Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/347

Rh Cortes' division, and shouted that those were the heads of Malinche, Alvarado and other officers, and what they had done with these they would do with Sandoval and his men. But the brave Sandoval was not daunted. He told his soldiers to begin an orderly retreat under cover of the sloops, musketeers and crossbowmen; and thus he came to his quarters.

But what had happened to Cortes? Sandoval, wounded and bandaged with rags, set off to learn. On his way warriors of Guatemoc, trying to cut off our communication, constantly harassed him, but at length he came up to Cortes, and when he saw him he cried, "Alas, my captain, how has this disaster befallen us? Is this the warfare you have taught? "Tears started to the eyes of Cortes as he said, "Oh, my son Sandoval, for my sins this has come upon us. But I deserve not all the blame. The royal treasurer, Juan de Alderete, did not obey my orders to fill in the gap where they defeated us. War the royal treasurer does not know; nor how to obey." Alderete was standing by when Cortes spoke these words, and he quickly threw back the guilt, maintaining that not he, but Cortes was to blame, for if he had ordered him to fill in the opening, he would have done so. Alderete also reproached Cortes for not ordering the allies off the causeway.

So the men stood exchanging angry words when the two sloops which Cortes had kept by the cause-