The Death of a Conquistador

The expedition sent forth a scout with the instructions of sending back crosses to the main party with the size of the cross equal to the wealth discovered. Soon, a cross as tall as a person arrived and the main party picked up their pace, scenting their prize. As they entered a large settlement in, they found that the natives had killed the scout and were waiting for the rest of the party. Most fell to the savages, but a desperate few managed to escape. They tell us that the conquistador was one of the first to die, and that the scout was to blame. He had offered a gift of a gourd with a red feather, which turned out to be the natives' symbol for war.