They Accordingly Set Out For That Place From Their
Respective Camps; But As Gonzalo Pizarro Did Not Give Implicit Confidence
To the promise of Almagro, he followed his brother with the whole army,
which he secretly posted in the neighbourhood
Of Mala, placing Castro with
forty musketeers in ambush among some reeds near the road by which Almagro
had to pass, and directing him, in case Almagro was accompanied by a
larger force than was agreed on, to give notice by a discharge of musketry,
that Gonzalo might hasten to the defence of the marquis.
Before leaving Chincha on his way to the interview with Pizarro, Almagro
left orders with his lieutenant-general, Rodrigo Orgognez, to keep
vigilant guard againt the machinations of the enemy, in case the marquis
should bring a greater escort than was agreed upon, that he might send him
prompt assistance; and if any treason were practised against him, that
Ferdinand Pizarro should be considered as an hostage for his safety. On
their meeting, the marquis and Almagro embraced each other with much
apparent cordiality; but after a short discourse, in which no part of
their difference was alluded to, one of the horsemen who accompanied the
marquis, whispered to Almagro that he was in danger, and advised him to
retire without delay, as Gonzalo Pizarro had placed an ambush to intercept
him. Almagro immediately called for his horse; and several of the
attendants on Pizarro, seeing Almagro about to retire, endeavoured to
persuade the marquis to have him arrested, which could easily have been
done by means of the musqueteers under De Castro. To this the marquis
would by no means consent, being resolved to keep his promise inviolate,
and would not believe that Almagro meant to go away without coming to some
conclusion on the subject of their meeting. Almagro however went away; and
as he saw the ambush on his way back, he was convinced that treachery was
intended against him, and made loud complaints of the conduct of the
marquis after his return to Chincha. Yet, by the intercession of Diego de
Alvarado, Almagro set Ferdinand Pizarro at liberty, on condition that the
marquis should provide him with a ship and a free port, by which he might
send dispatches to Spain and receive answers, and that they should
continue in peace until they received the final determination of the
sovereign respecting the boundaries of their governments. Rodrigo Orgognez
was exceedingly averse from this measure of liberating Ferdinand Pizarro,
who had been harshly treated while a prisoner, and who he believed would
be eager for revenge if set free, and strongly urged Almagro to put him to
death. But Almagro would not listen to his advice, and sent Ferdinand
Pizarro to the marquis, accompanied by his own son the younger Almagro and
several gentlemen. Ferdinand Pizarro was hardly set off on his return,
when Almagro began to repent that he had set him at liberty; and it is
believed he would have been remanded to prison if he had not made haste on
his journey, during which he was met by several of his brothers principal
officers.
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