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48 of glass beads. Two of our smaller ships, with crossbowmen and musketeers, went in the quest, the larger ship to wait while the messengers carried letters to and from the captive Spaniards, and the smaller to bear news to Cortes of what was being done.

After lapse of a few days our letters reached a Spaniard named Aguilar. When he read how Cortes urged the captives to join him, and when he received his ransom, he was glad beyond all measure, and hastening with his beads to the cacique who was his master, begged leave to depart. The cacique at once consented, and Aguilar set out in quest of his companion. But when he reached this old-time comrade of his and read to him Cortes' letter calling them to liberty and to associations with their fellow countrymen, the old comrade said, "Brother Aguilar, I have married one of the women of this country and I have three children. The Indians look upon me in war time as a cacique. Do you go, and God be with you. But my face is tattooed, my ears pierced and my lips turned down. What would the Spaniards say if they saw me in such a fix? And look at these three children of mine, how lovely they are! Give me some of your beads for them, and I will say that my brothers sent them from my country." At this moment the Spaniard's Indian wife, who, warming with anger, had been watching Aguilar, cried, "Look at