that was offered.
The bearers then advanced, and placed the offerings on the ground.Among these was a mantle similar to that worn by the chiefs, butmore richly embroidered. It struck Roger that, as his white skinexcited so much admiration, it would be as well to show it. He was,too, somewhat ashamed of his garments; which were much worn, hadturned a dingy hue from the sun and salt water, and had, moreover,shrunk much from their recent immersion. Taking up the robe,therefore, he motioned to the chiefs to stay where they were and,returning into the room, stripped to his waist; and then, throwingthe mantle over his shoulders, returned to the entrance.
Something like a shout of welcome saluted him. The whiteness of hisskin, as seen through the open mantle, astonished the natives; andthey accepted his assumption of the garment, with which he had beenpresented, as a sign of the benevolent intentions of thissupernatural visitor towards them.
The ambassadors now made signs in the direction from which they hadcome, and seemed to ask if he were willing to accompany them. Henodded his assent, and in a few minutes the procession againstarted, the chiefs taking their places one on either side of him,and the villagers falling in behind. The women struck up a sort
ofchant, in which all except the chiefs joined. For an hour they kepton their way and then, on ascending a small hill, a large town wasseen.
"Tabasco," the chief said, pointing towards it.
Roger repeated the word, and in doing so evidently gave muchpleasure to the chiefs. As they approached the town he could seemany lofty buildings rising above it; and, as they passed through aline of long palisades that surrounded the place, a body of menissued out to meet him.
As they approached, they formed in order on each side of the road.All were armed with spears tipped with sharp, shiny stones, andcarried bows and arrows. They were dressed in doublets of thicklyquilted cotton, capable of turning an arrow or resisting the thrustof a native spear; although they would offer but poor protectionagainst English arrows, or English weapons.
As they entered the town the streets were lined with similarlydressed soldiers; behind whom stood a crowd of natives, men andwomen saluting their strange visitor with loud cries of welcome.The procession continued its way until it stopped before a largebuilding, at the entrance to which stood an aged chief. His mantlewas completely composed of feather work, and plumes of featherssprang from the golden fillet that encircled his head. Behind himwere clustered a number of inferior chiefs.
He welcomed Roger courteously but gravely; and Roger guessed, atonce, that he was superior to the superstitions of his people, andthat he viewed him with a certain amount of suspicion. Roger bowedand, taking off the jackknife, which hung in its sheath from astring at his waist, drew it out and presented it to the chief.
The latter was evidently greatly struck by the gift. Gold andsilver he knew, but this bright and shining metal was altogethernew to him. He examined it closely, felt the edge and point, andthen handed it to the chiefs behind him, to be examined by them.Roger saw by his manner that he had been favorably impressed, forthe weapon was as strange and mysterious, to him, as the visitant.
The chief undid a large gold necklace that he wore, and offered itto Roger, who bowed and clasped it round his neck. The chief nowled him inside the house, which was similar, but on a much largerscale, to that which he had before entered. Refreshments wereplaced before him. These he did not need, but thought it better toeat of them. While he was so doing, an animated conversation wasmaintained between the chief and his followers.
After a time, the chief made signs to him to follow him, andconducted him to a smaller house close by, which he made signs tohim that he was to consider as his own. Mats had been alreadyspread on the ground; rugs made of quilted cotton, for sleepingupon, piled in a corner; vases of flowers placed about the room,and all made ready for occupation. An old woman, followed by twoyoung girls, came forward and saluted to the ground. They wereslaves, whom the chief had appointed to wait upon the visitor.
No sooner had the chief left than a perfect levee commenced, andwent on for hours; until it seemed to Roger that every man, woman,and child in the town must have called upon him. Most of thembrought little presents as tokens of goodwill. Garlands of flowerswere thrown round his neck, baskets of fruit, cakes made from maizeflour, dishes of meat of various kinds, little trinkets of gold,baskets containing beans and many other eatable seeds, and a groundpowder of brownish hue, of whose uses Roger was ignorant, but whichhe afterwards discovered to be cocoa, which furnished the mostpopular beverage of the natives.
