They came out to the Christians with a great yelling, astonished at seeing them on horses, and took them for immortals, some of them thinking that horse and man were one animal. Diego Maldonado had been left with the baggage, and Felipe Gutiérrez waited at a place that seemed to secure the best supply of food. Felipe Gutiérrez felt sore that Francisco de Mendoza should occupy the position he held, and sought to deprive him of it. He sent to him to claim the stores and provisions which had been collected when Diego de Rojas died. Francisco de Mendoza would not give them up. On the contrary, he assembled his friends, and asked them whether they would be faithful to him, and not allow him to be deprived of his present post by Felipe Gutiérrez. They replied that he need have no fear of Felipe Gutiérrez, for that they would be such true friends that it would not be possible to deprive him of the position. It was reported to Felipe Gutiérrez that Francisco de Mendoza always went about closely attended by some of those in camp; but he did not dare to arrest Mendoza, and for the time being dropped the subject. He decided to advance to a large village also called _Soconcho_,[161] like the river. Leaving Sotomayor on guard at the camp, he set out from thence, taking Francisco de Mendoza with him; and here we will leave them awhile. FOOTNOTES: [160] East? Its general direction thereabouts is S.S.E. [161] The village Soconcho is shown on the Abbé Jolís' map, in his _Historia del Chaco_ (1789), on the east bank of the Rio Dulce, or Saladillo, in lat. 28° 40' S. Its true latitude is 28° 55'. CHAPTER XCIX _How, when the news of the Marquis Pizarro's death reached Spain, it was ordered that a Viceroy and an Audiencia should be appointed; and of the conference over the Ordinances which were issued for the government of the new empire of the Indies._