Ychoalay cut off the heads of Debayakaikin, and four of his most noble associates, and carried them home as trophies. Having entered the town, he ordered a gibbet to be erected in the market-place, and the five heads to be suspended from it. In the same place, surrounded by his troops, he harangued the multitude from his horse. "Behold," said he, pointing to the gibbet, "the chastisement of faith so often violated! Behold the trophy of our valour! Now feed your eyes with the spoils of hostile chiefs, who, for a length of time, have scarce permitted you to breathe, and on whose account, alas! we have endured so many sleepless nights, difficult journeys, and painful wounds. This ever various and uncertain warfare, this conflict of so many years' continuance, has at length been terminated to-day, when we, not even thinking of a battle, and to say the truth, retreating, have had a glorious victory thrust, as it were, upon our hands. Something must doubtless be attributed to fortune, but allow me to say, still more to our valour. The whole affair was conducted in such a way as gave me no reason to repent my choice of fellow-soldiers, nor you to be ashamed of the leader you fought under. He who has so long been threatening your lives, having at length received his death-blow from this spear, can now no longer threaten or inspire terror. This is the head which once devised so many treacheries. Now insult the perfidious one; but lest the same fate attend any of you likewise, be ever regardful of your faith pledged to the Spaniards, and obedient to me who am so anxious for your welfare. I do not consider the vile remnant of our enemies of sufficient importance to be deserving of our fear. The most warlike are dead. The survivors are either cowards or runaways, and owe their present existence merely to having escaped our eyes and hands. The streams dry up when their spring is exhausted, and after the head of the snake has been cut off, the rest of the body, though it may move, is incapable of doing any mischief, and wastes away in a few hours. After the extinction of their leaders, whose heads you here behold, the inimical faction, either from despair of victory, or apprehension of utter ruin, will, by degrees, grow milder, and, laying aside all enmity, accept our friendship." Nearly to this effect, did Ychoalay, who, from a leader, had become an orator, hold forth, and attract to himself the eyes and ears of all; for no one doubted that his words answered to his deeds, and his tongue to his hands. Do not imagine that I have composed this oration myself, and put it into the mouth of the savage. Many years' experience has proved to me that the Americans can discourse on subjects suited to their capacities, not only with prolixity, but with elegance, and embellish their assertions with metaphors, similes, and figures of speech. They are certainly much more copious and fluent in their language than the rustics of our country.