"They sailed farther and farther into the west; now the lower parts could be but dimly seen; then only the tops of the masts; then they faded altogether from sight.
"Now let us leave the onlookers of the shores and join the brave Columbus on the deck of the Santa Maria, his flag-ship.
"Day after day he guided the ships onward and ever westward. After they had passed the Canary Islands, the men were always on the watch for signs of some new land. After days, and then weeks, on the great ocean the sailors became afraid. They begged their leader to turn back, but they begged in vain. He would not listen.
"At first he tried to keep up their courage by telling them of the riches they would gain, or the honors their church would give them if they carried the teachings of Christ to the heathens. When such words lost their power Columbus became stern. He told the men how angry the king would be if they did not obey their captain.
COLUMBUS AND HIS FLAG-SHIP
"The time came when they began to plot against Columbus. They said: 'We will destroy him. Then, when we get home, we will say that he fell overboard.'
"Could they ever reach home, now they were so far away? The men became afraid of what might happen to them if Columbus were dead and no one left to pilot them home again. So they did not kill him.
"He knew they did not feel kindly to him and he thought it would be best to make some bargain with them. So he said: 'If we do not see land in a certain number of days I will promise to turn back toward Spain.'
"How eagerly he now watched from the deck of his vessel! It seemed as though his hopes and beliefs would not prove true. The last day came,—the day on which he had promised to turn back if they found no signs of land.