Time passed. With the ending of January the heat increased. The butio knew all manner of simples; he was doctor and priest together. He had a very simple magic. He himself did not expect it to reach the Great Spirit, but it might affect the innumerable zemes or under and under-under spirits. These barbarians4, using other words for them, had letter-notion of gnome5, sylph, undine and salamander. All things lived and took offense6 or became propitious7. Effort consisted in making them propitious. If the effort was too great one of them killed you. Then you went to the shadowy caves. There was a paradise, too, beautiful and easy. But the Great Spirit could not be hurt and had no wish to hurt any one else, whether zemes or men. To live with the Great Spirit, that was really the Heron wish, though the little herons could not always see it.
This butio—Guarin his name—was a young man with eyes that could burn and voice that fell naturally into a chant. He took me into the forest with him to look for a very rare tree. When it was found I watched him gather plants from beneath it and scrape bits off its bark into a small calabash. I understood that it was good for fever, and later I borrowed from him and found that he had grounds for what he said.
La Navidad and Guarico neighbored each other. The Indians came freely to the fort, but Diego de Arana made a good alcayde and he would not have mere8 crowding within our wooden wall. Half of our thirty-eight, permitted at a time to wander, could not crowd Guarico. But in himself each Spaniard seemed a giant. At first a good giant, profoundly interesting. But I was to see pleased interest become a painful interest.
Women. The first complaint arose about the gods or the giants and women. Guacanagari came to La Navidad with Guarin and several old men his councilors. Diego de Arana received them and there was talk under the great tree within our gate. Then all the garrison9 was drawn10 up, and in the presence of the cacique Arana gave rebuke11 and command, and the two that had done the outrage12 had prison for a week. It was our first plain showing in this world that heaven-people or Europeans could differ among themselves as to right and wrong, could quarrel, upbraid13 and punish. But here was evidently good and bad. And what might be the proportion? As days went by the question gathered in this people's bosom14.
It was not that their women stood aloof15 from our men. Many did not so in the least! But it was to be free will and actual fondness, and in measure.—But there were those among us who, finding in lonely places, took by force. These became hated.
Diego de Arana was to collect the gold that was a royal monopoly. Trading for gold for one's self was forbidden. Assuredly taking it by force—assuredly all robbery of that or anything else—was forbidden. But there came a robbery, and since it was resisted, murder followed. This was a league from Guarico and from La Navidad. The slain16 Indian's companion escaping, told.
This time Diego de Arana went to Guarico and Guacanagari. He took with him a rich present, and he showed how the guilty men were punished. "You do not slay17 them?" asked Guacanagari. Arana shook his head. He thought we were too few in this land to be ridding of life the violent and lustful18. But the Indians seemed to think that he said that he could not. They still doubted, I think, our mortality. As yet they had seen no mighty19 stranger bleed or die.
Arana would have kept his garrison within the walls. But indeed it was not healthful for them there, and at the very word of confinement20 faction21 rose. There were now two parties in La Navidad, the Commandant's party and Escobedo's party.
The heat increased. It was now March. An illness fell among us. I took Guarin into counsel and gave in water the bitter inner bark of that tree shredded22 and beaten fine. Those who shook with cold and burned with fever recovered.
Fray23 Ignatio was among those who sickened. He left after some days his hammock, but his strength did not come back to him. Yet, staff in hand, he went almost daily to Guarico. Then, like that! Fray Ignatio died. He died—his heart stopped—on the path between Guarico and La Navidad. He had been preaching, and then, Guarin told me, he put his hand to his side, and said, "I will go home!" He started up the path, but at the big tree he dropped. Men and women ran to him, but the butio was dead.
We buried Fray Ignatio beneath the cross on the hilltop. The Indians watched, and now they knew that we could die.
The heat increased.
At first Diego de Arana sent out at intervals24 exploring parties. We were to learn, at least, Guacanagari's country. But the heat was great, and so many of those left at La Navidad only idle and sensual. They would push on to a village—we found in Guacanagari's country many hamlets, but no other town like Guarico—and there they would stop, with new women, new talk, and the endless plenty to eat and sleep in the shade. When, at their own sweet will, they returned to La Navidad, the difficulties had been too great. They could not get to the high mountains where might or might not be the mines. But what they did was to spread over the country scandalous news of scandalous gods.
At last Arana sorted out those who could be trusted at least to strive for knowledge and self-control and sent these. But that weakened him at La Navidad, draining him of pure blood and leaving the infected, and by mid-April he ceased any effort at exploration. It must wait until the Admiral returned, and he began to be hungry indeed for that return.
Escobedo and Pedro Gutierrez were not hungry for it—not yet. These two became the head and front of ill, encouraging every insubordinate, infuriating all who suffered penalties, teaching insolence25, self-will and license26. They drew their own feather to them, promising27 evil knows what freedom for rapine.
