NOKO. CAPTIVE OF COLUMBUS

Mrs. Hays' latest fictional footnote to history, based on Columbus' arrival in Veragua (Panama) on his fourth voyage, gives some notion of the deceitfulness and greed of the explorers, of the wary friendliness and will to resist of the Indians, of the weariness and bitterness of the Admiral himself. On this background is applied a minimal story of the son of the Indian chief who is carried off by the Spaniards and loses his hate by sharing their hardships. The conclusion is much less credible than the circumstances but kids who skip through these books on their way to more substantial fare won't mind.