Not until it was quite dark did the stream of visitors cease. Thenthe old slave dropped a hanging across the door, and one of theyoung ones brought forward to Roger, who was utterly worn out withthe fatigues of the day, a bowl of steaming cocoa, and some cakesof fruit. Roger found the cocoa extremely palatable, and whollyunlike anything he had ever before tasted; and it seemed toinvigorate him greatly.
After drinking, he spread some of the quilted mats upon the floor,and threw himself down upon them. The old woman had lighted a lamp,and withdrawn with the younger ones to an apartment behind; whichserved as their sleeping place, as well as kitchen.
Now that he was alone and had time to think, Roger broke downentirely. Was it possible that it was but this morning he was onboard ship, with his father and friends; and that now all weregone, gone forever, and he was in a strange land, cut off from allhope of return, surrounded by people who, if they were friendlytoday, might yet, for aught he knew, slay him on the morrow?
For the time, however, his own fate occupied him but little. Histhoughts turned almost exclusively upon his father. Upon theirvoyages together, his kindness and care for him, the high hopesthey had cherished when they started upon their voyage, and aboveall upon his parting words, and the last gesture of farewell, justas the ship struck.
For hours Roger lay and sobbed. At last he heard a slight movementin the room and, looking up, saw one of the young slave girlsregarding him with a look of deep pity. To her, as to everyoneelse, Roger had appeared as a supernatural being, come from theyknew not whence; but the lad's sobs had touched her human feelings,and shown her that he had sorrows, like herself. Her look brought afeeling of comfort and companionship to Roger's heart; and as, onseeing that she was observed, she turned timidly to retire, he heldout his hand to her.
She approached and knelt down beside him and, taking his hand,pressed it to her forehead. She was a girl of some fourteen yearsold, already, according to Mexican ideas, a woman.
"What is your name?" Roger asked.
The girl looked at him wonderingly, but shook her head. Rogerthought a moment, and then touched himself on the breast.
"Roger," he said.
He repeated the word several times. Then he touched her lips andrepeated "Roger," and, seeing what was expected, she repeated theword in a soft voice.
He nodded again, touched himself and said "Roger," and then touchedher. She now saw what he meant. It was his own name he had spoken,and he now asked for hers.
"Malinche," she said, in her soft Indian voice.
"Malinche," he repeated, "you are a kind-hearted girl. I can seethat, Malinche; and I hope we shall understand each other better,one of these days. I suppose you are a servant or a slave, and arenot in a much better condition than myself. Now you had better go,and sleep."
He patted her on the shoulder, pointed to the door by which she hadentered, closed his eyes as if in sleep, and then said, "Goodnight, Malinche."
The girl uttered some words he did not understand; but as theyended with Roger, and with a nod of her head she stole silentlyaway, he supposed that it was something equivalent to his own"Goodnight."
Greatly comforted by this little incident, he rolled up one of therugs as a pillow, laid his head upon it, and was almostinstantaneously asleep. He woke with a feeling of surprise. Theevents of the previous day seemed to him but a dream, and he lookedround, expecting to see the bulkhead of the little cabin he hadoccupied, on board the Swan. But the first glance assured him ofthe reality of the dream, and that he was alone, among a strangepeople.
He sprang at once to his feet, pulled aside a cloth that hungbefore an opening that served as a window, and let the rays of thesun stream in.
"I want some water, old dame," he said, in a loud voice.
The old woman at once entered. Roger made signs, by rubbing hishands together, and passing them over his face and head, that hewanted water. This the old woman brought, in a basin formed of thehalf of an immense gourd, and a soft cotton cloth with which to dryhimself. Then she brought in a small pot, filled with somethingwhich looked to him like fat, but which he afterwards found wasextracted from a vegetable, and put it down by the side of thewater.
"I suppose that this is some sort of soap," Roger said to himself,and found on trial, to his great satisfaction, that it made anexcellent lather.
