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aez's quarters after the return to our camp
 of the ambassadors we had sent there._

The effect of Leon's and father Olmedo's visit to Narvaez's camp soon
showed itself. Several of the officers who had got some hints of the
valuable presents which Cortes had sent to be distributed among some of
them, found that a party was forming in his favour, and advised that the
utmost vigilance should be observed; orders were therefore issued that
both foot and horse should always hold themselves ready for action.

The fat cazique whom I have so often mentioned was in great fear for
having delivered up to Narvaez the women, cotton stuffs, and gold of
which we had given him charge. For this reason only, therefore, he would
have acted as a spy upon our movements had Narvaez even not strictly
commanded him to do so.

When his spies brought him intelligence that we were advancing towards
Sempoalla, he said to Narvaez, "How can you remain so quiet and
careless? Do you imagine that Malinche and his teules are people like
yourselves? I assure you, if you don't keep a sharp look out, he will
some time or other fall upon you unawares, and destroy you all."

Narvaez and his partisans, though they could not help laughing at these
warnings of the fat cazique, nevertheless thought it necessary to adopt
some decisive step. He first formally declared open war against us with
fire and sword. This we learnt from a soldier named Galleguillo, who had
deserted to us from Narvaez during the night, or perhaps had been
secretly sent to apprize us of it by Duero.

Narvaez then encamped with the whole of his troops, taking the cannon
and all with him, at about a mile from Sempoalla, in order the better to
watch our movements and not to allow any of our men to pass without
killing or taking them prisoners. But as it rained heavily just about
this time, his men soon got tired of standing in the water to await our
arrival, and Narvaez's officers, who were neither accustomed to dampness
nor the fatigues of war in general, and imagined it would be an easy
matter to overcome us, advised him to return with the troops to their
former quarters. They likewise pretended it would be a reproach to them
if they all marched out against a handful of men as we were, and
considered it sufficient if they placed their artillery, which consisted
of eighteen heavy guns, in front of their camp. Forty of the cavalry
would be sufficient at night to guard the road leading to Sempoalla,
along which we should be compelled to advance: besides which, pickets of
cavalry and light-armed foot could watch the spot where we should have
to pass the river, to give notice of our approach; and another twenty of
the cavalry were always to stand in readiness during night-time in the
courtyard adjoining Narvaez's quarters.

All this his officers merely advised to return to their former
comfortable quarters again. "Do you, then," continued they to Narvaez,
"stand in such awe of Cortes as to believe, on the assertion of the fat
cazique, that he will dare to push forward to our very quarters with his
paltry numbers? Only let him come, we will give him the reception he
merits."

Narvaez allowed himself to be convinced by these arguments, and returned
with the whole of his troops to the former quarters. He then made known
that he who brought him Cortes or Sandoval dead or alive, should receive
the reward of 2000 pesos.

The command of the small detachment at the river he gave to a certain
Hurtado and Gonzalo Carrasco, who is now living at Puebla. The
watch-word of Narvaez's men, during the battle, was to be Santa Maria!
Santa Maria! It was also regulated that a strong body of men should be
posted in his quarters during night-time, and like divisions in those of
Salvatierra, Gamarra, and Juan Bono.

These were Narvaez's preparations; we must now see what was going on in
our camp.

CHAPTER CXXII.

 _The order of our march against Narvaez; the speech Cortes made to
 us; and our reply to it._

After we had arrived at the above-mentioned brook, about four miles from
Sempoalla, we halted in a beautiful meadow by which it was skirted, and
posted our sentinels, consisting entirely of men on whom we could place
implicit reliance. Cortes, seated on horseback, ordered all the officers
and men to assemble around him; he then craved a few moments' silence,
and addressed us in a speech replete with flattering expressions and
vast promises.

He began with our departure from Cuba, mentioned all the fatigues we had
undergone up to that moment, and then continued: "You are perfectly
aware, gentlemen, that the governor of Cuba did appoint me
captain-general of the armament, though many cavaliers among you were
equally deserving of it; you must also remember that you left Cuba with
the supposition you were going to found a colony in this country. It was
under this pretence that the public were invited to join the expedition,
and yet it afterwards appeared that the armament was merely fitted out
for commercial speculation. I was preparing to act up to the
instructions I had received, and was ready to return to Cuba, in order
to render Diego Velasquez a full account of all our proceedings, when
you desired me,--yes, you compelled me, to form a settlement here in the
name of our emperor, in which we, with God's assistance, have indeed so
far succeeded. You then elected me captain-general and chief justice of
New Spain, to continue vested with such power until we should know his
majesty's pleasure on that head. Once, subsequently, there indeed again
arose a dispute respecting the necessity of returning to Cuba; but this
I need not mention, as it is still fresh in every one's memory; however,
it became afterwards our universal conviction, that the determination we
had come to, to remain in this country, had met with grace in the sight
of God, and he has blessed all our endeavours in his holy cause, and
granted us success in our undertakings in the emperor's service. Above
all, however, I must put you in mind of the promise we made the emperor
when we forwarded him a full account of our great deeds, with a
description of the country. We begged his majesty not to confer the
government of this country on any one before our agents had obtained a
hearing, as we had all reason to fear that the powerful bishop of Burgos
would strive to obtain that appointment for Diego Velasquez, or for one
of his friends or relatives. We assured his majesty that this country
was of such vast extent as to merit being governed by an infante or
grandee of his empire, and that we were only awaiting his most gracious
commands which we should obey with the deepest veneration, and would not
acknowledge any appointment unless it came from his majesty himself.
With this account we sent our monarch all the gold, silver, jewels, and
other valuable things we had collected. These had been, up to that time,
our only remuneration for the many fatigues we had undergone; and how
often had not death stood before ou

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