The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-04-19

manders of old Spain---a discipline to
which, no less than TO thsir arms and
horses, they owed their victories over she
hordes of easvages they conquered
The village OF town they had taken
was collection Of huts made of upright
canes, thatched with paja. In the cen
ter was the plaza Of the temple, and in
this stood the temple itself, large
house, one story high, built like the
huts. The open front showed the shape
less log Of wood which had been wor-
SHIPPED as a god, already thrown down,
while before it lay the bodies of three or
four priests slain in their attempt to de-
fend the altar. Some blood red flowers,
remains of the morning Offering, were
scattered about, and the Goals of the sa-
cred fire yet showed spots Of red At one
side was the heap of gold ornaments torn
from the altar and the god carelessly ly-
ing there, waiting until the rest Of the
booty should be collected. Down the
street in which the battle had ragged
Spaniards were examining the bodies of
the dead and stripping OFF the gold.
AS the young soldier sat there group
of captives guarded by five or six sol
diers attracted his attention. There We're
many women and children, some old
men who mourned over the fate of their
people, and some in the PRIME of life.
Many gaping wound showed itself on
the bodies of these warriors, and their
sullen looks were evidence enough Of the
feelings which ragged within their
breasts. But it was not on these that
Don Francesco's thoughts dwelt. Near
to him and seated on the ground, her
white cotton robe half torn from her
shoulders, was an Indian girl of about
fifteen. This was Nechtla, the sister Of
Bocho-Ammo, war chief Of the Guaie-
ros.
The relacion Of the Frey Juan Com
zales, in which I found this story, de-
scribes the girl as looking like one from
the old Gothic families Of Spain, and the
old Franciscan adds, quantity enough,
'.She was beautiful enough, without the
aid Of the devil she served, to do all that
came" Ifancy, then. that Nechtla must
have been q pure brunette, with Large
and soft black eyes, o perfect figure, ex-
quisitely beautiful hands and feet and
long black hair. Probably she possess
ed that appealing expression which may
even now be seen in half breed Indian
girls, an expression which cannot be de-
scribed, but which Is inexpressibly touch
ing.
Whatever she looked like, she was
such one as Don Francesca Medina had
never seen before. He had influence
enough with Colonel Honradez to cause
her to be carried on litter during the
long and toilsome march back, and it is
certain that he talked to her great deal.
Colonel Hcnradez did not care; it was a
rough age, and If Don Francesca Medina,
the son of the captain general, chose to
take fancy to an Indian captive, what
did it matter? She was Of no use as a
slave; in fact. the stern old Spanish
soldier would not have burdened himself
on the march with her SO long as the
thrust of a knife would have been less
trouble.
That the young man should prefer
having her to receiving the share Of gold
he had offered to give up in return
amused Colonel Honratlez not a little,
but for all that the colonel resolved
good natnredly Francesca should not
suffer when the yellow metal in those
bundles, bound in raw hide and carried
by the men who were guarded so care
fully, came to be weighed and divided
In due time the party reached Cartha-
gena; there were fresh slaves to take
their places on the walls, and the cap
tain general was delighted when he heard
the story Of his sons behavior in his first
fight from the lips of Colonel Honradez.
The two men laughed together as the
colonel described the Indian girl and the
reason why she had been brought to the
coast, but the captain general cared as
little about his sons act as did that sons
commander.