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Then the forest queen rose, turned from an appealing father to the stern-browed conqueror, and, smiling through her tears, took one timid step toward Balboa. Each graceful action and hope

lighted smile seemed to say:

"Will you take me?”

What would not society's queen give for that simple grace, that appealing action, natural to the untutored maiden? Her marvellous beauty melted the heart of the stern Spanish conqueror, and, clasping her in his arms, he exclaimed:

"Your father is saved, and you are mine!"

Careta remained three days at Darien, during which time he was treated with the utmost kindness. Balboa took him on his ships and showed him every part of them. He had the war-horses displayed before him with their armor and rich caparisons, and awed him with the thunder of his artillery. Fulvia, the Indian maiden, was almost constantly at his side, evincing a fondness for her lord, which soon become a passion. Balboa caused his musicians to perform a harmonious concert on their instruments, at which the natives were lost in admiration. Having thus impressed Careta with the idea of his wonderful power and endowments, he loaded the cacique with presents and permitted him to depart.

Careta joyfully returned to his territories, and

his daughter remained with Balboa, willingly, for his sake, giving up her family and native home. Though never married according to the forms of the Catholic religion, she regarded herself as his wife, as she was in sight of Heaven and according to the usages of her country. He treated her with great fondness, and she gradually gained great influence over him. Fulvia became a chief character in the great tragedy enacted at Darien early in the sixteenth century. To his love for her, Balboa owed his ultimate ruin.

CHAPTER III.

AN UNKNOWN SEA.

Balboa,

FULVIA'S wild, strange beauty was in harmony with the new world in which she lived. the gallant, who had never been smitten, though assailed by the fairest of Spain, yielded to the power of this strange being. She studied his every want, and seemed to live only to make him happy. His comfortable home was daily decorated and festooned with rare tropical flowers. All her trinkets and golden treasures were brought to adorn their little temple, in which she worshipped her lord as a god. Being intellectually bright, she soon learned to speak his language, and her mellow voice was heard every evening breathing soft Spanish words of love.

"You are a treasure, indeed, Fulvia," said Balboa one evening on entering his home, made fragrant with rare exotics. "I regret to leave you, even for a few days."

"Must you leave me?" she asked, her face growing sad.

He was about to answer, when a howl, issuing from the kennel in which he kept his bloodhounds, interrupted him.

"Leoncico scents battle afar off," he said.

"Leoncico, the bloodhound!" exclaimed Fulvia, pressing her hand to her heart as if she felt a pain there. "Does it mean another conquest?"

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"Ponca, your father's enemy. To-morrow I set out with Colmenares and eighty picked men to aid your father in his war against Ponca!" He paused to mark the effect of his words, but her face was still sad, and Balboa added: "In return for you, I agreed to help your father fight his enemies."

LEONCICO.

"I want father's enemies conquered, but I shall tremble for my lord."

The governor embraced his wife, assured her that he was invulnerable to Indian arrows, and sought to calm her fears.

At early dawn next morning, eighty picked men were mustered on the plaza. They were fine-lookhelmets and nodding

ing fellows, with their steel

plumes, arquebuses, swords, lances, pikes, and

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