other half lying in ambush in mountain ravines. Between these troops and the two thousand warriors of Cholula who were to accompany us and act in concert with the Mexicans, we should not be able to escape death, or at least capture and transport to Mexico—all save twenty, who were to be sacrificed before the idols of Cholula. After Cortes had gained this information he presented both papas with finely embroidered cloth, and told them not to tell what had passed between him and them; if they did, they should on our return from Mexico certainly die.
That night Cortes called a council of war. Opinions, as happens on such occasions, were various. Some thought we should change our course; others that we should go back to Tlaxcala; others that if we let such treachery go unpunished we should meet worse, and it would be better to make an attack right there in the town, where we could find ample supplies and do more effective work than in the open field. To this last opinion all at length agreed, and as Cortes had given out that we were to start the following morning, we should therefore make as if we were tying up our knapsacks, and attack the Indian warriors in the ample square where we lodged, and within its high walls pay them their dues. To the ambassadors of Montezuma we should say some villains of Cholula had formed a conspiracy and attempted to lay it at the door of their monarch, but
