136 Juan de Rada visits the Marquis. B. XVII. The rumour that the men of Chili meditated Ch. 9. something desperate was rife even among the Indians, and the Marquis's friends warned him of his danger. Besides, it was noticed that Juan de Rada was buying a coat of mail. On the other hand, it was observed by the men of Chili that Pizarro had been purchasing lances. Juan de Rada was sent for by Pizarro. The Governor was in his garden, looking at some orange trees, when the leader of the men of Chili Conference called upon him. "What is this, Juan de Rada," between De the Mar quis. Rada and said the Marquis, "that they tell me, of your buying arms to kill me ?" "It is true, my Lord, that I have bought two cuirasses and a coat of mail to defend myself." "Well," replied the Marquis, "but what moves you to buy armour now, more than at any other time ?” "Because they tell us, and it is notorious, that your Lordship is buying lances to slay us all. Let your Lordship finish with us; for, having commenced by destroying the head, I do not know why you should have any respect for the feet. It is also said that your Lordship intends to slay the Judge who is coming from Spain; but, if your intention is such, and you are determined to put to death the party of Almagro, at least spare Don Diego, for he is innocent. Banish him, and I will go with him wherever fortune may please to carry us." The Marquis was enraged at these words. "Who has made you believe such great villainy and treachery of me?" he exclaimed; "I never The Men of Chili still conspire. 137 thought of such a thing, and I am more desirous B. XVII. than you that this Judge should come, who al- Ch. 9. ready would be here, if he had embarked in the galleon which I sent for him. As to the story of the spears, the other day I went hunting, and amongst the whole party there was not one who had a spear. I ordered my servants to buy one; and they have bought four. Would to God, Juan de Rada, the Judge were here, so that these things might have an end, and that God may make the truth manifest." "By Heaven, my Lord," replied Juan de Rada, somewhat softened by the Governor's response, "but they have made me get into debt for more than five hundred pesos, which I have spent in buying armour, and so I have a coat of mail to defend myself against whoever may wish to slay me." "Please God, Juan de Rada, I shall do nothing of the kind," responded the Marquis. The conference ended thus, and Juan de Rada was going, when Pizarro's jester, who was standing by, said, "Why don't you give him some of these oranges?" As they were the first that were grown in that country, they were much esteemed. "You say well,” replied the Marquis; and he gathered six of them, and gave them to Juan de Rada, adding that he should tell him if he wanted anything. They then separated amicably, Juan de Rada kissing the Governor's hands as he took leave. Chili con This interview reassured Pizarro, and did not The men of divert the conspirators from their designs. Again and again Pizarro was warned. Twice he re spire. Ch. 9. B. XVII. ceived intelligence from a certain Clerigo in whom one of the conspirators had confided. The second time, the Marquis told the Clerigo that the report had no truth in it, that it was "an Indian saying," and that the man who had made the pretended revelation did so to get a horse, or some other present. So saying, he went back to dinner; but it was observed that he could not eat a mouthful. That same evening, just as he was going to bed, one of his pages told him that, through the whole city, the rumour ran that on the following day the men of Chili were going to murder him. "These things are not for you to talk about, you little rascal," was all that the Marquis replied. On the following morning some persons conveyed the same information as the page had done. Pizarro, seemingly wrapt in an imperturbable security, contented himself with giving orders, in a lukewarm manner, to his Alcalde Mayor, to arrest the principal men of Chili. It was on this occasion, or, perhaps, upon some previous one, that the Alcalde Mayor replied, that his Lordship need have no fear as long as he had the rod of office in his hand. This officer seems to have been as blindly confident as his superior. The next day was Sunday. Pizarro did not go to Mass, probably from some fear of being attacked. When Mass had ended, the principal inhabitants called upon the Marquis; but, after paying their respects, went away, leaving him "Dicho de Indios." Outbreak of the Conspiracy. 139 with his brother Martin, his Alcalde Mayor, and B. XVII. Francisco de Chaves, an intimate friend. Meanwhile the conspirators were collected together in the house of Don Diego Almagro. Nothing was resolved upon as to the day on which they were to make the attack, and Juan de Rada was sleeping, when a certain Pedro de San Millan entered, and exclaimed, "What are you about? In two hours time they are coming to cut us to pieces, for so the Treasurer Riquelme has just said." This was probably a version of the fact that Pizarro had ordered the arrest of the principal conspirators. Ch. 9. solve to act. There is a strong family-likeness in conspiracies. For a time there is much indecision, until some imminent peril to the conspirators hastens the The conspiresult, and determines the hour of the deed. Juan rators rede Rada sprang from his bed, armed himself, and addressed a short speech to his followers, urging them to avenge the death of Almagro, to aspire to dominion in Peru, and if these motives weighed not with them, at least to strike a blow in order to protect themselves against a pressing danger. This speech was received with acclamations, and immediate action was resolved upon. The first thing the conspirators did was to hang out a white flag from the window, as a signal to their accomplices that they must arm and come to their assistance. They then sallied forth. It is probable, as it was mid-day, that there were not many persons in the streets or in the great square. The conspirators shouted "Down with the tyrant traitor who has caused the Judge Ch. 9. 140 The Conspirators enter Pizarro's House, B. XVII. to be killed whom the King has sent." The few persons who noticed the march of this furious band, merely observed to one another, "They are going to kill Picado or the Marquis." As they entered the great square, one of them, named Gomez Perez, made a slight detour, in order to avoid a little pool of water, which by chance had been spilt there from some conduit. Juan de Rada splashed through the pool, went straight to They go to the dainty person, and said to him, "We are going to bathe ourselves in human blood, and you hesitate to dip your feet in water. You are not a man for this business: go back;" nor did he suffer him to proceed further. Pizarro's house. The conspirators gained the house of Pizarro without opposition. It was strong, having two courts and a great gate. The Marquis was not entirely surprized. His brother Martin, the Alcalde Doctor Velazquez, and Francisco de Chaves, had dined with him. The dinner was just over, when some of his Indians rushed in to give him notice of the approach of the men of Chili. He ordered Francisco de Chaves to shut to the door of the hall, and of the apartment in which they were. That officer, supposing that it was some riot among the soldiers, which his authority would quell, went out to meet them, and found the conspirators coming up the staircase. They fell upon him at once, slew him, and threw the body down the stairs. Those who were in the dining hall, chiefly servants, rushed out to ascertain what was the matter; but, seeing Francisco de Chaves lying dead, fled back, and |