After a good wash he felt greatly refreshed, and now attiredhimself completely in Mexican costume, a pile of garments of allsorts having been placed in one corner of the room. When he hadfinished the two girls entered, with a tray containing cocoa,fruits, and bread. He was about to address Malinche by her name;but the girl kept her eyes fixed upon the
ground, and it struck himthat she did not wish her late visit to him to be known, as itmight bring upon her a scolding from the old woman; whose voice hehad more than once heard, on the previous afternoon, raised inshrill anger.
He therefore began afresh, first naming himself, and then touchingMalinche's companion.
She did not at first understand, but Malinche said something in alow tone, and she then replied, "Nishka."
Roger repeated the name, and then touched Malinche, who at oncegave her name.
He next pointed to the contents of the bowl, and the girls repliedtogether, "Coca."
Roger repeated the word several times, and then, in the samemanner, learned the native names of the cakes and fruit.
The old woman, hearing the voices, now came into the room. Thegirls spoke eagerly to her in their language, and when Rogertouched her, she at once answered, "Quizmoa."
"That is pretty well, for a first lesson," Roger said. "Now I willeat my breakfast. I suppose that, if anyone in this place did nothave a stare at me yesterday, they will be coming today."
Visitors, indeed, soon began to arrive; and it was more than a weekbefore the curiosity of the crowd was at all satisfied. But eventhis did not bring what Roger considered a terrible annoyance to anend; for the news had spread rapidly, through all the countryround, of the strange white being who had come to Tabasco, andparties of visitors kept on arriving, some of them from a greatdistance.
Roger, however, had made a good use of his tongue. He kept one orother of the girls always near him, and by touching the articlesbrought to him as presents, the garments and arms of his visitors,and the various objects in his room, he soon learned their names.
Almost every day the chief sent for him, for a talk; but as neitherparty could understand the other, these conversations generallyended by a sudden loss of temper, on the part of the cazique, atbeing unable to obtain the information he required as to the originof his visitor, and the object with which he had come to hiscountry.
Having acquired a large number of the names of objects, Roger, fora time, came to a standstill. Then it struck him that by listeningto what the old woman said to the girls, and by watching what theydid, he might make a step farther.
In this way he soon learned "bring me," "fetch me," and otherverbs. When the old woman was present, the two girls were silentand shy; but as Quizmoa was fond of gossiping, and so was greatlyin request among the neighbors, who desired to learn something ofthe habits of the white man, she was often out; and the girls werethen ready to talk as much as Roger wished. For a time it seemed tohim that he was making no progress whatever with the language and,at the end of the first month, began almost to despair of everbeing able to converse in it; although by this time he had learnedthe name of almost every object. Then he found that, perhaps asmuch from their gestures as from their words, he began tounderstand the girls; and in another month was able to make himselfunderstood, in turn. After this his progress was extremely rapid.
As soon as Malinche learned, from him, that he belonged to a greatnation of white people, living far away across the sea, and that hehad been wrecked in a ship upon the coast, she warned him againsttelling these things to the chief.
"They hold you in high honor," she said, "because they think thatyou have come down from the sky, and might do them grievous harm ifthey displeased you. But if they knew that you were a man likethemselves, cast by chance upon their shores, they would perhapsmake you a slave, or might put you to death in one of the temples.Therefore, on this subject be always silent. When the chief asksyou questions, shake your head, and say that these things cannot bespoken of, and that it might bring down the anger of the gods, weretheir secret told."
The advice seemed good to Roger, and he followed it. Now that hewas able to talk in his language, the chief soon plied him withquestions as to whence he had come. But Roger always shook his headwhen the subject was approached, and said:
"It is not good to talk of these things. Evil might come to theland. I am here, and that is enough. I will tell you many thingsabout other people, who live far over the sea, and who are verygreat and powerful. When they go out they sit upon great animals,which carry them easily, at a speed much exceeding that at which aman can run. They live in lofty dwellings and, when they go to war,are covered with an armor, made of a metal so strong that arrowswould not pierce it nor swords cut it. They traverse the sea infloating castles; and when they want to convey their thought toothers, many days' journey away, they make marks upon a thin whitestuff they call paper, and send it by a messenger, and these markstell him who receives it what the writer's thoughts are, just thesame as if he had spoken in their ears."
