ive
more weight to his words, he made them considerable promises. The papas
then confessed that their sovereign Motecusuma could come to no
resolution with himself as to whether he ought to allow us to march
towards his metropolis, and that he changed his mind several times in
one day. At one time he sent orders, that when we should arrive in
Cholulla, we were to be treated in the most respectful manner, and they
were to accompany us to his city; at another time he sent word that our
march to Mexico was contrary to his wishes; and now his gods,
Tetzcatlipuca and Huitzilopochtli, in whom he reposed all confidence,
had advised him to kill us, or have us taken prisoners in Cholulla. The
day before he had sent 20,000 warriors to this place, of whom one half
was already secreted in the town, the other among the mountain defiles
in the neighbourhood. These troops had been informed of our intended
departure, and of the mode in which the attack was to be made upon us,
as also of the 2000 men of Cholulla who were to accompany us, and how
twenty of our men were to be sacrificed to the idols of Cholulla.

After Cortes had elicited all this from them, he presented both the
papas with several of the most beautiful cloaks, enjoining them to
betray nothing of what had passed between him and themselves, if they
did they should certainly forfeit their lives on his return from Mexico.
That very night our general called a council of war, consisting of the
most sensible and experienced soldiers of our small army, to deliberate
what our next step should be. Opinion, as generally happens under such
circumstances, was much divided. Some proposed that we should change our
route altogether and take the road over Huexotzinco. Others were of
opinion that we should preserve peace at any sacrifice and return to
Tlascalla. We others, however, maintained, that if we left the
contemplated treachery of the Cholullans unpunished, the Mexicans would
play us worse tricks in other places, and as we had once gained a
footing in this vast territory, it would be better for hostilities to
break out here, where, besides that, provisions were plentiful, we could
do more execution than in the open field; and immediately to acquaint
the Tlascallans with our determination, that they might join us in the
combat.

This plan, in the end, received unanimous consent, and the following
morning was fixed on for the day of our departure. We therefore fastened
up our knap