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Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
out on his ill-advised return trip a few weeks before, and it was the natives of this pueblo, who suspecting that the friar was going back to bring reenforcements to subdue them, had followed him for three days and killed him. One night, a group of natives from Malagon, a neighboring pueblo, killed three horses belonging to the Spaniards. This so angered the explorers that next morning they resolutely marched to the pueblo and took three Indians prisoners, who were suspected of having been the instigators of the night raid. These they took back to Malpartida. The Spaniards wanted to impress the natives, but they were too few to incur the enmity of so numerous a population. They resorted to an ingenious ruse. The culprits were brought before Chamuscado, who held a court-martial in the plaza of the pueblo in sight of the astonished natives and condemned the three prisoners to be beheaded immediately. With all formality the sentence was read aloud, a large block was placed in the center of the square, a soldier stood before it with a bare cutlass and the prisoners were ordered placed on the block. Just as the rrst victim was to be executed the two Franciscan missionaries rushed forth and pleaded for the lives of the prisoners. Chamuscado acceded to their plea, as previously agreed. "At the moment when they went to cut off the heads of the Indians," says the narrator, "the friars came out in flowing robes and removed the Indians from the block. As we pretended that we were going to take them, the Indians who were watching, immediately took hold of the said friars and carried them away to their hquses, because of the great support they had found in the religious. Due to what had been done and attempted, the natives became so terrified of us that it was surprising how they trembled. This was willed by God on high, because our forces were so small." 24 Spec- tacular as the act was, it was still more daring, when the number of the Spaniards who attempted it is considered. Return marcli to Santa Barbara. In spite of the open hostility of the natives the Spaniards unconcernedly continued their explorations by returning to Puaray, present Sandia, from where they made several expeditions, going as far west as Zuni. More than six months had elapsed since their departure from Santa Barbara. Notwithstanding their small number they had been eminently successful in exploring a vast area and in visiting large centers of native population. It was naturally felt
uobregon'.r History, 308-313; Hammond, "Gallegos' Relation," in o;. cit., II, 339-345; Mecham, "Second Spanish Expedition," in o;. cit., I, 285.
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