Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/104

74 With thanks for what they had brought, Cortes gave them out of our poverty a glass cup of Florentine make picturing trees and a hunting scene, a couple of holland shirts, some blue glass beads and other trifles, and begged them to go back to the great Montezuma and tell him that we had come from far-away lands, and over vast seas, solely to pay him our respects, and if we should return without doing this, our mighty king would not receive us kindly. He wished, therefore, to go to their monarch, wherever he might be, and himself receive his commands. The ambassadors answered that they would repeat this to their master, but any endeavor after an interview would be fruitless. With their followers the two then set out, while other Indians remained to bring us food from neighboring towns.