The hearing of such wonders as these reconciled the chief to hisdisappointment at not learning more about his visitor. The knifeRoger had given him was a never-ending source of wonder to thecazique, and those whom he permitted to inspect it. Gold and silverand copper they knew, and also tin, which they used for hardeningthe copper. But this new metal was altogether strange to them. Itenormously exceeded copper in strength and hardness. Its edge didnot, like that of their own weapons, blunt with usage, and theycould well understand that, if armor could be formed of it, itwould be altogether unpierceable.
For a time Roger was every day at the chief's house, and hisnarration afforded astonishment and wonder to the audiences thatgathered round him. At the same time, Roger perceived that adifference of opinion existed, among the principal men, concerninghim. Some believed, as at first, in his supernatural origin, andcredited all that he told them; while others were of opinion thathe was a man, like themselves, only of different color, and thatthese tales were simply inventions, designed to add to hisimportance.
The fact that month after month passed without his exhibiting anysupernatural powers, or reproducing, in any way, the wonders ofwhich he told them, added gradually to the strength of the partyhostile to him. Why should this god, if he were a god, have come todwell at Tabasco only to learn the language, and behave as anordinary man? He had been kindly received--why did he not bestowbenefits in return? Were the fields more fruitful? Had anyextraordinary prosperity fallen upon the people since his arrivalamong them? Had he taught them any of the arts of those people ofwhom he spoke? The gods always bestowed benefits upon those amongwhom they dwelt. He did not ever pay reverence to their gods, norhad he entered a temple to worship or sacrifice. How then could hebe a god?
Gradually this opinion gained strength, and Roger perceived thathis popularity was decreasing. No longer were daily presents sentin by the inhabitants of Tabasco. No longer did they prostratethemselves, when he walked in the streets. His stories werereceived with open expressions of doubt and derision, and he sawthat, ere long, some great change would take place in hiscondition.
One morning, to his surprise, the chief with six men entered hischamber, and ordered him to come out and accompany them, instantly.Much surprised at the order, Roger at once went out.
"You must go away for a time," the cazique said; "but you shallreturn, before long."
His guard conducted him eight or ten miles into the interior, andestablished him in a hut, situated at a distance from any otherdwelling. Three of them, by turns, kept watch night and day overhim, refusing to answer any questions as to the cause of thissingular conduct. Beyond being kept a prisoner he had nothing tocomplain of, being well fed and treated with all courtesy.
A fortnight later he was taken back to Tabasco, as suddenly as hehad left it. When he arrived there, he learned the reason of hisbeing carried inland. A great floating castle, filled with whitemen, had arrived at the mouth of the river; and had opened a tradewith the natives, exchanging glass beads, looking glasses, andtrinkets, for gold ornaments and articles of Mexican workmanship.Their leader, he heard, was called Grijalva. The cazique had beenafraid that, if Roger had heard that other white men were in theriver, he would make an effort to join them; or if they heard thata man of their color was in the town, they would insist upon hisbeing handed over to them. H
e had therefore hurried him awayinland, and had issued the most stringent orders that none should,by signs or otherwise, acquaint the newcomers that a white man wasin the town. A guard had been placed over the house in which Rogerhad dwelt, and none of those within it had been allowed to go out,while the strangers were in the river.
These had sailed away, the day before Roger was fetched back. Hewas not altogether disappointed at having missed the strangers, whowere of course Spaniards; for he wanted, if possible, to seesomething more of this beautiful country before he left; and hewas, moreover, more than doubtful as to the reception he shouldmeet with at the Spaniards' hands, when, by his ignorance of theirlanguage, they discovered that he was a foreign intruder, in whatthey considered their territory.