We spent three days in this village and they were days for gods and Indians of happy wonder and learning.  They would have us describe heaven.  Luis and I told them of Europe.  We pointed to the east.  They said that they knew that heaven rested there upon the great water.  The town of the sun was over there.  Had we seen the sun’s town?  Was it beside us in heaven, in “Europe”?  The sun went down under the mountains, and there he found a river and his canoe.  He rowed all night until he came to his town.  Then he ate cassava cakes and rested, while the green and gold and red Lizard [These were “Lizard” folk.  They had a Lizard painted on a great post by the cacique’s house.] went ahead to say that he was coming.  Then he rose, right out of the great water, and there was day again!  But we must know about the sun’s town; we, the gods!

Luis and I could have stayed long while and disentangled this place and loved the doing it.

But it was to return to the Admiral and the waiting ships.

The three tobacco men would go with us to see wonders, so we returned nine in number along the path.  Before we set out we saw that a storm threatened.  All six Indians were loth to depart until it was over, and the cacique would have kept us.  But Luis and I did not know how long the bad weather might hold and we must get to the ships.  It was Jerez who told them boastfully that gods did not fear storms,—­specimen of that Spanish folly of ours that worked harm and harm again!

We traveled until afternoon agreeably enough, then with great swiftness the clouds climbed and thickened.  Sun went out, air grew dark.  The Indians behind us on the path, that was so narrow that we must tread one after the other, spoke among themselves, then Diego Colon pushed through marvelously huge, rich fern to Luis and me.  “They say, `will not the gods tell the clouds to go away?’ " But doubt like a gnome sat in the youth’s eye.  We had had bad weather off Isabella, and the gods had had to wait for the sun like others.  By now Diego Colon had seen many and strange miracles, but he had likewise found limitations, quite numerous and decisive limitations!  He thought that here was one, and I explained to him that he thought correctly.  Europeans could do many things but this was not among them.  Luis and I watched him tell the Cubans that he, Diego Colon, had never said that we three were among the highest gods.  Even the great, white-headed, chief god yonder in the winged canoe was said to be less than some other gods in heaven which we called Europe, and over all was a High God who could do everything, scatter clouds, stop thunder or send thunder, everything!  Had we brought our butio with us he might perhaps have made great magic and helped things.  As it was, we must take luck.  That seeming rational to the Indians, we proceeded, our glory something diminished, but still sufficient.