Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/213

Rh both our captain and ourselves; we had seen the treasure house filled with gold; we had known the people believed us teules who could not fail of victory in battle. Now their delusion had fled; they would look upon us as like other men, liable to defeat, and we should soon see their insolence toward us growing. Now more than ever it behooved us to get possession of Montezuma's person.

We made final arrangements after our night of prayer that our bold attempt might redound to the glory of God. When Cortes sent to tell Montezuma that we were about to pay him a visit, the monarch more or less understood that our captain was coming because of the battle that had taken place on the coast, and he had misgivings, yet he sent word that Cortes should come and would be welcome. Our captain took with him five officers, Alvarado, Sandoval, Lugo, Leon and Avila, and also me and our interpreters, Donna Marina and Aguilar. We all went completely armed, and our whole troop stayed behind ready for march and horses saddled.

Cortes made his usual felicitations when he entered the monarch's apartments and then said through his interpreters, "I am greatly astonished that so valiant a ruler as you, who publishes himself our friend, should command your warriors near the coast to take up arms against my Spaniards, and should dare to demand from towns under the protection of my king.