as bringing the news in his
flight. But when he had arrived in the presence of the Governor, he gave
great consolation to the minds of all with the news that he brought,
relating that God Our Lord, who never abandons his faithful servants
even in the direst extremities, ordained that while the captain with
the others [of his company] was passing that night cautiously and
encouraging his men for the combat on the morrow, the Marshal arrived
with the reenforcements of thirty horsemen which had been sent, and
these, together with the ten others whom they had left behind, made
forty altogether, and when all perceived this, the first group felt as
much pleasure as if they had resuscitated that day [just lived through],
holding it to be certain that the victory would be theirs on the
following day. When day had come, which was Sunday, they all mounted at
dawn, and, disposed in a wing formation in order to present a better
front, they attacked the rear of the Indians who, during the night, had
determined to attack the Christians, but who, in the morning, seeing so
many soldiers, thought that some aid must have come to them during the
night, on account of which, not having the courage to put on a bold
front, and seeing that the Spaniards were coming up the slope in pursuit
of them, turned their backs and retired from mountain to mountain. The
Spaniards did not follow them because the land was rough, and besides, a
mist arose which was so thick that they could not see one another, and
yet withal, on the slope of a hill, they killed many of the enemy. At
this juncture, a thousand Indians in a squadron commanded by Quizquiz
arrived in aid of the Indians who, seeing the Christians on horseback
and so warlike, judged it time to withdraw to the mountain.[57] At the
same time, the Christians assembled in their [the Indians'] fort, whence
the captain had sent this messenger to the Governor to tell him that he
would await him there until he should arrive. When this news was heard
by the Governor, he rejoiced greatly over the victory which God Our Lord
had given him when he least expected it, and without delaying an instant
he ordered that all should go forward with the dunnage and the remaining
Indians, because, jointly with this news, he had received warning that
in the retreat of this hostile force of soldiers, four thousand men had
split off from the rest, and that therefore he should proceed
cautiously, and should also be very sure th