, by not receiving the said Tapia, your majesty was well
served, as will be more fully established whenever it shall
be necessary."

While thus engaged, Cortez received intelligence that the province of
Panuco was in a state of insurrection. As most of his captains were
absent on various expeditions, he promptly placed himself at the head
of a force of one hundred and thirty horsemen, two hundred and fifty
infantry, and ten thousand Mexicans, and marched to inflict such
punishment upon the rebels as should intimidate all others from a
similar attempt.

The two hostile bodies soon met. According to the estimate of the
Spaniards, the number of the enemy amounted to above seventy thousand
warriors. "But it was God's will," the historian records, "that we
should obtain a victory, with such a slaughter of the rebels as
deprived them of all thought of making any head for the present."
Cortez ravaged the country, mercilessly crushing all who offered the
slightest resistance. Having thus quenched in blood the flickering
flame of independence, he returned victorious to the metropolis.

Here he was informed that some of the inhabitants of the neighboring
mountains had manifested a restive spirit, and had caused disturbance
in other peaceable districts. Sternly he marched to chastise them. The
punishment was prompt and severe; thousands were shot down, and their
chiefs were hanged. "They were punished," says Diaz, "with fire and
sword; and greater misfortunes befell them when Nuno de Guzman came to
be their governor, for he made them all slaves, and sold them in the
islands."

The father of Cortez, who was in Spain, and who was a man of much
elevation of character, now came forward to aid his son with his
influence at court. Implacable enemies were intriguing against the
bold Spanish adventurer in the court of Charles V., who had returned
from his long absence in Germany, and was now at Madrid. Don Martin
Cortez had secured the co-operation of a powerful nobleman, the Duke
of Bejar. The young monarch, bewildered by the accusations which were
brought against Cortez on the one hand, and by the defense which was
urged upon the other, referred the whole matter to a commission
specially appointed to investigate the subject. The charges which were
brought against him were serious and very strongly sustained by
evidence.

1. He had seized rebelliously, and finally destroyed, the
fleet intrusted to him by Govern