when columbus sailed back to spain and told the story of his wonderful discoveries the people did not believe him at first, but when he showed them the gold and silver ornaments, and the strange red men, they were so amazed that they forgot even to ask questions.
the news was so startling that it simply took their breath away and they stared at each other stupidly. then they said in awe-stricken whispers:
"how can such things be? is the world coming to an end? are we going to die? or are we crazy? maybe our ears and eyes are fooling us."
but columbus only smiled and said:
"my friends, you see i was right. the earth is round, and i have not only found india with its untold riches, but i have brought some of its people home with me."
and that is why today we call the red men indians. columbus did not know that he had discovered a new continent, so it was natural for him to speak of the natives as indians. and i am sure you will pity him when i tell you that he died without ever knowing the difference. 152
all europe was in a fever of excitement over his voyage, and it was not long before he fitted out other vessels and sailed across the ocean again to find the northwest passage which he believed would shorten the route to india. rich men, and learned ones, were ready to go with him, and the sailors expected to find gold and precious stones scattered all over the ground. every word that the convicts told them about el dorado they thought meant gold, and the wildest and most exaggerated stories were soon in everybody's mouth.
the padres, too, were enthusiastic over the prospect of converting the heathen, but nobody took the trouble to find out what the indians believed about god. every one misunderstood the meaning of el dorado and never dreamed that there had been such a teacher as the golden hearted, or that the indians already knew how to be brotherly and kind.
even the most learned men in those days were ready to accept the existence of a mythical city called cathay as true.
they thought it was situated somewhere between the island of newfoundland and florida, where they expected to find the spice groves. another story very common in europe said that there was among the beautiful summer isles of the west, one that conferred immortality and was spoken of as the island of perpetual youth. among those whose imagination was fired by this romance was a brave knight named ponce de leon, who was 153 columbus' companion on his second voyage. he did not care for the gold of the new world, for he was already rich, but he was old, and he wanted to renew his youth. king ferdinand commissioned him governor of porto rico, but he soon tired of it, and was determined to discover the magic spring.
"for what reason should i stay here and lord it over these half-naked savages," he said to his relatives and friends when they tried to dissuade him from undertaking such a perilous search. "let us go where we can bathe in those enchanted waters and be young once more. i need it and so will you before very long."
"but how do you know there is such a place?" they asked.
"by hearing the full particulars of an old indian who went there and washed himself and drank from the spring until he was restored to youth and vigor. let us go and be like him."
to find this new marvel he set sail with three brigantines, and the adventurers with him floated over the summer sea, as men bent upon pleasure, and to whom time was long and burdened with no serious duties. they sailed from island to island touching here and there as fancy led them. they sought the safest and pleasantest coves, where the shades were deepest in the noonday sun, and the waters coolest; where the fruits were the sweetest, the indians most friendly and their women the loveliest. at last they came to an inlet which led 154 invitingly up among wooded banks and flowering valleys. here the old knight said:
"let us disembark and strike inland. my heart tells me that we have found the fountain of youth."
"nonsense," said his younger kinsman, "our way lies by water."
"then leave me here with my men," he replied, and after an angry discussion five men, long past middle age, and who had come with him from spain, were left on shore. the first thing they did was to climb to the top of a hill and set up a cross which they had brought with them. as soon as it was in place they all removed their helmets and prayed before it. one of the men said to him:
"the ground is pawed up as if cattle ranged here, and this path has been trod by human feet."
"you are right," said ponce de leon, "lead the way and we will follow."
taking the path they met about fifty indian bowmen, who seemed to their startled vision like a whole company of giants, but, who proved to be of a very friendly disposition.
the grizzled old knights were anxious to inquire about the fabled fountain, so they gave the indians strings of gay-colored beads, and some little bells. in return they received an arrow, as a token of good will. after a long parley the bowmen turned back to their huts. "we will bring you food in the morning," they said, and at daybreak they appeared again bringing plenty of fish, roots and 155 fruits. when they saw that the men were chilly from the cold night air, they said to each other:
"let us carry our brothers to our homes where they can get warm."
"but they will suffer on the way," said the chief. "go before us and build big fires and we will stop at each one to rest our weary arms."
the spanish knights did not know what to make of this kind of treatment, but they offered no resistance when the stalwart warriors took them on their backs and started through the woods. the indians carried them very carefully, and at last set them down before the doors of their huts where the women brought them food and drink.
"i wonder what they intend to do with us," said the knights among themselves. on hearing this remark ponce de leon replied:
"it is just possible that they will offer us as a sacrifice, for it is quite plain that they think we are supernatural beings."
