Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/222

200 others, I took their advice, and chose the road to Tascalteca, conducting my people with the best caution I could.

Accompanied by about six horsemen, I rode ahead about half a league or more, little thinking of what afterwards happened, but to reconnoitre the country, so that if anything should befall I might perceive it in time to take measures, and prepare my people. After having gone four leagues, and while ascending the hill, two horsemen who went ahead saw certain Indians, wearing the feathers they are accustomed to in war, armed with their swords, and lances, and rodelas, who took to flight when they perceived the horsemen. At the same time I came up, and had them called to to return without fear. I advanced to where there were about fifteen Indians, who, massing themselves, began to attack us with their swords, calling to their other people who were in the valley, and fighting with us in such wise that they killed two horses, and wounded three others and two horsemen. In the midst of this, others came up, numbering about four to five thousand. Meantime, eight other horsemen, besides those whose horses were killed, joined me, charging on them until the other Spaniards, to whom I had sent a summons by a horseman, arrived. We did them some harm, in the charges we made, killing fifty or sixty of them, without suffering any hurt ourselves, although they fought with great courage and daring; but, as we were all on horseback, we could charge them, and fall back in safety. When they saw our reinforcements approaching, they retreated, because they were so few, and left us the field.

After they were gone certain messengers came, who said they were the lords of the said province, and with them came two of the messengers whom I had sent. These explained that the said chiefs did not know anything of what those others had done, as they belonged to