All the silver weather, golden weather, diamond weather since we had left Gomera in the Canaries—how many ages since!—now was changed. We had thought it would last always, but now we entered the long season of great heat and daily rain. At first we thought these rains momentary28, but day after day, week after week, with stifling29 heat, the clouds gathered, broke, and came mighty rain that at last ceased to be refreshing30, became only wearying and hateful. It did not cool us; we lived in a sultry gloom. And the garrison of La Navidad became very quarrelsome. La Navidad showed the Indians Europeans cursing one another, giving blows, only held back by those around from rushing at each other, stabbing and cutting. Finally they saw Tomaso Passamonte kill one Jacamo. Diego de Arana hung Tomaso Passamonte. But what were the Indians to think? Not what they thought when first we came from the winged canoes to their beaches.
The last of April fell the second sickness and it was far worse than the first. Eleven men died, and we buried them. When it passed we were twenty-five Spaniards in Hispaniola, and we liked not the Indians as well as we had done, and they liked not us. Oh, the pity—pity—pity, the pity and the blame!
Guacanagari came to visit the commandant, none with him but the butio Guarin, and desiring to speak with Arana out of the company. They talked beneath the big tree, that being the most comfortable and commodious31 council chamber32. Don Diego was imperfect yet in the tongue of Guarico, and he called Juan Lepe to help him out.
It was a story of Caonabo, cacique of Maguana that ran into the great mountains of Cibao, that cacique of whom we had already heard as being like Caribs. Caonabo had sent quite secretly two of his brothers to Guacanagari. He had heard ill of the strangers and thought they were demons33, not gods! He advised the cacique of Guarico to surprise them while they slept and slay them. It was in his experience that all who ate and slept could be slain. If his brother Guacanagari needed help in the adventure, Caonabo would give it. He would even come in person.
Diego de Arana said, "What did you answer, O Cacique."
Guacanagari spoke34 at some length of our Great Cacique and his longing35 that he might return. Everything had gone well while he was here! "He will return," said Arana. "And he has your word."
Guacanagari stated that he meant to keep his word. He had returned answer to Caonabo that there had been misfortunes but that the mighty strangers were truly mighty, and almost wholly beneficent. At any rate, he was not prepared to slay them, did not wish to slay them.
Arana spoke vigorously, pointing out to the cacique all the kindliness36 that had attended our first intercourse37. The unhappinesses of February, March and April he attributed to real demons, not to our own fiend but to small powers at large, maleficent and alarmed, heathen powers in short, jealous of the introduction of the Holy Catholic religion. Guacanagari seemed to understand about these powers. He looked relieved. But Guarin who was with him regarded the sea and I saw his lip curl.
The commandant wished to know if there were any danger of Caonabo, alone, descending38 upon us from the mountains. But no! Maguana and Guarico were friends. They had not always been so, but now they were friends. De Arana looked doubtfully, and I saw him determine to keep watch and ward39 and to hold the men within or near to fort. But Guacanagari sat serene40. He repeated that there were always preliminaries before wars, and that for a long time there had only been peace between Guarico and Maguana. "Caonabo is Carib," said the young copper41 priest. The cacique answered, "Carib long ago. Not now."
At sunset, the rain ceasing for a little, the earth smoking, the west a low, vaporous yellow, the swollen42 river sounding, Diego de Arana had summoned by the drum every man in La Navidad. He stood beneath our banner and put his hand upon the staff and spoke earnestly to those gathered before him, in their duty and out of their duty. He told of Caonabo, and of his own sense that Guacanagari was too confident. He told of Guacanagari's fidelity43 to the Admiral, and he appealed to every Christian44 there to be at least as faithful. We were few and far from Spain, and we had perhaps more than we could conceive in trust. "Far from Spain, but no farther than we will from the blessed saints and the true Christ. Let us put less distance there, being few in this land and in danger!"
He knew that he had a dozen with him, and looked straight at Escobedo.
The latter said, "Live in the open and die there, if need be! To live in this rat hole, breathing plague, is dying already! Caonabo is a fable45! These people! Spaniards have but to lift voice and they flee!"
He received from his following acquiescent46 sound. Spoke Pedro Gutierrez. "Guacanagari wishes to bottle us here; that is the whole of it. Why play his game? I never saw a safer land! Only La Navidad is not safe!"
Those two had half and perhaps more than half of the garrison. Arana cried, "Don Roderigo de Escobedo and Don Pedro Gutierrez, you serve the Queen ill!"
"You, Senor," answered Gutierrez, "serve my Lady Idle Fear and my Lord Incapacity!"
Whereupon Arana put him in arrest and he lay that night in prison. The cloud was black over La Navidad.
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1
shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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2
consorted
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| v.结伴( consort的过去式和过去分词 )；交往；相称；调和 | |
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3
colon
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| n.冒号，结肠，直肠 | |
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4
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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5
gnome
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| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
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6
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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7
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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8
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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10
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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11
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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12
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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13
upbraid
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| v.斥责，责骂，责备 | |
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14
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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15
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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16
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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17
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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18
lustful
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| a.贪婪的；渴望的 | |
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19
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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20
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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21
faction
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| n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争 | |
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22
shredded
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| shred的过去式和过去分词 | |
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23
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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24
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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25
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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26
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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27
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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28
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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29
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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30
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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31
commodious
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| adj.宽敞的；使用方便的 | |
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32
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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33
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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34
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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35
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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36
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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37
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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38
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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39
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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40
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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41
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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42
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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43
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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44
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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45
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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46
acquiescent
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| adj.默许的，默认的 | |
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