Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/121

 of Cuarnaguacar were destroyed, their enemies would then come against us. Although what had passed was still so recent, and we were rather needing to receive than to give help, since they asked it of me with such urgency, I determined to give it to them, although I encountered much opposition, and it was said that in taking people from our camp I was destroying myself. I dispatched eighty foot soldiers and ten horsemen under Captain Andres de Tapia with those who had come to ask our aid, charging him earnestly to do whatever was required for Your Majesty's service and for our security; as he saw the need in which we were, he should spend not more than ten days in going and coming. He left, and reached a small town between Marinalco and Coadnoacad, where he found the enemy expecting him; and he, with the people of Coadnoacad and those he had with him, began his battle on the field, and our forces fought so well that they routed the enemy, pursuing them until they reached Marinalco, which is situated on a very high hill where the horsemen could not approach. Seeing this, they destroyed that part which is in the plain, and returned to our camp within the ten days. In the upper part of this town of Marinalco, there are many fountains of excellent water, a very refreshing thing.

While this captain was absent, some Spaniards on foot and on horseback entered with our friends into the city as far as the large houses which are on the square, to fight, as I have already said; they could not advance further because the enemy had opened the water street which is at the entrance of the square and is very broad and deep; and, on the other side, there was a very large and strong entrenchment, where they fought with one another until night separated them. A chief of the province of Tascaltecal, called