Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/73

 Six other horsemen planned to go up a very broad and level road, using their lances on the enemy. Half a league from Suchimilco they came upon a squadron of very dashing troops coming to help their countrymen, and routed them, killing some with their lances. When all the horsemen had assembled, we returned about ten o'clock to Suchimilco, finding at the entrance many Spaniards awaiting our return to know what had happened to us; and they told me they had been in great straits and had done their utmost to drive out the enemy, of whom a great number had perished. They gave me two of our swords they had retaken from them, and told me that the bowmen were out of arrows and could get no more. While hearing this, before we dismounted, a great body of the enemy appeared on a very broad causeway, yelling wildly, and promptly we fell upon them, driving them into the water which bordered the causeway on each side; thus we routed them, and, collecting our people, we returned very tired to the city, which I burned entirely except for the part where we lodged. Thus we stopped in the city three days, incessantly fighting, and finally we left having burnt and razed it to the ground. Certainly it was a sight worth beholding, as it had many towers of their idols built of stone and mortar; but, in order not to enlarge, I do not specify many other notable things concerning the city.

The day I left, I went out to a square, which is on the mainland adjoining the city, where the natives held their markets, and I gave orders to ten horsemen to go ahead, and to another ten to march in the middle with the foot soldiers, while I took another ten in the rear; and when the people of Suchimilco saw us leaving, believing it was from fear of them, they attacked our rear, setting up fierce yells. Thereupon the ten horsemen and I returned and fell on them, pursuing them till we drove them into the water; after which they did not