He was about to challenge the man when there was a
yelp from the bushes, and Cacafuego leaped upon the prowler and bore him
to earth, tearing savagely at his throat and receiving half a dozen
wounds from the arrows the Indian carried in his hand and in his belt.
He had been trained by Pizarro to fly at an Indian, and made no
distinctions. Within an hour or two the poison in the arrow-points began
to take effect, and the dog died. Whether he had been prowling about in
search of food--for Pizarro kept him hungry with a view to making his
temper more touchy--or was looking for his old enemy Leoncico, no one
would ever know. Balboa looked grave and said nothing.
"The dog is dead--that is all that is absolutely certain," said Saavedra
grimly. "I wish it had been his master."
NOTE
It is recorded that when Pizarro met Balboa with the order for his
arrest Balboa thus addressed him: "It is not thus, Pizarro, that you
were wont to greet me!" Pizarro's jealousy and ill-will are evident in
the recorded facts, though he does not appear to have been actually
guilty of treachery to his general.
COLD O' THE MOON
Alone with all the stars that rule mankind
Ruy Faleiro sought to read the fate
Of his close friend--now by the King's rebuke
Sent stumbling out of Portugal to seek
His fortune on the sea-roads of the world.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148