The daily gazette., 1877-10-20
TIE SPANISH CAPTIVE

4 ...aAAI RA h1v 10A OAI llv IL
iiHomanee never pictured avmore attrac
tive hero than the brave Hernando d.
SotoLthe Boy OF Batcafdl hAtbe brave
companion Of Pizerr0 gEtiie stlec4ssftIf IN
yader 0f IEioridar-the RocGhE path 9fihdel
after Gplumbus~ Leaving bis, wife, ,af
terra brief year OF marriage, he. had pro
ceeded' WITH q 'dset 6f iiiS 'Jwn pfoyidiflf
and nsarly atlldnsand n,enyt0 take DOS
session Of the islsndluf Cuba, ofi (which
oassiss ssss1s Us haa sssaisd himself aapsaip'
sbHis vbsAiianl sSifsia Y nabsfissii gacsclvams. sla &
papiee him to4hep6ft OF sSanaIluckf de-
Baxfamadss s1lPun tiieI 9Th of, Aprilo 1888.
, ann saE ~ hin eRbayk WITH tFeops 9f geppe
bofRe SOTO and ki5' foilow owefs s5iSo5HI ~ n p3s bt
ssssed lthemselsesiofsa sillageupoA FAms
pa Bay then eallsd Espiritn .5antoHheue
were the headqnaFtersa pE the cacique,
Hiaiga or Uclta. This old chief had be-
come so utterly embittered by the out;
rageous conduct of Pamphile de Narvaez
ten years before, that no Cancellation on
the part of De Soto could restore his
cohfidence and good will.
One of De Soto's scouting parties had
one day attacked troop Of indians and
pdtthenn TO flight. iOne fheh0tsemen
ina charge az one tof the nhmbsrr with iat
lance, was startled to hear a voice speak
ing the Spanish language, and saving:
asstsood sir, am q Christian man. Save
my hte and those on these poor men.n eh
The -iance was dropped into its rest,
ana me horseman eagerly inquired the
2 SIT Is juan 0rtez,s he answered; .and
have lived with these people'tef years.
L was with Naryaez In his expedition,
and came near being sacrificed with my
companions; but, thank Heaven, / was
spared"
y The wanderer and exile, for such was
Juan 0rtez, was welcomed to the camp
OF DE Soto, and receunted his adventures
In words that brought tears to the eyes
OF his listeners. Not the celebrated Cap.
tain Smith ever passed through more
thrilling or romantic scenes. i-." uaaG ~
The name of Narvaez was terrible
among the Indians, from the cruelties
ne had practiced. Ucita, especially, had
imbibed deep and unconquerable hat
red against him and his followers, and
when little band sent out by the lead
er fell into the hands of the saVages, and
were brought to the chief to be disposed
of as he pleased, it was not wonderful
that the long cherished feelings Of hate
and revenge should find vent in cruel
deaths fI.iLlpae-a $40. ! ql.islrt /. IN
OF the number which had fallen into
their hands. all save one we're dispatched
Instantly. Juan Ortez was this man; and
1t seemed that heawas kept for more re-
lined barbarities which could not be so
quickly decided upon.nt lal1 ssstsia. ..,lt 8
He watched the terrible preparations
that seemed TO herald his death, with a
heart That almost ceased to beat. Even,
his firm Spanish bravery -quailed before
then; and their mocking tones aud ges-
tures struck even greater terror into his
soul than any physical demonstration of
cruelty could have done. 'l4i., H. l.-,. -.
At last, when they had ceased TO be
amused with torturing or terrifying him,
the chief gave orders that he should be
bound to stake and the fire kindied
beneath him. The soul of Ortez was
shaken within him, His courage and
prowess In war had been indisputable;
but cold-blooded and deliberate ,butche-
ry was more than he could face. The
thoughts of dear ones at home, of father
and mother, brother and sisters-the
feeling that he should never again be-
hold the flow of bis, own beloved Quad
alquivir, on whose banks he had sported
as child-the terrible faces and figures
of his executioners, as they paced, with
stolid Indifference, before the funeral
pile-all served to overcome the brave
warriors heart. The heat of the blaze
was already reaching his limbs. He
closed his eyes and prayed for immediate
death rather than prolonged agonies.
A woman's cry startled him just as he |
seemed to be parting with all earthly |
things, and he opened his eyes once
more. A moment before he had seen
the old chief, Ucita, with hate and re-
venge pictured upon his countenance,
enjoying the commencement |
of his victims agonies. Now the fierce |
look was partially melted, and another |
expression was coming over the face. |
On the ground, before the chief, knelt a |
slight Indian girl, whose dress and adorn-
ments seemed to distinguish her as his |
child. Her face. though dark, was very |
beautiful, and the grace of her kneeling |
figure, as she wound her arms passion
otciJ auOuI tuC Oiu CuiCi uS u0 SdG upon i
the ground, had rarely been surpassed by |
that Of the naughty. danes of. Spain.
she was pleading for the pris-
oner, for she cast rapid and plying CLAN
ces at him and then turned with wilder
to the chief. ~ -, ~ drn
A little shame mingled with Ucita's |
softer mood, as he glanced up to see
what his braves were thinking of this !
scene; and during this mute council the
slow flames were eating the poor cap
tive's limbs. One look at him seemed to |
give the maiden strength and cours1e.
She snatched the hatchet from the hesi-
tating hand of the chief, and, with sim
gle bound, she cleared the intermediate |
space between him and the captive and |
cut the thongs which bound him to the
stake.
Half stupefied by the heat and smoke,
Juan Ortez scarcely comprehended what
she had done, until the brave girl took |
his passive hand and led him from the |
spot. The warriors seemed to approve
her proceedings, or at least to take them
quietly, for they dl 1w off from the scene
with only an expressive grunt. AS they
filed away the maiden eagerly caught the |
arm Of the Oldest looking, and by her
rapid gestures and earnest pointing to 1
thA now half faintino pantiva oaapnad 10