Montoro de Diego restored his sword to its sheath, and stepped up to the angry knight with outstretched hand. "Forgive my jest, Don Juan," he said with a smile. "You should do so the more easily, inasmuch as you must remember that I did but turn your own against yourself. I have little fear that when need comes either you or I will be found wanting in due bravery." "And I have still less," added Cortes. "Meantime I confess that I should turn coward, did I find my best friends drawing on me." Thus cleverly did the Commander of the present bold enterprise heal any little remnant of soreness that might have rankled in the breast of one of his retainers. With enemies of his own countrymen behind him, and a nation likely to prove filled with formidable foes before him, Hernando Cortes felt anxious enough to have good fellowship reigning in his camp. "How else," he said a little later on to Montoro, between jest and earnest--"how else, friend Diego, thinkest thou that I shall be able to obtain for our gracious and royal master those 'comfortable presents of gold, pearls, and precious stones,' which are required of us, as proofs of the natives' good-will and the success of our expedition?" Montoro shrugged his shoulders with some haughty impatience. "Methinks, Captain, with our countrymen now-a-days it is gold before all things. If possible, no doubt, gold and glory both; but if not, gold at any rate, even with disgrace." This time it was the handsome face of the Commander that flushed hotly. "Diego, you use hard words." "But just ones," was the firm reply; "although I apply them not to you. Left free to the dictates of your own noble nature, I shall not fear the having bound myself to follow you. But"--with a look around, and in lower tones--"there are those in your band may be too strong for you--those whose one article of faith for themselves is, 'I believe in the delights of wealth!' whose one article of belief for the natives of these regions is, 'Beggar yourselves for us, and you shall be saved as future footstools for our feet in heaven. Do otherwise, and you shall be slaughtered here and damned hereafter.' Am I not right?" For answer Cortes imitated his companion's shrug of the shoulders. "But I promise you this," he added--"I will make an example of the very first who transgress." "Thanks for the assurance," said the other. And then, a disabled barque coming in sight, Cortes went off to give orders as to aiding it to gain the port of Cozumel. CHAPTER XXIII. _A SYMBOL WITH TWO MEANINGS._ "Captain," said Juan de Cabrera some few hours after his momentary disagreement with Montoro, and now once more with a smiling countenance. "See, Captain Cortes, I have but stepped forward to remind you that St. Peter hath well earned that handful of gold-dust, you vowed a while since to his shrine. And if you will be advised, you will entrust the gift, with an added pinch or two, to me."