the nahuas in mexico were really a sect of wise men descended from those that came with the golden hearted. they believed that they originated in seven caves, which were not locations at all, but was only a way of saying that human beings have seven wonderful qualities. they might have thought so because we can see, feel, taste, hear and smell, and have instinct and are able to reason, or it may have been something else. at any rate, it did not mean actual caves, but was a symbol. in later times when people were not so wise, they said it was seven tribes instead of caves, and when the spaniards heard about it they managed to twist it into seven cities, and immediately conceived the idea that great riches and gold could be found in them. when questioned on the subject the indians said: 229

"to the far north there are seven wonderful cities where the people make arrow-heads of emeralds and take the sweat off their bodies with scrapers of pure gold, and have jeweled gates, and turquoise ornaments over their doors."

"do these men know how to work precious stones and metals?" asked the spaniards eagerly.

"there are long streets filled with jewelers who make rings for the ears, nose and arms," they said. "forty days must you journey to reach this land, and you must travel through a desert where there is neither water nor food to be had."

the first spaniard to attempt the search for the seven cities was the cruel guzman, who looked north for the amazons. he had with him quite an army, and his men were so excited over the stories they heard that they scarcely took time to eat or sleep on the way. they hoped every day to find the cities, but instead of this the country grew more desolate, the road more difficult, and the cities still farther to the north. then the spaniards began to complain, and said:

"we have been deceived, and shall all die in this bleak land. let us return to mexico." and they did. for six years no one had the courage to seek the seven cities.

then something very strange happened.

into a little seaport where cortez had ordered some ships built to explore the western coast, came wandering four strange men. they were barefooted, and had no clothing except some old, dirty 230 skins with the hair worn off in spots. their heads were a perfect mass of tangles, and their beards reached almost to the knees. falling flat on their faces before the first white man they saw, they cried out in a loud voice:

"thank god! we are safe at last!" when the astonished spaniard turned to look at them, they seized his hands and kissed them, and springing to their feet danced and shouted for joy.

"these are escaped maniacs," said the people, gathering around to look at them. "whatever shall we do with mad men?"

"no, no! you do not understand. we are poor wanderers who have been lost for years among the indians."

"let us take them to our captain. there is something very strange about this," said the spaniards, and they started at once.

"who are you?" asked the captain, rudely, looking with disgust at their dirt and rags.

"i am a noble of castile who came to help conquer florida, and my name is de vaca," said the oldest man. "the fleet was wrecked and all were lost except my companions here, and me. all the years since we have been with the indians."

"i do not believe a word of it," said the captain. "put these fellows in prison until we find out about them. they may be criminals."

for three months they lay in prison, and then the alcalde came and released them.

"tell me your story," he said. 231

"when the ships were lost," responded de vaca, "we swam to the mainland, and were captured by the indians. they were a poor, starved tribe who lived on roots and berries, and often went days without a mouthful. we had with us a rattle, and this, with our beards, made them think we came from heaven, and were great medicine men. they fell on their faces before us and gave us all they had. we asked them to take us where the sun sets, but they refused, and we pretended to be very angry, until they finally let us go. after months of wandering we came to a land of plenty, where the people were wealthy, and wore beautiful plumes in their head-dresses. they brought us five emeralds cut into arrow-heads, and many fine turquoises, and beads made of coral. when i asked where they got these stones, they pointed to some lofty mountains toward the north and told us the gems came from there, and that near them were large cities, with houses three or four stories high. i did not go there because i heard that toward the sunset were other men of my kind, and i longed once more to look upon the face of a spaniard."

"of course," said the people, as they talked the matter over, "these are the same cities guzman tried to find. he did not go in the right direction, but we know where they are," and many were eager to set out at once. but the viceroy was a quiet and careful man.

"there have been many lives lost already," 232 he said, "and it will be best not to hurry. i shall not send an army there until i am sure."

then he thought of a padre, named fray marcos, who had lived much among the indians of the north, and he sent for him, and said:

"perhaps there lies to the north as rich a nation as mexico or peru. if so it must be conquered for the church and the king of spain. you know how to speak to the indians, and it might be that they would let you come among them and learn the truth. will you undertake to do so?"

"god giving me strength i will," said fray marcos, with enthusiasm.

"very well. the negro stephen, who was with de vaca is here, and is willing to be your guide. if you come to any great city do not send back word, but return yourself and tell me about it. make all your plans and set out as soon as possible."

fray marcos did as he was told, but it was several months before anything was heard of him. one day a traveler, in a monk's gown, came walking into the same seaport that de vaca had visited.

"it is fray marcos, who went in search of the seven cities! did you find them! are they full of wealth? where is the negro stephen?"

fray marcos would not answer their questions.

"i have much to tell, but my news is for the viceroy himself," said the padre, and he started for the city of mexico. when there he said to the viceroy: 233

"the indians came out to meet and welcome me everywhere. they had food ready for me, and where there were no houses, they built bowers of trees and flowers that i might rest safe from the sun. i spent four days journeying through a desert, and then i found some indians who marveled much to see me. they thought, because i was white and wore a gown, that i must have come from heaven. i asked them if they knew of any great kingdom where there were seven large cities, and they told me that farther on were high mountains with wide plains at the foot where the people lived in cities and clothed themselves in cotton. i sent stephen ahead three-score leagues, and charged him to send back indians to bring me news of his success. if the country was poor and mean, he was to send me a cross no longer than my hand; if it were a goodly place the cross was to be two lengths of a hand, and if he found what he sought he was to send me a large cross. in four days a messenger came from stephen bearing a cross as high as a man. he brought news of a mighty province called cibola, thirty days journey northward from the town where stephen was. in this province there are seven great cities governed by one prince."

