ched back to Tezcuco, taking with him great
numbers of prisoners, among whom were many beautiful Indian females.

When Quauhtemoctzin received intelligence of this defeat of his troops,
he was excessively grieved; and the more so as the people of Chalco were
his subjects, and had now, for the third time, taken up arms against
him. He was, however, determined to be revenged; and while Sandoval was
marching back to Tezcuco, he assembled an army of upwards of 20,000 men,
and despatched these in 2000 canoes to Chalco. Here they arrived so
suddenly, that Sandoval had scarcely entered Tezcuco, and had but just
seen Cortes, when messengers arrived in canoes from Chalco to solicit
his immediate return. Cortes, who was speaking with Sandoval when this
message arrived, was so enraged that he would not hear his report to the
end; accused him of having neglected his duty, and commanded him to
return immediately to Chalco with those of his men who were not wounded.
Sandoval's feelings were greatly hurt at Cortes' reproaches; but what
grieved him more than all was, that he would not even listen to him. He,
however, instantly returned to Chalco, which he and his men reached
excessively fatigued by the weight of their arms and the great distance
they had marched. The Chalcans, in the meantime, had begged assistance
from their neighbours the Huexotzincans and Tlascallans on the first
information they received that the Mexicans intended to invade their
territory again; and these two powers had made such haste that they
arrived that very night, with an army of above 20,000 men. This inspired
the Chalcans with fresh courage; they attacked the Mexicans in the open
field, fought with uncommon bravery, and of the enemy's chief officers
alone they killed and captured as many as fifteen, without mentioning
the numbers they made prisoners. This defeat was most humbling to the
Mexicans, and they were much more ashamed of it than if they had
suffered it from us.

When Sandoval arrived in Chalco, he found the enemy was already
vanquished; and, as there was no fear of the Mexicans returning, he
marched back to Tezcuco, taking the prisoners along with him, and now
Cortes appeared highly delighted. Sandoval, however, had not forgotten
the harsh treatment he had so recently suffered from him, and
peremptorily refused, in his anger, to call upon him, although Cortes
had sent an invitation to him, and assured him that he had now been
informed of the tru