The herald., 1895-03-24

At this moment eight of the Tlas-
calans we had left outside the city came in
and said, ''Look you, Malinche. the
people of this city mean you evil, for we
know that last night they sacrificed seven
/ persons, and five of them were children,
, to their war god to give them victory
! over you, and we have also seen that they
nave carried away all their treasure and
their women and children
Cortes then ordered the Tlascalans to
return to their Captains and tell them to
be ready at a moments notice if he
should send for them. Then turning to
the Caciques and Papas he told them not
to he afraid and to be careful of what
they did and to obey him or he would
chastise them, and to have 2000 warriors
ready to accom- i,any us ON the next day.
They replied that they would give us
both the warriors and tamemes and they
went away contented for thew thought
that with the forces of Montezuma in ann
bush and their own preparations they
were certain to kill or take us all prison.
ers; and they sent word to those in ann
bush that we would leave next day and
to be all ready to attack US.
Our Captain desiring to get to the bot
| tom of the matter, sent Dona Marina to
the two Papas with more chalchuis and
other gifts and to beg of them to come 10
see him. When they came he told them
| that because they were priests they
should not lie and he wanted them to tell
him what they knew. They replied that
their lord Montezuma knew we were in
the city and every day received many
tbo{ Of
he sent to tell them to use us well and do
us honor, as we were journeying to his
city, but that now his gods Henchlipotzi
and Tezcatepuca, for whom he had
great devotion, had advisd him that he
should attack us in Cholula and kill or
bring us captive to Mexico; and that the
day before he had sent twenty thousand
warriors, half of whom were already
within the city and the other half were
in ambush outside, and all preparations
were made to attack us next morning
when we commenced our march from the
city, and that all of us not killed were to
be taken to Mexico except twenty, who
were to be sacrificed in Cholula.
Cortes already knew all this, and giving
the Papas presents of fine mantles, he told
them not to say anything about the inter-
view and that on his return from the city
of Mexico he would kill the traitor, but
| that as he desired to start early in the
| morning, he wished them to call all the
Caciques and principal men together to
| speak with them
| That night Cortes took counsel as to
what we should do, for he had with him
many hardy cavaliers, men of good coun-
sell Some thought we should go at once
to Guaxocingo. others that we should re-
turn to Tlascala, but the majority
! thought that if we permitted this treason
| to pass unpunished. that we would be
treated worse in the next place we went,
and that as we were within this great city
where there were plenty Of provisions, we
ought to make war on them in their
houses, for they would feel the effects of
our vengeance more there than in the
country, and that we should send at once
and have the Tlascalans ready. This last
proposition seemed we'll to us all and it
was resolved to have everything ready to
depart in the morning, and that as the
patio where we were was surrounded
by high wall, we should attack
the Indians there when they came to see
| us next morning, for this was what they
| deserved for their treachery.