Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/270

232 gained an idea that we had a vast number of matchlocks.

Narvaez was badly wounded besides the loss of an eye, and he asked leave for his surgeon to attend his and other officers' wounds. When permission was unhesitatingly given, and the surgeon was at work, Cortes came near, unknown as he fancied, to look at his foe. Someone whispered to Narvaez that Cortes was standing by, whereupon Narvaez cried, "Captain Cortes, you may well be proud of this victory and my being a prisoner." "I am," said Cortes in answer, "in every way thankful to God for it, and likewise to these brave companions who shared it, but to defeat and capture those who dared to arrest an officer of our king is the least brilliant victory we have won in New Spain."

Broad daylight had come before a detachment of forty horsemen, whom Narvaez had sent to oppose our crossing the river, persuaded by Olid and Ordas, quietly returned. When they reached our camp drummers and fifers of Narvaez sounded their instruments and shouted, "Long live these Romans who, few in number, conquered Narvaez and his troops"; and a merry-making fellow who had come with Narvaez, a negro called Guidela, cried at the top of his voice, "Hark ye! The Romans themselves never could boast of such a victory as this!"

The forty horsemen at once came in a body to