CHAPTER XLII

    How Don Diego de Almagro ordered the secretary Antonio Picado to be tortured, believing that he would then admit that the Marquis owned some treasure; and how retribution was dealt to him.

I HAVE already recounted how Don Diego de Almagro had got the secretary Antonio Picado into his power. Often Don Diego on his own part, and Juan de Herrada on his, admonished him that if he knew where the Marquis had buried his treasure, which they believed to be great, he must tell them. For one might believe that if any friend of the Marquis knew the place, it must be his secretary. Antonio Picado answered that if the Marquis had any treasure, he could affirm that he did not know where it was. Though he made these excuses, he was not believed; as they were hostile to Picado for his former conduct, Juan de Herrada told him, in a great rage, that if he chose not to say where it was, let him know that they would kill him. He answered as we have said, affirming it with great oaths. When Almagro and Juan de Herrada saw that Picado would not tell them where the Marquis kept his treasure, they ordered the torture to be prepared for him. This was immediately done, and they put him to great torments. As the unhappy wretch knew not what to say, he made loud outcries, begging for death rather than be kept in such agony. Juan de Herrada said that he must tell them where the Marquis kept his silver and gold, and then they would do him no more hurt. The afflicted and oppressed Picado then answered that they should see if Hurtado, the servant of the Marquis, knew about it. That night they sent to arrest Hurtado, and said the same to him as to Picado, that they would kill him if he did not tell them where the treasure was. Hurtado answered that[143] the Marquis had no gold nor silver beyond what was found in his room, and that if he had it or knew where it was, he would tell them. Not believing his excuses they stripped him and put him on the rack, ready for torture. Juan de Herrada, because he had been his friend, or some other motive, did not consent that Hurtado should be tortured, but let him return to his house. After they had inflicted more dreadful tortures on Picado, seeing that they could get nothing out of him, they agreed to kill him, and on the eve of the festival of St. Jerome they sent to tell him to confess, for he must know that he only had that one day to live. Picado, feeling the approach of death, preferred it to further torments. He confessed with much contrition, and was married that night to his sweetheart Ana Suárez.

Next day, in the morning, they took him out of the prison on a mule without a saddle. He held a crucifix in his hands and, passing along the usual streets, he asked pardon of all. The contemplation of his downfall must make us feel how vain is the life of this world, and how the desire to accumulate riches and increase in honours or dignity consumes itself. Such must be the thoughts of those who saw Picado so sprightly, so richly attired, so wealthy, so trusted by the Governor, and possessing such absolute command! See him now! All his prosperity gone, he receives a public death, after having been tortured into the bargain. Since God shows himself so true in his judgment, it was His pleasure that Picado should meet this fate because he had never advised the Marquis rightly or as he should. One of the principal reasons why the governors of these Realms have come to such bad ends is that they trusted to ignorant, astute, and designing servants, more concerned to acquire wealth and show favour to their friends than to give their masters good advice and counsel as their duty points. Let those now living, therefore, and those who may have to govern in the future,[144] employ honest subordinates whom they know to be given to no noteworthy fault; and let them be sure about it, for, if otherwise, they will follow the same road as the rest. After the crier had proclaimed the reason of his death, Picado's head was cut off, and he was buried in the church of our Lady of Mercy.

Don Diego, by advice of his captains, ordered Don Alonso de Montemayor to go to the cities of Guamanga and Cuzco to collect men, and arm them against any need that might arise.

News reached Lima that the Captain Alonso de Alvarado, on receiving tidings of the death of the Marquis, had assembled the forces that were with him and with Pedro Barroso at Guanuco, and those with Juan Pérez de Guevara at Moyobamba, and that he felt himself strong enough, with their support, to raise the banner of the King pending Vaca de Castro's entry into the Realm. This news caused great consternation, although Juan de Herrada, Cristóbal de Sotelo, and the other leaders of the Chile party, did not wish to have encounters or battles, nor to do more, if his Majesty would not pardon the murder of the Marquis, than retire into the interior of Chile. There were among them, indeed, gentlemen of such determination, and soldiers of such mettle, that if envy among them had not gnawed into their entrails, with the desire to excel each other even unto death, they might have prevailed—outside the Realm. But within the same, holding it as they did by tyranny, they could not have avoided the punishment which God and the world are wont to mete out to those who usurp such a position, and commit similar atrocities.

