eneral's
person several other of our men had by degrees hastened up to his
assistance, who, though themselves covered with wounds, boldly risked
their lives for Cortes. Antonio de Quinones, the captain of his guards,
had likewise hastened up; they now succeeded in dragging Cortes out of
the water, and, placing him on the back of a horse, he reached a place
of safety. At this instant his major-domo, Christobal de Guzman, came up
with another horse for him; but the Mexicans, who had become excessively
daring, took him prisoner, and instantly carried him into the presence
of Quauhtemoctzin. The enemy in the meantime pursued Cortes and his
troops up to their very encampment, hooting and yelling most fearfully.

We under Alvarado had likewise advanced along our causeway with like
confidence of victory; but, when we least expected it, an immense body
of Mexicans, completely clothed in their military costume, rushed out
upon us with the most dissonant howls, and threw at our feet five bloody
heads of our countrymen, whom they had captured of Cortes' division.
"See these heads!" they cried; "we mean to kill you all in the same way
we have Malinche and Sandoval, with the whole of their troops! These are
some of their heads; you will certainly know them again." Under these
and similar threats they continued to surround us on all sides, and fell
so furiously upon us that all our courageous fighting was to no purpose:
yet they were unable to break through our firmly closed ranks, and we
began to retreat with a steady step, after we had sent the Tlascallans
in advance to clear the causeway and the dangerous passages. The
Tlascallans, at the sight of the five bleeding heads, had really
credited the enemy's shout of triumph, that Malinche, with Sandoval and
all their teules, had been killed; and they were seized with sudden
terror.

As we were thus retreating, we continually heard the large drum beating
from the summit of the chief temple of the city. Its tone was mournful
indeed, and sounded like the very instrument of Satan. This drum was so
vast in its dimensions that it could be heard from eight to twelve miles
distance. Every time we heard its doleful sound, the Mexicans, as we
subsequently learnt, offered to their idols the bleeding hearts of our
unfortunate countrymen. But we had not near accomplished our retreat;
for the enemy attacked us from the house-tops, from out their canoes,
and from the mainland at the same time, whil