Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/158

126 formed a guard of honor, and when we entered the town happy-faced men and women were so many they could scarcely find room on the streets and balconies. They brought baskets of sweet-scented roses and gave them to Cortes and other soldiers they thought officers, particularly to those who were on horseback. Under such circumstance we came to spacious courtyards where were our quarters—which they had trimmed with green boughs—and where the two elder caciques took Cortes by the hand and led him to his lodgings. For each of us they had made a bed of dried grass and spread with sheets of hennequen. Our friends from Cempoala lodged near us and Cortes asked that the ambassadors from Montezuma might also be close by.

Good will and friendly feeling we soon saw in every one, and the officer whose duty it was to post sentinels told Cortes that the people were so peaceful we did not need our usual watchfulness. "That may be true," answered Cortes, "but we will not give up that very good old habit of ours. Better to be on guard, just as if we expected attack any moment. Many a captain has lost through carelessness and overconfidence." Especially the two chief caciques felt hurt by our military precautions, and said to Cortes, through our interpreters, "You have no confidence in us, Malinche. You order your