Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/249

Rh all his fleet. A north wind struck him one night and foundered one vessel of small burden, but the other ships came safely to the harbor of San Juan de Ulua.

When the arrival of the fleet became known to three soldiers whom Cortes had sent out in search of gold mines, these men, Cervantes, Escalona and Alonzo Carretero, did not hesitate a moment to go to Narvaez' ship; and as soon as they found themselves on board, and had partaken the food and wine given them, they praised the Almighty for delivering them from the power of Cortes and the city of Mexico. "How much better to be drinking wine here than slaving under Cortes," they cried, "with no rest night or day, daring scarcely speak a word, and death staring us in the face!" And Cervantes, a low buffoon, exclaimed, "O Narvaez, Narvaez, what a fortunate man that you came at this time when the traitor Cortes has got together more than seven hundred thousand dollars of gold, and all his men are enraged because he has taken a greater part of the gold and they will not accept what he offers them." So these worthless fellows told Narvaez more than he wished to know.

The great Montezuma soon learned that these ships, with many soldiers on board, had anchored in the port, and he secretly, without a word to Cortes, sent some of his caciques to bear presents of