CHAPTER XLIII

    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 Alvarado answered that since Francisco de Chaves refused to be a friend of Don Diego they should arrest him. When Chaves heard this, looking towards García de Alvarado, he said that if that was his opinion they had better arrest him and there and then put him in irons. Francisco Nú?ez declared that if they arrested Don Francisco de Chaves, they must do the same with him.

For these reasons, or because he was on bad terms with Francisco de Chaves, when Francisco Nú?ez used those words Juan de Herrada said: "Be it as you order," and they were both immediately arrested and the irons clapped on them. For Herrada knew that Chaves was annoyed at his being General instead of Gómez de Alvarado (it is said that Herrada had been a servant to Don Pedro, Gómez's brother), because Chaves had said that it was wrong, where there were so many gentlemen, for Herrada to be General, and that for his own part he would not put up with it. When night came, as the prisoners had friends, they were sent on board a ship that was in the port lest any disturbance should occur. With them the bachelor Enríquez was sent because, as was afterwards said, it was by his advice that Francisco de Chaves had taken the Indian girl, and he had been fomenting enmity against[150] Don Diego. Presently, next morning, there was some disturbance at the imprisonment of Francisco de Chaves and Francisco Nú?ez, some denouncing it, while to others it seemed well. There were debates and wrangling. When Juan de Herrada knew of this, he took counsel with some whom he deemed friends, and they agreed that Francisco de Chaves should be killed and Francisco Nú?ez banished. Next day, by order of Don Diego and Juan de Herrada, they went to the port very secretly, that it might not be known, to put Francisco de Chaves to death. The latter was now sorry for what he had done, but when they told him to confess, he was amazed. It is reported that he said that he had two seats, one in heaven and the other in hell, and that the divine Power had already decided which he must go to; he, therefore, did not want to confess. Others aver that what he said was that since his own friends were killing his body the devil might take his soul. It is likely enough that he may have said either of those things, for it could not be believed that a man who had shown so little respect for the holy sacrament was to meet with any easier death than this. Having said it, he was killed by the executioner, and the bachelor Enríquez fared in the same way. Francisco Nú?ez was banished in the same ship on board of which Do?a Inés, the wife of Francisco Martín de Alcántara, and the children of the Marquis had been embarked, for reasons which were examined and approved.[84] They also banished Diego de Peralta, a citizen of La Paz, one who has rendered his Majesty much service; and it was ordered that they should all go in that ship.

As it was now many days since Pero Alvarez Holguin had taken charge of the city of Cuzco and turned out Gabriel de Rojas, who held it for Don Diego, and was col[151]lecting men to go forth and seek for those who had killed the Marquis, the news travelled to Guamanga, and it was soon known in the city of Lima. When Don Diego and his followers heard it they were much alarmed at finding that Alonso de Alvarado on the one hand, and Pero Alvarez on the other, had sided against them. They consulted together, and it was determined that they should march into the mountains and rout Pero Alvarez, if they should meet him, or else proceed to the city of Cuzco. When this had been settled, they collected all the arms and horses they could, to set out from the city of Lima well prepared, and they appointed captains, ensigns, and the rest of the officers who were to have charge of the war.