Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/122

, of whom I have heretofore written that he had bought the timbers that had been prepared in  Exploits of Chicheme- catl that province for the brigantines, had resided with his people, since the beginning of the war, in the camp of Pedro de Alvarado; and when he saw, after the preceding rout, that the Spaniards did not fight as before, he determined to make an entrance with only his own people. Leaving four hundred of his bowmen at a dangerous broken bridge he had taken, (which had never before happened without our aid), he and his people advanced with great shouts, cheering and naming their province and lord. They fought very bravely that day and there were many wounded and dead on both sides; and those of the city believed that they had trapped them because it is their custom, when their adversaries retire, to follow them with much persistence, although it be without chance of victory, believing that in crossing the water, where it sometimes happens there is a certain danger, they may take revenge on them. To forestall this danger and to provide help, Chichimecatecle had left four hundred bowmen at the water pass, and, while his men were retiring, those of the city suddenly charged them, and the warriors of Tascaltecal threw themselves into the water, and, under the protection of the bowmen, they crossed, leaving the enemy greatly surprised at the resistance they encountered, and at the daring which the Chichimecatecle had displayed.

Two days after the Spaniards had returned from fighting in Marinalco, as Your Majesty will have seen in the chapter before the last, there arrived at our camp, ten Indians of the Otumies who had been slaves to the inhabitants of the city, and, as I have said, had given themselves as vassals of Your Majesty, coming every day to help in fighting; and they told me that the lords of the province of Matalcingo, who are their neighbours, made