Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/241

Rh nothing," his comrade returned. "You know everything goes whither Cortes and his officers choose to carry it, even the food. They nearly eat themselves up, while we fare badly. But it is no use to complain. Get rid of such thoughts and pray God we do not lose our lives in this city."

Here the men had done talking, but what they said, and the like said by others, came to the ears of Cortes. Thereupon he addressed us in a honied speech, telling us he did not want the fifth, but only the share promised him when we chose him our captain general; that the gold we had so far collected was a trifle to that which was to come from great cities and rich mines scattered through the land, enough to enrich every man of us. He used other arguments in phrases he knew so well how to form. But finding they had no effect, he secretly silenced some of the soldiers with gold, and others by great promises. He also ordered that the food furnished by Montezuma's stewards should be more justly