South American Fights and Fighters | Page 5

Ferdinand's favor.
[Illustration: "The Indians Poured a Rain of Poisoned Arrows"]
The other claimant for the honor of leading the colony happened to be
another man small in stature, but also of great bodily strength, although
he scarcely equalled his rival in that particular. Nicuesa had made a
successful voyage to the Indies with Ovando, and had ample command
of means. He was a gentleman by birth and station--Ojeda was that

also--and was grand carver-in-chief to the King's uncle! Among his
other qualities for successful colonization were a beautiful voice, a
masterly touch on the guitar and an exquisite skill in equitation. He had
even taught his horse to keep time to music. Whether or not he played
that music himself on the back of the performing steed is not recorded.
Ferdinand was unable to decide between the rival claimants. Finally he
determined to send out two expeditions. The Gulf of Uraba, now called
the Gulf of Darien, was to be the dividing line between the two
allotments of territory. Ojeda was to have that portion extending from
the Gulf to the Cape de la Vela, which is just west of the Gulf of
Venezuela. This territory was named new Andalusia. Nicuesa was to
take that between the Gulf and the Cape Gracias á Dios off {8}
Honduras. This section was denominated Golden Castile. Each
governor was to fit out his expedition at his own charges. Jamaica was
given to both in common as a point of departure and a base of supplies.
The resources of Ojeda were small, but when he arrived at Santo
Domingo with what he had been able to secure in the way of ships and
men, he succeeded in inducing a lawyer named Encisco, commonly
called the Bachelor[2] Encisco, to embark his fortune of several
thousand gold castellanos, which he had gained in successful pleadings
in the court in the litigious West Indies, in the enterprise. In it he was
given a high position, something like that of District Judge.
With this reënforcement, Ojeda and La Cosa equipped two small ships
and two brigantines containing three hundred men and twelve
horses.[3]
They were greatly chagrined when the imposing armada of Nicuesa,
comprising four ships of different sizes, but much larger than any of
Ojeda's, and two brigantines carrying seven hundred and fifty men,
sailed into the harbor of Santo Domingo.
The two governors immediately began to quarrel. Ojeda finally
challenged Nicuesa to a duel which should determine the whole affair.
Nicuesa, who had everything to lose and nothing to gain by fighting,
but who could not well decline the challenge, said that he was willing

to fight him if Ojeda would put up what would popularly be known
to-day in the pugilistic {9} circles as "a side bet" of five thousand
castellanos to make the fight worth while.[4]
Poor Ojeda could not raise another maravedi, and as nobody would
stake him, the duel was off. Diego Columbus, governor of Hispaniola,
also interfered in the game to a certain extent by declaring that the
Island of Jamaica was his, and that he would not allow anybody to
make use of it. He sent there one Juan de Esquivel, with a party of men
to take possession of it. Whereupon Ojeda stoutly declared that when
he had time he would stop at that island and if Esquivel were there, he
would cut off his head.
Finally on the 10th of November, 1509, Ojeda set sail, leaving Encisco
to bring after him another ship with needed supplies. With Ojeda was
Francisco Pizarro, a middle-aged soldier of fortune, who had not
hitherto distinguished himself in any way. Hernando Cortez was to
have gone along also, but fortunately for him, an inflammation of the
knee kept him at home. Ojeda was in such a hurry to get to El
Dorado--for it was in the territory to the southward of his allotment,
that the mysterious city was supposed to be located--that he did not
stop at Jamaica to take off Esquivel's head--a good thing for him, as it
subsequently turned out.
Nicuesa would have followed Ojeda immediately, but his prodigal
generosity had exhausted even his large resources, and he was detained
by clamorous creditors, the law of the island being that no one could
leave it in debt. The gallant little meat-carver labored with success to
settle various suits pending, and thought {10} he had everything
compounded; but just as he was about to sail he was arrested for
another debt of five hundred ducats. A friend at last advanced the
money for him and he got away ten days after Ojeda. It would have
been a good thing if no friend had ever interfered and he had been
detained indefinitely at Hispaniola.
III. The Adventures of Ojeda
Ojeda made a landfall at