Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/458

438 and the contador began to realize that the answer ot the lord of Chetumal was not an idle boast. His little band was surrounded by countless hordes, who began to harass him in ceaseless petty encounter; but yet for many weeks Ávila remained in Villa Real, daily looking for aid from the adelantado. None came; nor any tidings from Chichen Itza. Ammunition was nearly exhausted, and the beleaguered Spaniards began to look upon themselves as doomed, for the foe attacked them almost daily, showing no sign of fear. Their only hope was to cut their way out of the place without further delay.

In sorry plight Ávila's band set forth to traverse the sixty leagues that separated them from their comrades. All along their route were evidences of a wide-spread plan to exterminate them. Some towns were abandoned; others were secretly fortified to serve as man-traps; no provisions could be found; and as they advanced hostilities became more active, until at length, being driven back on one of the deserted towns and hemmed in on all sides, they sat down in despair. An Indian whose life the contador had saved attempted to lead them, in the silence of the night, by an unfrequented path through the woods. Still. they were pursued and their progress disputed at every step. All hope of escape by land being abandoned, they fought their way to the coast, all that were left of them, where finding some canoes they proceeded along the shore, living on berries and shell-fish, until they came to Trujillo, in Honduras.