l points
at once, with the utmost fury. They made this attack with perfect
assurance, believing they had merely to show themselves and they should
be able to capture us immediately, and sacrifice us to their idols. But
the Almighty had ordered things differently. For, however silently they
approached, they found us perfectly upon our guard, as the outposts and
patrols had come running in at the first noise they heard and given the
alarm. As, moreover, we were accustomed to sleep in our clothes with our
weapons in our hands, the horses always ready bridled and saddled, and
our cannon loaded, we gave the enemy such a rough reception with our
muskets and crossbows, and cut among them so vigorously with our swords,
that they soon had enough of it and turned their backs. The country
before us was quite level, and the moon shone bright, so that our
cavalry were able to follow the flying enemy to a considerable distance.
Next morning we found about twenty of them dead and wounded, so that
their loss must have been considerable, and they experienced, no doubt,
that this fighting at night-time was not exactly so pleasant. It is also
said they were so exasperated against the soothsayers and papas, that
two of them were butchered for a sacrifice. In this night's combat we
lost one of our friends of Sempoalla, and two of our men besides a horse
were wounded. The number of prisoners we made were four. The kind reader
may well conceive that we were not a little overjoyed that this affair
terminated so fortunately. We fervently thanked God for the assistance
he had lent us, buried our friend of Sempoalla, dressed our wounds, and
lay ourselves down to rest for the remaining part of the night; but not
without previously taking every precaution to secure our camp as usual.
It was only the following morning we were able to discover our true
condition. There was not one among us who had not, up to this moment,
received one, two, or three wounds, and all were more or less weakened
by fatigues and hardships. Xicotencatl continued to hover around us, and
we had already lost fifty-five of our men, some of whom were killed on
the field of battle, others had died of disease and from excessive cold.
Twelve of our men were knocked up with fatigue, and even our
commander-in-chief himself and father Olmedo were suffering from fever.
But no one can wonder at this; for among all the hardships we had to
undergo, we never durst for one moment leave our he