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166. This want of harmony among the tribes suited Cortez exactly.

But, with all this success, the Spaniards felt themselves to be in a desperate situation. Many of the men were ready to mutiny and leave Cortez to his fate. They were far from home, in the heart of an enemy's country; and should they succeed in fighting their way back to their base of supplies at Villa Rica, they had no vessels to take them back to their own

country in case the garrison had been overpowered by their treacherous neighbors, or, what was quite as possible, had given up because so weary of the ambitious schemes of their leader, whom many of them considered little better than a madman. But for a timely visit from the Tlascalan chief Xicotencatl, it is likely that Cortez might soon have found himself without an army. This young man came one morning in a cloud of incense, touching the ground and lifting his hand to his head. It was easy to see that his proud spirit was still unbroken, although he acknowledged that his people for the first time submitted to a foe. From fear of treachery, the invitation he brought to the Spaniards to visit Tlascala was not accepted for a week. Other chiefs row came to the camp, and their overtures seemed so