Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-04-27

his horse, he gailoped rQ camp with
Ortiz. There De Soto welcomed
him gladly. Ortiz was supplied
with q soldiers coutrements and
made interpreter Of the army. lie
was of great service to the COM
mander, jet bis interpretations went
q weary round Of dialects, Of neces-
sity, for in that great march Of DE
Soto's through Florida, Georgia,
Alabama. Mississippi Louisiana and
Arkansas many tribes we're invaded
and many diverse languafes found.
Pickett, careful stude1t Of the
records of this march. - tes. that.
10 conssrai5E win me Chikssas,
for instance he commenced with 9
Floridan, who carried the word to
a Georgian, the Georgian to q Coo
sa, the Coosa to the Mobilian, and
the latter to the ChIckasa. In the
same tedious manner the answer
was conveyed. to him and reported
to De Soto."
Notwithstanding the tediousness
of the task. Ortiz gained for De
Soto much useful information from
the peaceful tribes through which
they passed after leaving the coast
country-from the followers Of the
Indian queen of Silver Bluff and
the subjects of the young chief of
Ckiaha, who loaded De Soto with
the pearls Of the rivers of Alabama.
He entered with the bold Span
lard the Gown of Maubila. There
the Indian ruler and giant Tusca-
loosa, had massed his own warriors
and allies to the number OF ten
thousand, and the willy chief had
planned utter annihilation of the
Spanish army there. Tuscaloosa,
held as a hostage close to De Soto,
having entered Maubila, where his
warriors were hidden, boldly rose
from his seat beside the Command
er and joined his peoplel 1t was
Ortiz who followed him to an
announce that breakfast awaited
him at the adelantado's own table.
But the Black Warrior was no
longer to be held as q hostage; be
refused to return with Ortiz.
Then followed the bloody battle
Of Maub;la, wherein the Spanish
lost many men and the greater
part Of their splendid accoutre-
ments for invasion. Much farther
on in the march. in the country of
the Cbickasas, Ortiz, bv duping
the stern commander. succeeded in
saving the lives of two OF the Span
ish soldiers. The army was so re-
duced by unceasing war with the
natives, by untold hardships, and
by diverse diseases, that every lffe
was precious to the invaders. Two
of the army, Fuentes and Osario,
made a raid upon one of the viii
lagos of the Chicas, and carried of
valuable furs and mantles. The
incensed Indians prepared for war.
De Soto. anxious to prevent for the
future like useless provocation of
the natives, with whom he was now
little able to cope, condemned the
marauders to death. Priests. cayliers
and soldiers pleaded for their
comrades in vaiU. They we're led
to the execution, when several In
dians arrived, sent from their chief
to relate their grievances and de-
mand punishment of the plunder-
ers. At the suggestion Of some of
the leading Spanish Ortiz falsely
interpreted the messages of wrath
into plesdings from the chief him.
self for pardon OF the offenders.
De Soto was deceived, and the con-
demned were released.
The Indians were sent home, like
wise duped. They carried to their
chief a story that the offenders
were,to be put to death indeed,
thew might see for themselves the
preparations for an immediate exc
cution.
Ortiz, having survived the ter
rible battle of Maubila, the lesser,
but yet bloody, fight OF Cabusto,
aud the dreadful night onslaught
upon the Spaniards at Chicssa. was
yet doomed never to see his native
city, fair Seville.
He saw with his commander that
wonderful river which was to be
the burial-place of the great Span
lard. Bat even the honor of so
noted a grave was not to be for Or
tiz He died in the wilds of Ar
kansas.
His search for gold and his youth
full dream of glory had brought