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d brave warriors. Here again
Sandoval sent five distinguished personages of Tepeaca to the Cocotlans
with the usual offers of peace, accompanied by threats; but as there was
a strong garrison of Mexicans lying in the town, they returned for
answer that they had already a king in Quauhtemoctzin, and wanted no
other; nor did they see any reason why they should send us ambassadors.
They would meet us on the field of battle; their strength was as great
now as it was in Mexico, at the bridges, and the canals; and how much
our valour had availed us there they had sufficiently experienced.

On receiving this answer, Sandoval regulated the order of attack, in
which the instructions he gave the Tlascallans were remarkable, namely,
that they should not rush in upon the enemy at the same moment with the
Spaniards, for fear of shying our horses, and lest they should expose
themselves to the fire of our muskets, as had often been the case on
previous occasions. They were commanded to remain stationary until the
enemy was routed, and then follow in pursuit.

Having made these regulations, Sandoval marched towards the township. He
had not advanced far before he came up with two bodies of the enemy, who
had taken up a position in a hollow at the back of a barricade, which
had been constructed of trees cut for the purpose. For a time the
enemy's troops fought with desperate courage; but Sandoval kept up so
sharp a fire upon them with the crossbows and muskets, that he soon was
enabled to force a passage with the horse. In this attack four of his
men and nine horses were wounded, one of which died soon after. Though
the number of loose stones here were great obstacles to the cavalry, yet
he succeeded in breaking through the enemy's ranks, and he advanced up
to the town itself, in front of which stood a large building and
fortification, besides several temples, in which other detachments of
the enemy were stationed. Here Sandoval encountered a momentary and
desperate resistance, but the Indians were again beaten, with seven
killed. The Tlascallans now no longer waited the signal for pursuit, but
rushed forward the more bravely, as this district lay near to their own
territory. Numbers of females and people of the lower classes were taken
prisoners.

After this victory, Sandoval remained there two days, and despatched one
of the Tepeacan chiefs to the caziques of the district to summon them
into his presence. They were not long before they made their appearance,
and begged forgiveness for the murder of the Spaniards. He told them
this would be granted on condition they delivered up all the property
they had found on those they had put to death. They answered, however,
that this was out of their power, since everything had been burnt, but
owned that the greater part of the Spaniards had been eaten up by
themselves, and that five had been sent alive to Quauhtemoctzin in
Mexico. They had now, they thought, received sufficient chastisement for
those they had murdered by the losses they had sustained in this battle;
they hoped, therefore, he would pardon them, and they would, in return,
furnish us with excellent provisions, and also forward a large supply to
Malinche's head-quarters. Sandoval, finding that nothing further was to
be got out of them, granted their request, for which they appeared very
grateful, and offered to do him all manner of good services. Sandoval
now returned with his troops to Tepeaca, and met with a most hearty
reception from us all.

CHAPTER CXXXV.

 _How all the slaves we had taken in Tepeaca, Quauhquechola, Tecalco,
 and Castilblanco, were brought together in our head-quarters, and
 branded with an iron, in his majesty's name._

After peace had thus been restored to the whole province, and the
inhabitants had submitted to the sceptre of his majesty, Cortes, finding
there was nothing further to be done at present, determined, with the
crown officers, to mark all the slaves with the iron, and set apart the
fifth of them for his majesty. Notice was, therefore, given that every
person was to come with his slaves to a certain house appointed for the
purpose, that they might be marked with the red-hot iron. Every man,
accordingly, brought the females and young men he had taken prisoners;
for grown-up men were of no use to us, as they were so difficult to
watch, and we cared not to admit them into our service, as we were well
satisfied with the Tlascallans. After all the slaves had been brought
together and severally marked with the letter G, the emperor's fifths
and then Cortes' were deducted before we were aware of it; and, besides
this, on the night preceding, the finest of the Indian females had been
secretly set apart, so that when it came to a division among us
soldiers, we found none left but old and ugly women. This occasioned
excessive murmuring against Cortes and all those who had thus picked and
chosen before us; and some of Narvaez's men told Cortes to his face that
they were not aware, up to the present moment, there were two kings in
the Spanish dominions, and that two royal fifths could be demanded. A
certain Juan Bono, who was also loud in his complaints, added, that such
proceedings should not be permitted in New Spain, and that he would send
information of it to his majesty and the council of India. Another
soldier asked Cortes if the division he had made of the gold in Mexico
was not a sufficient imposition? for, at first, he had merely spoken of
300,000 pesos, but when we were obliged to retreat from the city, it was
estimated at 700,000 pesos. And now he was going to deprive the poor
soldier, who had undergone so many hardships, and suffered from
innumerable wounds, of this small remuneration, and not even allow him a
pretty Indian female for a companion! When notice was given, continued
he, that each person was to produce his prisoners, in order that they
might be marked, it was thought they would have been valued, and that
the emperor's fifths would have been deducted therefrom in money, and
that no mention would have been made of fifths for Cortes.

Similar and even severer speeches were in every one's mouth respecting
Cortes' fifths, until the latter began to consider it high time to
pacify these daring spirits. He stated, therefore, and swore upon his
conscience, (for this was his usual oath,) that it should not happen in
future, but that all the prisoners should be valued, and sold at their
valuation, which would put a stop to all further discontent on that
head. This resolution was subsequently adhered to, particularly after
the conquest of Tezcuco, where we took a vast number of prisoners.

If this circumstance had occasioned ill blood, another of a different
nature occasioned worse. The reader will remember that, on the night of
sorrows, after as much of the gold had been stowed away as could be,
Cortes had given what remained as prize-money to the soldiers. Many of
Narvaez's men and several of ours had dived deep into the gold, and most
of th

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