Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/54

 frightful to hear, and, pursuing them, we reached a great and beautiful city, called Guaticlan; finding it deserted, we lodged in it that night.

The next day, we advanced to another city, called Tenainca, where we encountered no resistance, and  Cortes Advances to Tacuba without halting we went on to another, called Acapuzalco, both of which are on the borders of the lake; but neither did we stop there as I wished very much to reach another city near by, called Tacuba, which is very near to Temixtitan. When we were close to it, we found that there also they had made many trenches filled with water, and that the enemy was on the lookout. As soon as we saw them, we and our friends attacked them briskly, and entered the city, killing some and expelling the other inhabitants from it. As it was already late then, we did nothing else that night, but lodged in a house which was so large that we easily had room for everybody.

At daybreak, our friendly Indians began to pillage and set fire to the whole city except our quarters, and they put such diligence into it that a fourth part was burnt. This was done because, when we were routed the other time in Temixtitan and passed through this city, its inhabitants joined those of Temixtitan and fought us cruelly, killing many Spaniards.

Of the six days we remained in the city of Tacuba, none passed on which we had not some encounters and skirmishes with the enemy. The captains of the Tascaltecans, and some of their men, exchanged many challenges with those of Temixtitan, and they would fight most beautifully one with the other; and many arguments passed between them, with mutual threats and insults,