Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/85

Rh of stones and fire-hardened javelins. Their number was so vast that they covered the bean fields, and they rushed on us like infuriated dogs. So swift and impetuous was their onset, and such a cloud of arrows, stones and javelins did they send, that they wounded seventy of our men in a few seconds. However, with our muskets and crossbows we did not fail to show we could fight, and we cut right and left with our swords. We forced them to give ground a little, and Mesa with the cannon's aid made terrible havoc with their close ranks. But even then we could not put them to flight.

I shall never forget the yelling and whistling they set up at every shot we fired, the terrible noise of their drums and trumpets and their war-whoop, "Alala! alala!" and how they sought to hide their losses by throwing dust and rubbish in the air. I now said to Diego de Ordas that it seemed to me we should charge the enemy, my reason being that I saw they were retreating from fear of our swords; but Ordas answered that my advice was poor, for there were three hundred of the Indians to every one of us. My idea, however, was at length carried out, and we fell on them so heavily with our swords that they retired a short way.

Just at this time Cortes came galloping up with the horse. They had been delayed by the bogs. When we, who were in hot pursuit, espied our