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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VIII. ASSASSINATION OF FRANCISCO PIZARRO. in the development of the resources of the country, and in fostering and protecting the interests of the Spanish colonists, the Marquis gave but little heed to the proceedings of the Almagrist faction. Whether it was that he despised them, or considered it hopeless to attempt their conciliation, or was over-confident in his ability to foil their machinations, certain it is that he treated them with profound indifference. Or it may be that, conscious of his innocence of the death of Almagro, he did not suppose that their vengeance would be directed against one who had given them no special cause of complaint. At all events, he made no attempt either to attach them to his side, or to crush them utterly. He allowed them to go where they would and do as they would, so that before long upwards of two hundred of these men of Chili (as they were called) gathered in Los Reyes, where they found a suitable leader in Almagro's former major domo, Juan de Rada; and a centre of hope, pride, and ambition in the young Almagro, who was now grown up to the age of manhood, and was gifted with all the qualities PLOTS OF THE ALMAGRISTS. 233 that secure the affections of soldiers. He was bold, liberal, frank of speech and manner, of a graceful person, and skilled in all martial exercises. That the Marquis should have permitted so dangerous a rival to remain in Los Reyes, and to have drawn around him a group of needy and desperate cavaliers, is a proof that he was by no means so astute and suspicious as some English historians have represented. He has been censured for not purchasing their support for himself by presents and favours, but it seems to be forgotten that he could have done'So only at the expense of his own loyal adherents....