Among the men who had been with Balboa, and who had heard of the
wonderful country of the Incas, was Francisco Pizarro. He determined
to find this rich country and to conquer it.
[Illustration: Francisco Pizarro.]
Securing a band of about two hundred men, well armed and mounted on
strong horses, he led them, in spite of terrible hardships, over
mountains, through valleys, and across plateaus to Cajamarca, the city
where the Inca, or king, was then staying.
The natives gazed at the Spaniards in wonder and dread. These simple
people thought that the white-faced, bearded strangers, who carried
thunderbolts in their hands, and who rode such frightful-looking
animals, were gods. In spite of their fear, the Indians received the
strangers kindly, and gave them food and shelter.
That evening, Pizarro and De Soto, taking with them thirty-five
horsemen, visited the Inca and arranged with him for a meeting next
day in the open square. It was a strange visit. The Inca was surrounded
by his slaves and chieftains, and was very polite to the strangers.
But the Spaniards began to feel very uneasy. An army composed of
thousands of Indians was encamped only two miles away; and compared
with it, the two hundred men of Pizarro appeared powerless. The
situation of the Spaniards, should the Inca decide to oppose them,
seemed without hope.
Pizarro scarcely slept that night. He lay awake planning how he might
take the Inca prisoner.
The next day, about noon, the Indian procession approached the market
place. First came attendants who cleared the way; then followed nobles
and men of high rank, richly dressed, and covered with ornaments of
gold and gems. Last came the Inca, carried on a throne of solid gold,
which was gorgeously trimmed with the plumes of tropical birds.
The Indian monarch wore rich garments adorned with gold ornaments,
and around his neck was a collar of superb emeralds of great size and
brilliancy. He took his position near the center of the square, his
escort, numbering several thousand, gathered around him.
Looking about, the Inca failed to see any of the Spaniards.
"Where are the strangers?" he asked.
Just then Pizarro's chaplain, with his Bible in his hand, approached
the Inca. The chaplain said that he and his people had been sent by
a mighty prince to beg the Inca to accept the true religion and consent
to be tributary to the great emperor, Charles V., who would then
protect them.
The Inca grew very angry at this, and declared that he would not change
his faith nor be any man's tributary. He then indignantly threw the
sacred book upon the ground, and demanded satisfaction from the
Spaniards for this insult to him.
At this the priest gave the signal, and the Spaniards rushed from their
hiding-places and attacked the panic-stricken Indians. The Inca and
his attendants were wholly unprepared, being unarmed and utterly
defenseless.
The Spaniards charged through them, showing no mercy, their swords
slashing right and left, and their prancing horses trampling the
natives under foot. The guns and firearms of the Spaniards made such
havoc and confusion that the terrified Indians offered no resistance.
Indeed, they could not offer any.
In the vicinity of the Inca the struggle was fierce. The Indians,
faithful to the last to their beloved monarch, threw themselves before
him, shielding him with their naked bodies from the swords of the
Spaniards. At last, as night drew near, the Spaniards, fearing that
the Inca might escape, attempted to kill him.
[Illustration: The Spaniards Attacking the Inca's Escort.]
But Pizarro desired that he should be taken alive, and in a loud voice
ordered his followers, as they valued their own lives, not to strike
the Inca. Stretching out his arm to save the monarch, Pizarro received
a wound on his hand, This was the only wound received by a Spaniard
during the attack.
At length the Inca was cast from his throne, and, falling to the ground,
was caught by Pizarro. He was then imprisoned and placed under a strong
guard. As soon as the news of the capture of the Inca spread, all
resistance ceased. Many of the Indians fled to the mountains, leaving
untold wealth at the disposal of their conquerors, while others
remained, hoping to be able to assist their fallen ruler.
As soon as the Inca had an opportunity, he tried to think of some way
of obtaining his freedom.
The room in which he was confined was twenty-two feet in length by
seventeen feet in width. Raising his hand as high as he could, the
Inca made a mark upon the wall, and told Pizarro that gold enough to
fill the room to that mark would be given as a ransom for his release.
Pizarro agreed to this bargain, and the natives began to send gold
to the Inca to secure his release. Some of the treasures in the temples
were buried and hidden by the priests; but ornaments of all kinds,
vases, and plate were collected, and in a few months gold amounting
to fifteen millions of dollars in our money was divided among the
Spaniards.
Millions of dollars' worth of gold and silver were shipped to Spain,
and the Spanish nation grew very wealthy. Pizarro himself returned
to Spain to take Charles V. his share of the plunder. During Pizarro's
absence the Spaniards caused the Inca to be killed, notwithstanding
the large ransom which they had accepted.
The richer the Spanish people grew, the more careless they became in
their treatment of other nations and of those under their rule. They
grew more cruel and more merciless and more greedy for gold. They
flocked in great numbers to South America, a reckless, adventurous,
unprincipled horde, ready to commit any crime in order to secure gold.