e
had spurred his men on to follow quickly at his heels, and cried out,
"Forward, cavaliers!" Nothing had at all been mentioned about filling up
the opening in the causeway, otherwise he, with the company under his
command, would certainly have attended to it. Others again reproached
Cortes for not having sooner ordered off the numerous body of allies
from the causeway; and, in short, many disagreeable remarks were made on
both sides, which I would rather not repeat here.

During this sharp altercation, two of the brigantines which had
accompanied Cortes as he advanced along the causeway, made their
reappearance. Nothing had been seen or heard of these for a length of
time, and they had been given up as lost. It appears they had become
jammed in between the stakes, in which awkward position they were
attacked by numbers of canoes. At length, after a great deal of hard
fighting, they succeeded, with the assistance of a strong breeze, and
the utmost exertions of their oars, to break through the stakes and gain
the deep water, but the whole of the men on board were wounded. Cortes
was exceedingly rejoiced at their safe return, for he had given them up
for lost, but had not mentioned this to his troops, that they might not
become more disheartened than they already were.

Upon this Cortes despatched Sandoval in all haste to Tlacupa to see how
matters stood with our division, to assist us in the defence of our
encampment, if, at least, we were not totally overthrown. Francisco de
Lugo was ordered to accompany him thither, as it was naturally to be
supposed that small detachments of the enemy were everywhere dispersed.
Cortes acquainted Sandoval at the same time that he had previously
despatched Tapia with three horse there for the same purpose, but feared
they must have been killed on the road.

When Sandoval was about to mount his horse, Cortes embraced him, with
these words: "Go, for heaven's sake! You see I cannot be everywhere at
the same moment: to you I intrust the chief command of the three
divisions for the present, as I am wounded and almost exhausted with
fatigue. I beg of you rescue our three divisions from destruction. I
doubt not that Alvarado and his troops have defended themselves like
brave warriors; yet I cannot help fearing he has been forced to succumb
to the overwhelming numbers of these dogs, for you see how I have fared
with my division, and it may have gone worse with his."

Upon this Sandoval and