After these events and some further parley he confessed, always displaying the mind of a man, and not of a youth such as he was, combined with a lofty and serious presence quite out of keeping with the humility of his parents. His eyes were steadily raised to a crucifix and, on being taken from the prison, the crier walked in front, shouting: "This is the judgment his Majesty the Emperor our Lord, and the Governor Vaca de Castro in his name, inflicts on this man as a usurper of the royal rights, and for having tyrannically rebelled and given battle to the royal standard," and other things about what had been done by him and his followers. On approaching the pillory, adjoining which was the block and an executioner ready to strike, Don Diego asked a favour. It was that he might die at the place where his father was executed, and be buried in the grave where his father's body rested, and that he might be placed beneath, and the bones of his father above him. When he reached the place of execution, they wanted to put a veil over his eyes, but he said there was no need for that, and they only had to order the executioner to perform his office. He asked them to let him have the little time that remained to him to enjoy with his eyes the sight of the image of our God, which stood there. Finally they persisted and bound his eyes against his will. He was extended on the block and with great courage he suffered death at the very spot where in a bygone year his father had suffered.[142] The son's body was buried in the church of La Merced, in the same grave as his father, and in the manner he had requested. Don Diego was of medium height, twenty-four years of age,[143] or a little more, very just-minded and intelligent, brave and a good horseman, liberal and a friend to good works. His mother was an Indian woman, a native of Tierra Firme. There was great hope for his career if he had lived. He was not altogether free from vices: on the contrary, he had those which men of the Indies usually display. Captain Pedro Anzures went about enquiring of those who were present whether they had heard Don Diego say that he deserved his death, because the Marquis had been assassinated by his order. He did not ask this in ignorance, for he and every one else knew perfectly well that Don Diego had never used any such words; but he, and Vaca de Castro, and others thought that this would be useful for their own justification. Thus closed the career of Don Diego de Almagro the younger, and with him came to an end all that remained of his father's party, both men meeting the same manner of death in the city of Cuzco.[144] FOOTNOTES: [142] Cieza de León had already told us that the elder Almagro was strangled in his prison. But his body was publicly beheaded. [143] Not so old, if he was born at Panamá. That city was only founded in 1520, and Almagro came there some years later. He was not more than nineteen.