"let us get away from them as quickly as we can," they said, fearing that something terrible would happen.
"before we go we must try to find out about the magic spring we are seeking," replied ponce de leon, unwilling to give up his project. it required considerable time and patience to make the indians comprehend what he wanted, but they stoutly maintained that they knew nothing about it.
"these redskins are cunning rascals, and will not tell us where to find the fountain of youth," 156 said ponce de leon, in explanation, after his fruitless talk with them, "but god giving us strength we will find it yet."
so they went slowly and carefully over the whole country, stopping at each spring to take off their clothes and jump into it, then they would drink as much of the water as they could, and sit down and wait to see if it would make them young again. as they went farther away from the coast the indians became more and more friendly, because they thought the white men had come from heaven.
"we must bring them food, build houses for them and bear all their burdens," they said among themselves. some went out on the hills and killed deer with their bows and arrows, while others killed rabbits by going in a big wide circuit and then gradually closing in on the game. when near enough they knocked the rabbit on the head with a wooden club as it ran by them.
"breathe upon and bless our food," they said to the knights, after giving them all they wanted for themselves, "so that we may feel sure in our hearts that you are pleased with us."
at first only the men made these requests, but finally the women brought wild fruits and berries, which they wanted the visitors to see and touch before they would eat. all this was very troublesome to the knights, but if they refused or acted as if they were offended, the poor indians were terrified, and falling on their faces would cry out: 157
"we shall die unless we have the favor of our good and wise white brothers."
farther on, the people did not venture to come out in the paths and gather round them as the first had done, but stayed meekly in their houses, sitting with their faces turned to the wall, and with all their property heaped up in the middle of the floor.
"we could easily plunder and rob these simple folk," said ponce de leon, "but i charge you on your honor as knights to take nothing you do not pay for."
in spite of this the natives loaded them with valuable skins and other presents, and were eager and willing to show all the springs and creeks in their neighborhood.
"they pretend to know nothing of the miraculous gifts of the fountain of youth, but their own splendid endurance of heat and cold, and the fatigues of travel show how perpetually young and active they are. if their bodies were pierced through with arrows they would soon recover. they are trying to mislead us and conceal the source of their strength, but we will soon find it," the spanish knights said, and ponce de leon, their leader, heartily agreed with them.
never in the world had there been such a strange journey undertaken by gray and careworn men. on and on they went searching in the heart of the woods for a fountain where they could renew their youth. yellow jasmine trailed in festoons above their heads; wild roses grew at their feet; 158 the air was sweet with the odor of pine, while long gray moss hung from the branches of the live-oaks.
finally they came to a spring which widened into a natural basin and bubbled up in such a cool, delicious manner, that ponce de leon plunged into it with joy. coming up on the bank to dress himself, he exclaimed:
"it is enough. i have bathed in the fountain of youth. see, i am young again."
his companions hastened to try it, and they too said the same.
"hurrah! hurrah! the fountain of youth has been found! let us make haste to tell the world of your discovery."
but they were mistaken and had not counted on what the indians would do about it. when they found that the white men wanted a boat to go down the river they were eager to get it for them, but when they understood that they were going away, they wept bitterly, and tried every way to persuade them to stay.
"no, we will not remain. this is florida, the land of flowers, and we are looking for bimini, the fountain of youth," said ponce de leon, firmly. "your people have misled us continually. bimini is an island and we are going to search until we find it."
"and if you succeed will you return to us," asked an indian chief eagerly. "you have the secret of life and death in your hands, and have already saved my wife and child. stay and we will serve you faithfully." 159
"hurrah! hurrah! the fountain of youth"
see opposite page
160
"oh! my brothers, stay with us!" begged and implored the indians. some of them clung to the garments of the knights, and others were dragged out of the boat by the determined natives. finally ponce de leon, grown tired of useless parley, said angrily:
"i am old and weary and must soon die if i do not find the waters which will renew my youth and vigor. your thickets and swamps are filled with alligators and poisonous water snakes; the very air is laden with deadly fevers, and never again will i return to it."
as the canoe started down the river the indians wrung their hands and wailed loudly:
"come back! come back!" but ponce de leon stood up in the boat and shook his head, and made them understand by signs that he would not do as they wished. this made them all the more frantic and one of the warriors, snatching up a poisoned arrow, sped it with deadly aim. it went through the thigh of the gallant old knight where he stood, and it was not long until death ended his search for the fountain of youth. since then no one has ever tried to locate this wonder-working fountain, but philosophers say that it is in our own hearts and that we find it when we realize that the soul never dies, and is perpetually young because of its immortality.
