Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/267

Rh and spent our time In preparations and thinking of the task we had before us. It was useless to think of supper, for we had not a morsel to eat. We sent our scouts and posted pickets, of which I was one. I had not been standing long before a scout came up and asked me If I had heard a noise. I said no. Then came an officer and said Galleguillo, who had come over from the camp of Narvaez, was nowhere to be found, that he must have been a spy, and that Cortes ordered us at once to march to Cempoala. An Instant after I heard the fife and drum, and we began our march, and at this juncture Galleguillo came to light;—the poor fellow, not used to rain and cold, had crept under some cloaks and fallen fast asleep.

Cortes now ordered drum and pipe silenced and we marched steadily forward to the river. I shall never forget our crossing the stream, how it was swollen by the rain, how slippery the stones were, and how we were encumbered by our arms. Near the river we came upon two spies, and one of them, Carrasco, when captured, cried in a loud voice, "Take care, Captain Cortes, Narvaez with all his troops is waiting for you." The other spy, Hurtado, escaping us ran giving the alarm, "To arms! to arms!" so that Narvaez calling his men and our charging with our lances happened at the same time.

We under Pizarro had the good fortune to capture