Evening star., 1927-11-27
Finds Romance of History in Deeds of Spanish Pioneers

they saw the poverty stricken Indian
villages on the other shore.
Captives, however, repeated the lie
of gold to the North, and of they stag
gered, wading waist deep in cypress
swamps, wasted by fevers and harried
by savages whose pirogues SKINNED
the sulien pools like water moccasins.
Swift forays .netted prisoners now
and then, and the wretches were sent
ahead as the white mans heralds.
Whatever De Soto's own despair as
fhe bitter days went by. no man was
privileged to see a lowering OF that
nroud crest or was his hand less heavy
and assured.
What now" he reproached his
grumbling soldiers when they dared at
last to talk Of home. Having it in
your power to become lords in a vast
and noble land do you prefer Spain
and the lives of base dependents? M
one shall leave this country until we
have conquered 1t.
Gone now were his dreams OF gold
and gems and in this challenge TO his
men there is evidence that he was be.
thinning to see that the wealth OF IN"
New World was In its broad streams
and fertile soil. Ii so. 1t was vision
that came too late.
Swinging through southern Missouri
and eastern Oklahoma. De Soto
pitched his Winter camp on the banks
of the Arkansas near Fort Smith. Sew
eral restful months repaired the
ravages of the CHASTITY march in some
degree, "Humped backed cows" as
they called the buffalo. gave them
ample food and skins for covering:
But even the Iron Captain realized
the impossibiiity Of further wanderinG.
OF the proud array that had set forth
| lit, t;,,, FROM, IIo Ua ma three. wears he
fore, less than half remained. and
these were worn and wasted.
Return was compulsory. Strangely
| enough, almost at the same time n
| similar tragedy was working TO It's
grim conclusion farther North. for
| Francisco Vasquez de Cornado, start
| ing from Mexico, had gone as far as
| Nebraska in his vain search Tor IN"
Seven Cities OF Cibola.
EACHING the Mississippi once
IN again. after a terrible journey. De
Soto felt himself sickenins to his
death. Deep was his despondency,,
writes the Gentleman of Elvas. ana
who shall say that there was not ex-
cuse for his despair? What OF his
wife, stripped OF fortune 10 hhdhce
| this mad venture?
And the shame Of failure, for in his
| following there was none with enough
| Sfsion aind faith to make the emperor
| see that this land of mighty forests,
| shining rivers and fertile plains was a
possessiOn more to be priced than all
| the gold of Mexico and Peru!
Death held no terrors for him-he
had faced it daily from his youth
but how the sense Of defeat must have
weighed down that proud heart!
When he knew the end to be at hand
De Soto called his men together and.
out of his knowledge of their fierce,
| contentious natures, named Luis MOS
coso as his successor: then, swearing
all to obedience and thanking them
for their loyalty, he pulled the skin
coyerlet over his face and died, old
and worn at ~.
| Five slaves. three horses and some
swine composed the estate of this man
who but nine years before had sailed
from Peru with a fortune in gold and
| silver bars, precious metals curiously
carved and great, cleaning emeralds.
They buried him at night that the
Indians might not know his grave,
but the keen eyes of the bearers
marked the fresh-turned earth. and
when darkness fell again Moscoso had
the body carried down to the Missis-
| sippi's edge.
Working by touch, not daring to
show a light, they took a huge tree
trunk, half followed by native boat
builders. and packed the gaunt body
| in soft skins. Sealing the whole as
best they could push gave it to the
current and the wind in the trees
| joined with their sobs for requiem.
An epic of lost opportunity! Had
fernando de Soto come of race that
loved the soil he could have changed
the history of the New World. for all
of the rich sweep of America was In
his grasp to have and to hold. II was
the tragedy of Spain. however. that
her hawk faced adventurers saw
wealth only in gold and silve. and
scorned to plough except with swords.
| fConyright t0oT)