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ly. (p. 358.)

CHAPTER CXXIX.

 _How we quartered ourselves in the metropolis of Tlascalla, and what
 we did there._

I have already mentioned that we rested a day at Gualiopar, where we
were visited by the caziques of Tlascalla, who kindly offered us every
assistance, which was the more praiseworthy in them when we take the
time and circumstances into consideration.[97]

As soon as we had arrived in the Tlascallan metropolis, Cortes made
inquiries respecting the 40,000 pesos worth of gold which he had
forwarded to the latter place for the garrison of Vera Cruz; when
Maxixcatzin, Xicotencatl, and one of our soldiers who had remained behind
in Tlascalla on account of ill health, informed him that a certain Juan
de Alcantara, with two others of the garrison lying in Vera Cruz had
arrived there and taken all the gold with them, as they had produced a
written permission to that effect signed by Cortes, which he,
Maxixcatzin, had carefully saved. Upon being questioned as to the time
they had left with the gold, we found it must have been during the days
we had the severe engagements with the Mexicans. Subsequently we learnt
that Alcantara and his companions had been murdered and robbed of their
treasure on their road to Vera Cruz. Cortes was sorely grieved at this
loss, and was most anxious to know how matters stood in the latter
place. He therefore despatched three Tlascallans to that town with a
letter, in which he gave a full account of all that had transpired at
Mexico, but very wisely omitted to mention the number of men we had lost
there. He likewise admonished the garrison to observe the utmost
vigilance, and to keep Salvatierra and Narvaez close prisoners. They
were desired to send their sick to Tlascalla with all their store of
powder and crossbows. He at the same time wrote to Caballero, and
particularly cautioned him not to allow any vessel to depart for Cuba,
and to see that Narvaez did not escape. If he considered the two
vessels of Narvaez which lay in the harbour there unfit for use, he was
to run them on shore, and immediately send him the sailors and as many
arms as he could spare.

These three messengers made all haste and soon returned with an answer
from Vera Cruz, which gave us the good news that they had enjoyed the
profoundest peace there, but had been apprized of our misfortune at
Mexico by the fat cazique of Sempoalla. They also informed us that Juan
de Alcantara and his companions had been murdered on their return.

Pedro Caballero sent word that all Cortes' commands should be attended
to. One of the two vessels was still in good condition, but with the
other he would act as he had been ordered and send the men to us, though
he had not over-sufficient hands, as many of the sailors were sick and
several had died.

All the reinforcement we received, on this occasion, consisted in seven
men, of whom three were sailors. They arrived in Tlascalla under the
command of a certain Lencero, to whom the tavern belonged, known to this
day by the name of Venta de Lencero. Every one of these men were in bad
health; five of them were covered with sore swellings, and the two
others limped helplessly about with their bellies enormously swollen, so
that the succours brought by Lencero became quite a byword among us.

I must now, however, relate something of a more serious nature. The
reader cannot have forgotten the younger Xicotencatl, who commanded the
whole armed power of Tlascalla against us, and who had always shown his
hatred of us. This feeling was again aroused in him when the news of our
flight from Mexico, and of the number of troops we had lost arrived in
Tlascalla; and how we were marching towards the latter place to seek
protection and assistance. Xicotencatl now, therefore, assembled his
relations and friends, with all those whom he thought would enter into
his views, and proposed that they should select some favorable
opportunity, either in the day or night-time to fall upon us unawares
and destroy us all. "He would," he said, "form a friendly alliance with
the Mexican monarch, for which the present moment was particularly
favorable, as the Mexicans had just elected a new monarch in the person
of Cuitlahuatzin. We had," he continued, "left quantities of cotton
stuffs and gold behind us in Tlascalla, and had brought an additional
quantity with us, and they would all become wealthy personages by such a
booty."

When the elder Xicotencatl received information of this rebellious
movement, he grew excessively angry, and commanded his son to banish
all such thoughts from his mind. Such a step as that, he said, would be
altogether unjustifiable, and he might be sure, if Maxixcatzin and
Chichimeclatecl got intelligence of it, they would certainly order him
to be put to death, to which he himself would give his consent. Old
Xicotencatl, however, might say what he liked, his son remained firm to
his purpose, and set earnestly about to make the necessary preparations,
when Chichimeclatecl, who was at enmity with the younger Xicotencatl,
got secret information of his intentions, which he instantly
communicated to Maxixcatzin, and both determined to call a meeting of
the chief personages of the town, with the elder Xicotencatl and the
caziques of Huexotzinco, and commanded the younger Xicotencatl to appear
before them.

After all had been assembled, Maxixcatzin addressed the meeting as
follows: "I ask you, do you yourselves think, or have you ever heard
others say that such riches or so much prosperity was ever known for the
last hundred years in the land of Tlascalla as since the time these
teules have appeared among us? Were we ever so much respected by all our
neighbours? It is only since their arrival we possess abundance of gold
and cotton stuffs; it is since that time only we eat salt again, of
which we had been deprived for such a length of time. Wherever our
troops have shown themselves with these teules, they have been treated
with the utmost respect; and if many of our countrymen have lately
perished in Mexico, they certainly fared no worse than the teules
themselves. All of you must likewise bear in mind the ancient tradition
handed down to us by our forefathers, that, at some period or other, a
people would come from where the sun rises, to whom the dominion of
these countries was destined. How dare Xicotencatl, taking all this into
consideration, contemplate this horrible treachery, from which nothing
can flow but war and our destruction? Is this not a crime which ought
not to be pardoned? Is it not exactly in accordance with the evil
designs with which this man's head always runs full? Now that misfortune
has led these teules to us for protection, and that we may assist them
with our troops to renew the war with Mexico, are we to act
treacherously to these our friends?"

To these reproaches, in which his own blind father joined, the younger
Xicotencatl replied, that he persevered in his opinion that, under the
present circumstances, it would be most

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