Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/112

82 in battle and suffered wounds and hardships—and all for nothing. Such conditions must not go on. We gentlemen, friends of yours and all, count such a number that we must insist that Cortes in the name of our king founds a settlement here, and we make it known to his majesty in Spain. Promise that you will vote with us. You will do a service to God and our king. We have united to elect Cortes our captain general." In return I said I did not think it wise to go back to Cuba and I was quite ready to agree to elect Cortes general and chief justice until the king should order otherwise.

This agreement passed round from soldier to soldier, and the Velasquez clique, who were more in number than we, finally got wind of it. Then they went to Cortes and boldly asked him why he was intriguing to form a settlement in this country and shirking his duty instead of going to Cuba and rendering account to Diego Velasquez. His plottings were useless, they declared, for he had neither men nor supplies, nor any other outlook necessary for founding a settlement. Cortes answered, without a shadow of irritation, that he was quite of their opinion, and he had not the remotest intention of going against the wishes and instructions of Diego Velasquez; and he straightway gave orders that all should embark the next day, each in the ship that brought him.

When those of us who had agreed upon his