Well, soon after Captain García de Alvarado had returned from the cities of Truxillo and San Miguel, a soldier who was much favoured by Francisco de Chaves had taken an Indian girl from another soldier who was[145] very friendly with Captain Cristóbal de Sotelo, who, as we have written, was Governor's Lieutenant in Lima. As Sotelo was very punctilious in affairs that concerned his honour, and anxious not to condone any injury, and the said soldier, moreover, was personally known to him, he sent to ask Captain Francisco de Chaves very civilly that, the soldier having taken the girl from him to whom she belonged with Chaves' assent, he would order her to be restored; since no other course would be seemly. Francisco de Chaves, with much arrogance and little courtesy, abused the man who was sent with the request, saying that it was not his pleasure that the soldier who had taken the girl should return her, for that she was his, and that a constable had better not be sent, because he would be ill-treated and would not get what he came for. Sotelo was wise, and recognized the evils that might arise from misunderstandings among the captains. Tempering his anger with the prudence of his character, he sent a second time to request that the girl might be returned to him to whom she belonged, and that if the other maintained that she was his, there should be an appeal to justice, which would not be denied to the rightful owner. Francisco de Chaves again answered rudely that the girl should not be returned by him who had her. Cristóbal de Sotelo was much enraged that he should be thus set at nought by Francisco de Chaves, and said that he felt great regret that there should be discord among them and party quarrels from which great evils must arise. He added that he was very glad he was not one of the murderers of the Marquis, and that if he followed Don Diego it was owing to the friendship he had for his father, which would not make him fail to obey the commands of his Majesty. After saying this he declared further that Francisco de Chaves must not think, that because with him was the courtesy and with Chaves the lack of it, he would come out of it in spite of Don Cristóbal.[146] Saying this before five or six of his friends, he went forth to Chaves' quarters to take away the girl, and Chaves' life, if he should defend it, or else, in testimony of his sense of right, to lose his own.

Oh misery! what is this that you do? Oh tyranny! what evils do you bring in your train? And you, oh captains of my nation! What moves you to bore and slash each other's entrails with the sharp poniard, or cutting sword? How I lament and deeply deplore that distinguished Spaniards should die for such sordid causes. Through whatever nation or region you might travel it should be said that you justly merit having been born on the banks of the Ebro. And only for others' advantage have you been thus ill advised. For without having fully discovered the secrets of the land, nor having made the barbarians to understand the service required from them, you raise wars in which most of yourselves are killed in evidence of your own folly, that new comers may triumph by your conquests and settlements, in which they have taken no part.

But to return to our narrative. On Cristóbal de Sotelo starting to go to the house of Francisco de Chaves, one of those present went to Juan de Herrada, to tell him, so that he might personally intervene and settle the quarrel; and prevent those captains from killing each other over an Indian girl. When Juan de Herrada heard this, he went to prevent what was thought might happen. He called Cristóbal and said that he did not wish him to go forward, for it was not consistent with his dignity that an Indian girl should move him to go against Francisco de Chaves. Sotelo replied that he had already done what was required of a gentleman in communicating with Chaves, who had not in any way acknowledged his error, but had abetted the abduction of the girl, and had even declared that if a constable came to his house he would only get a drubbing. Juan de Herrada told him to remain at home, for that he[147] himself would go to the house of Francisco de Chaves for the girl. On hearing this Sotelo stayed in his house; Juan de Herrada then went to that of Francisco de Chaves, and demanded the girl, being very angry. Though it went against the grain, he took her from the house and out of the keeping of the soldier who had taken her, and gave her to her first proprietor.