Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/250

214 gold and furnish food from neighboring villages. Narvaez, in turn, sent word to Montezuma that Cortes and all the rest of us were nothing but a parcel of thieves and vagabonds who had fled from Spain without the permission of our king, and when his majesty had heard that we were here, and knew of the robberies and other ill deeds we had done, and that we had taken Montezuma prisoner, he ordered Narvaez to set out with all these ships, soldiers and horses and end our disorders, free the monarch, and put Cortes and all the rest of us evil-workers to the sword or take us alive and send us to Spain, where sure death awaited us.

Montezuma heard this message with natural satisfaction, particularly the part telling how many ships, horses, cannon, musketeers and crossbowmen the new fleet had. He believed they would take us prisoners. In addition, when the monarch's messengers saw the three treacherous rascals who had deserted to Narvaez, and perceived they said evil of Cortes, they found more reason to believe the scandal Narvaez had told. They brought back to Montezuma a picture of the fleet accurately painted on cloth, and he thereupon sent Narvaez more gold and cotton stuffs, and ordered all the towns in the neighborhood to supply the Spaniard with plenty of food.