How the Captains Francisco de Chaves and Francisco Nú?ez were made prisoners, and how Francisco de Chaves was put to death.

NOW this was the time when the funeral obsequies of the old Marquis ought to have been celebrated, but rather was it signalised by the commencement of the shedding of the blood of those who had spilled so much of his that his life ebbed away. The youthful Governor began to taste the bitter draughts which tyranny carries in its toils, for with it neither does friend prove loyal nor enemy merciful. Better had it been for him and his accomplices to await the Judge\'s coming and not have put the Marquis to death in that atrocious way. Even after his death no honour was shown him, as the reader has seen. On the contrary, the body was thrust into the bowels of the earth as if it had been that of a vile and contemptible man. With reference to this I would quote that speech of the Constable of Castille, Grand Master of Santiago, Don Alvaro de Luna. Seeing that there was a large hook placed where he was to be put to death, he asked the executioner what it was there for. The executioner said that it was to hang his head on after he was dead. Don Alvaro replied, snapping his fingers, "After I am dead do what ye will with the[148] body and head," meaning that at the moment of decapitation his soul would pass to where his deeds during this life had merited that it should.

Captain Francisco de Chaves, finding that Juan de Herrada had taken the Indian girl out of his house, against his will, took it as an affront, and an insult to himself. Arming himself and mounting his horse he went to the house of Don Diego de Almagro. They say that Chaves told Don Diego to take back the horse and arms he had received at his hands, but now brought back, for that he wanted them no longer, nor looked upon Don Diego as his friend. One insult had been put upon him by Don Diego\'s father and he had paid him well for it, the other was from the son, and he would pay him too. They say that he alluded to what happened at Guaytara when he was suspected of dealing with Hernando Pizarro, but this I was never able to verify nor can I believe, for Francisco de Chaves always showed himself a loyal friend to the Adelantado and an enemy to Hernando Pizarro.

Those who were in the room with Don Diego, believing that rage had made Chaves say those things, tried to appease him, admonishing him that he ought to see that the girl had been taken from her owner by one who had no right to her, and that to return her was quite proper. There could be no reason in throwing away the friendship of Don Diego, nor would it be reckoned to his credit. But he answered that he would never be a friend of Don Diego again, nor would he uphold his cause. When Juan de Herrada heard this he discreetly felt that it would not be wise to leave such a man free, when he had so openly refused to retract what he had done. He wanted to arrest him on the spot, but did not dare to do so because Francisco Nú?ez de Pedroso was a great friend of Chaves, and he was quartered in the barracks as captain of the troops, and it seemed possible he might take Chaves\' part. So he went[149] covertly to where Francisco Nú?ez de Pedroso was and asked him to go and speak with Francisco de Chaves, since he was his friend, and persuade him not to talk so defiantly; and he told him what had happened. Francisco Nú?ez, believing that the intention of Juan de Herrada was no other than what he said, cheerfully consented and went at once and asked Francisco de Chaves, in the presence of Don Diego and the other captains, not to cease from being a friend of Don Diego; but he was unable to move Chaves from his resolve. On Don Diego and Juan de Herrada seeing this they turned to those present and asked what they advised. García de Alv............