Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/323

Rh except that an Indian of Tascaltecal told us he would guide us to his country if they did not stop us on the way. There were some watchmen very near who heard us, and alarmed many towns round about, from which numbers of people gathered and pursued us until daybreak. At that time five horsemen who rode ahead as scouts met some bands of people along the road, and killed some of them; these were routed under the belief that more horsemen and foot-soldiers were coming up. When I saw that our enemies were gathering from all sides, I got into order our people who were still fit for service, making squadrons, and placing them in the vanguard, rear-guard, and on the flanks, with the wounded in the centre, and I likewise distributed the horsemen. Thus we continued all that day, fighting on all sides, so that during the whole night and day we did not advance more than three leagues. When night came on Our Lord was pleased to show us a tower and good lodging place on a hill, where we again fortified ourselves, and during that night they left us in peace, although at dawn we had some disturbance from a false alarm caused by our own fears of the multitude which kept coming in pursuit of us.

The next morning, one hour after daybreak, I departed in the order already mentioned, taking my vanguard and rear-guard in good order; and on all sides we were followed by the enemy, yelling, and raising the whole country, which is thickly populated. The horsemen, although we were few attacked them, but did little harm amongst them, because, the ground being rough, they would retreat to the hills. In this manner, we marched that day along some lakes, till we reached a populous town, where we thought to have some skirmish with the townspeople. When we arrived there, they abandoned it, and went to some other towns thereabouts in the neighbourhood. I rested there that day and the next, not only