ved the charge of the cavalry
with fixed lances, and wounded four of our horses. Cortes himself had
got into the midst of the enemy, and rode a dark brown horse, which we
commonly termed the _flatnose_. Whether this animal, which was otherwise
an excellent horse, had become too fat, or was over-fatigued, I cannot
say; but, to be short, it fell down with its rider, and numbers of
Mexicans instantly laid hold of our general, tore him away from the
saddle, and were already carrying him off. When some of the Tlascallans
and the brave Christobal de Olea saw this, they immediately flew to his
assistance, and, by dint of heavy blows and good thrusts, they cut their
way through to our general, and assisted him into his saddle again.
Cortes fortunately escaped with only a wound on the head, but Olea had
received three very severe wounds.[17] Those of us who stood nearest now
also hastened to the assistance of Cortes; for, as every street was
crowded with the enemy, we were obliged to attack them in separate
bodies and from different points, so that, for some time, we had totally
lost sight of him; but we concluded, from the terrific yells of the
Mexicans, that there must be a severe struggle between them and the
cavalry. We therefore cut our way through the enemy, at the risk of our
lives, to the spot where Cortes, surrounded by only ten of the cavalry,
was bravely repelling the desperate attacks of the enemy. The Mexicans
had taken up a position behind a deep canal, which had been strengthened
by a palisade; they thus had the advantage ground: but we soon put them
to flight.

As Olea, who had saved our general's life, was severely wounded, and had
lost much blood, and the streets were still crowded by the enemy, we
advised Cortes to march back to some entrenchments, under cover of which
his own and Olea's wounds could be dressed. This retrograde movement was
not accomplished without considerable difficulty and danger; for the
Mexicans now imagined we were going to retreat altogether, and fell upon
us with redoubled fury.

In the midst of this second conflict, Alvarado Tapia and Oli, with the
main body of the cavalry, made their appearance, who had been attacking
the enemy at other points. The blood was trickling down Oli's face, nor
had any one of them escaped without a wound. They said they had been
attacked by terrific bodies of the enemy, in the open fields, and had
not been able to drive them back. The reason of their havi