Evening star., 1927-11-27

sion, Maubila. Tuscaioosas capital,
was secretly ordered to prepare plan
of determination, and 10000 fighting
men gathered against the day when
the mated invaders should arrive.
Only a biunder saved the Spaniards.
Before the trap was well set an eXult'
ant chief shouted an insult at Balth-
asar Gallegos, and the fierce cavalier
sounded the battle cry even as ne
split the savage from hair to chin
For nine hours the struggle ragged.
so furiously that De Soto fought
standing in his stirrups. not having
time to draw an arrow from his thigh.
Successive waves of red men swept
over the little company, but st. JagO
rode the heavens on white horse.
calling encouragement, and as the sun
fell from sight victory perched on
the banners Of Spain,
The fiimsy huts, set on fire, turned
the village into a furnace. and men,
women and children perished in the
flames or were spitted on the lances
of the blood,mad companeros.
Victory indeed. but at what cost.
Many of De Soto's bravest and best
lay dead, the living were sore wound.
ed, and the fight OF the bearers had
not only lost them clothes. supplies.
medicines and booty, but worst of all,
even their dice and playing cards.
At this dark hour came q messenger
with word that the ships were In
Pensacola Bay, That way lay safety
and comfort. the ease and dignity or
his cnmman nd in Cuba where the Lady
Isabella waited in all her young lowell.
ness, while northern marshes held
hardship, danger and the daily threat
of death.
To return, however, was to admit
defeat, and facing away from the sea.
De Soto set forth on another hunt for
golden Chisca.
A man. Cortes ca joled and befolled
his mutineers; Pizarro lied and in
| trigued, but here was one who ruled
his iawless spirits by sheer force of
character. Alone with them in a
trackless wilderness. without gold and
Jewels to end their bitter disappoint-
ments, he lashed them to obedience
as though he sat in Seville with the
kings might at his back. not one dar-
Ing to mutter as he scourged them
with his hold. intolerant eye.
PRESUME not upon any rank you
may possess" he told them. standing
slim and graceful as his drawn blade,
"for will take the head of him who
does not do his duty"
No matter how fast they marched.
| tidings of Maubila went ahead and
every defile was an ambush; Indians
! dropped from trees to engage in a
death grapple or slipped from the
underbrush to rip horses belly; game
| fed at the noise of fighting and
berries and persimmOns were their
| food.
1t was a tattered, famished band
that went into winter quarters on the
upper Yazoo, but to their credit they
did not cringe under misfortune.
What time they were not plundering
the Indian villages of maize and
women, they tore down idols and
preached the beauties of the Christian
faith.
THE ChickasaWs, reinforced by
neighboring tribes, were finally
strong enough to strike. and on a
wild March night the Spaniards woke
to find their huts in flames and as
they dashed forth into the storm,
half.armed, half.naked, flint.tipped
darts struck them down.
but God" boasts the gentleman
of Eivas, "who chastiseth His own
a. He pleases, and in the greatest
wants and perils hath them In His
hand. shut the eyes of the Indians. u
The riderless horses. plunging
| everywhere in mad panic. were
thought to carry cavaliers, and the
Chickasaws fed before them, Every.
thing that had been saved from
Mauhila was lost In this last disaster,
but reverses seemed only to tap new
wells OF courage In De Soto.
Rude forges retempered swords
steel stirrups were beaten into lance
heads and ash trees gave new shafts
shields were made from hides, clothes
from skins and grasses, vision of the
Holy Virgin strengthened their hearts
and April saw them marching across
Mississippi. hearing always to the
North,
Balboa waved hack his men that he
alone might have first view Of the
Pacific, but the Gentleman of Elvas
makes no mention of the emotion that
| De Soto must have felt when he came
| to the banks OF the Father of Waters
and beheld that mighty flood,
To the weary Gentleman, at least, it
was merely another river to cross.
The useless slave chains were beaten
into bolts and rude ferries We're built.
but dawning hope died quickly when