]
The bewildered magistrates were thrown into dismay by this
decisive answer. Yet loth to resign, they took counsel in their
perplexity of Vaca de Castro, still detained on board of one of
the vessels. But that commander had received too little favor at
the hands of his successors to think it necessary to peril his
life on their account by thwarting the plans of Pizarro. He
maintained a discreet silence, therefore, and left the matter to
the wisdom of the Audience.
Meanwhile, Carbajal was sent into the city to quicken their
deliberations. He came at night, attended only by a small party
of soldiers, intimating his contempt of the power of the judges.
His first act was to seize a number of cavaliers, whom he dragged
from their beds, and placed under arrest. They were men of
Cuzco, the same already noticed as having left Pizarro's ranks
soon after his departure from that capital. While the Audience
still hesitated as to the course they should pursue, Carbajal
caused three of his prisoners, persons of consideration and
property, to be placed on the backs of mules, and escorted out of
town to the suburbs, where, with brief space allowed for
confession, he hung them all on the branches of a tree. He
superintended the execution himself, and tauntingly complimented
one of his victims, by telling him, that, "in consideration of
his higher rank, he should have the privilege of selecting the
bough on which to be hanged!" *20 The ferocious officer would
have proceeded still further in his executions, it is said, had
it not been for orders received from his leader.
Pages:
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875