"you should have followed at once to make sure that all these things were true," said the viceroy, now very much interested.

"i did," responded fray marcos. "each day messengers came to me carrying large crosses and 234 giving more particulars concerning cibola. finally i entered a valley where there were many people, and all of them had turquoises hanging from their noses, and ears, and collars of the same three or four times double around their necks. then i had to go through another desert, and was beginning to get very tired when one day there came running to me, an indian in great fright—his body covered with sweat and dust, and his face showing extreme sadness. he said that the day before stephen had reached cibola, and had sent guides into the city with presents for the chief, and to let them know he came in peace. but the great lord of the city flew into a rage and dashed the presents to the ground. he drove the messengers out in fury, and said he would kill them if they came back again. he said, too, that he would kill stephen. but the negro was not afraid, and went directly into the city. instantly they were seized and cast into a prison, where they were kept all night without anything to eat or drink. the next morning stephen and his guides tried to escape, but the people killed all of them except one other and the messenger who came to me. these two were struck down and left for dead, but were only stunned, and when the angry people went away they crept out in the night, and made their escape."

"what did you do then, fray marcos?" asked the viceroy.

"one of the seven cities of cibola"

"so great was my grief that it seemed for a 236 moment as if i should die, but when my guides began to weep and lament i gave them the presents i intended for the lord of cibola, and resolved to go and see the city, even if i could not enter it. i traveled one day and came to a round hill, which i climbed. looking down i saw the beautiful city of cibola."

"and the houses, were they as the indians told you?"

"yes, my lord; they were built of stone four stories high, and glistened in the bright sunshine. the people were fair and dressed in white. greatly was i tempted to risk my life and go down to them, but i contented myself with planting a cross and hurrying here to tell you what i had done."

"that was right, fray marcos," said the viceroy, "and now it is time to send an army."

the first person the viceroy thought of to lead the soldiers was a brave nobleman, named coronado, who sat by his side. he had been listening eagerly to all that fray marcos had to tell. turning to him the viceroy said:

"it is my wish that you should command my forces and conquer this kingdom of cibola. i desire you to make ready at once."

"fray marcos simply confirms what guzman and de vaca have already told us," replied coronado, "and i accept your commission with one proviso."

"and what may that be?" asked the viceroy, with a smile. 237

"that you allow me to bear the expenses of the entire expedition."

"very well, and when you find cibola i will make you its governor and give you all the treasures you find except what justly belongs to the king of spain, and his representatives and soldiers taking part in the enterprise."

so great was the excitement over fray marcos' story of the new el dorado, that coronado scarcely knew what to do with the volunteers of all classes who came flocking into camp determined to go with him. he not only spent all his own money, but borrowed all he could get and provided for every one in splendid style. they marched out in glittering armor, on prancing horses with lances gleaming in the sunshine and banners flying gayly. they were all in high spirits because they expected to return in a short time loaded with gold and jewels.

but it was very different when they reached the desert and mountains, for they did not know how to bear the fatigue of such a journey, nor how to care for their horses, cattle and sheep. the animals died rapidly, and the soldiers got into many fights with the indians who resented being robbed and badly treated. on they went through what we now call arizona, over almost the same road that fray marcos had traveled, and found, instead of the fine, glittering city they expected, only a few houses of one of the zuni indian villages. 238

the hearts of the spaniards sunk as they gazed upon it. calling some of the men, coronado said:

"go in to the people of the city, and say that we come to defend and join with them in friendship."

they went and delivered coronado's greeting, but were received with scorn.

"we did not ask you to come, and your chief had no right to send you. this is our land, and we can defend it. if you attempt to stay here we will kill every one of you." even as the soldiers, carrying the message, turned to go away the people of cibola began firing arrows at them. coronado quickly gave the command to attack, which the indians answered by a shower of arrows and stones which they sent down from their high-walled houses. they seemed bent upon killing coronado; twice they felled him to the ground, but he recovered and led the charge with an arrow sticking through his foot.

"santiago! and at them!" he shouted, as he rode forward in the last assault.

"santiago," echoed his soldiers, close at his heels. when the indians saw the horses coming at full speed into their village, they threw down their bows and arrows, and fled in every direction.

then the spaniards almost cried with anger and disappointment. the houses were really made of stone, but there were no jewels, no gold, no treasures of any kind—nothing, in fact, but a poor, miserable indian pueblo, or village, built upon a 239 high ledge of rocks, miles away from the fields of corn, beans and squashes, upon which they lived. all the indians in that part of the united states built their houses in pueblos, or villages, but not one of them had any treasures. they irrigated the dry, sandy soil and tilled their fields, and were a simple, kindly people, until the greedy spanish soldiers drove them into rebellion which has left their country bare and desolate, even to this day.