Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/46

 the whole night, believing what the chiefs of Guaxuta and Coatinchan had told us.

The next day, I learned that some of the enemy were moving about the borders of the lake, hoping to surprise and capture some of the Tascaltecans who were coming and going for the camp service. I also learned that they had confederated with two towns, subject to Tesaico, which are near the water, in order to do us all the mischief they could; and that they had fortified themselves, and prepared barricades, ditches, and other works necessary for their defence. Upon learning this, I took next day twelve horsemen and two hundred foot soldiers and two small field pieces, and went to the place where they were, about a league and a half from the city. On the way, I met certain of the enemy's spies and others who were advancing, so we charged them, capturing and killing some of them, and those who were left escaped to the water; we set fire to a part of those towns and returned to our quarters victorious and much pleased. The next day three chiefs of those towns came to ask pardon for what had passed, beseeching us not to destroy them, and promising me not to receive those of Temixtitan any more in their town. As they were persons of no importance, and vassals of Don Fernando, I pardoned them in Your Majesty's name.

The next day, there came to me certain of those Indians, with broken and bruised heads, telling me that the men of Mexico and Temixtitan had returned to their town, but, not meeting with the reception to which they were accustomed, had ill-treated the inhabitants and taken some of them prisoners, and that, if no defence had been offered, they would have captured everything. They prayed me to be on the alert, in case those of Temixtitan returned, so as to give them help; and with this they departed to their town.

The people whom I had left making the brigantines