ntersected the latter by deep holes, and
fortified the tops of their houses with breastworks? Why had they sent
away from the town their wives, children, and all their goods? All this
sufficiently proved their treacherous designs, which were no longer to
be concealed; they had even refused to provide us food, and in mockery
had sent us merely wood and water, as if to make us believe they had no
maise left. He was perfectly aware that large troops of warriors had
secreted themselves in the defiles near the town, laying in wait for us
when we should be on our road to Mexico. During the past night they had
been joined by several other troops. In reward for our having looked
upon them as brothers, and announced what our God and our sovereign had
commissioned us to reveal to them, they wished to murder us, and eat our
flesh, for which purpose they had already prepared the dishes, the salt,
the pepper, and the tomates. If they intended to kill us, why did they
not attack us boldly in the open field as beseemed brave warriors, as
their neighbours the Tlascallans had done? He was fully acquainted with
all their designs, how they had promised to sacrifice twenty of us to
their god of war; and that they had sacrificed seven Indians three
nights ago to him, that he might grant them victory over us. But all his
promises were full of lies and deceit. Their gods had no power whatever
over us, and their evil deeds, with all their treachery, would recoil
upon themselves."

When the caziques, papas, and the other principal personages heard this,
all of which Dona Marina most intelligibly interpreted to them, they
confessed that what Cortes had said was perfectly correct, but added,
that they were not the guilty persons, everything having been done at
the instigation of Motecusuma's ambassadors, in accordance with his
commands. To which Cortes answered, "That the Spanish laws did not allow
such treachery to pass by unpunished, and that they would be punished
for it with the loss of their lives." At this moment he ordered a cannon
to be fired, which was the signal for us to fall upon them.

A great number of these people were put to the sword, and some were
burnt alive, to prove the deceitfulness of their false gods. Before a
couple of hours had elapsed our friends of Tlascalla came storming out
of their camp into the town, and fought courageously with the troops of
Cholulla in the streets, who strove to drive them back. They then
disper