Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/269

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Our Victory Over Narvaez
231

fetters about Narvaez' legs, but now Sandoval came up and ordered him better secured. Our captain came also at the same time, and in full armor. The weather was hot and he had so heated himself, going from place to place and shouting to our soldiers and giving orders, that he was dripping with perspiration and panting for breath. Twice he said, "Where is Narvaez? What about Narvaez?" before Sandoval could understand what he was saying. "He is here, he is here, and well guarded," cried Sandoval when at last he understood. "That is all right, my son Sandoval," answered Cortes, still much out of breath, "do not leave him, nor suffer your men to go away. Keep strong guard over all the officers who are prisoners with him. I will go and see how matters stand at other points." With these words Cortes rode off to issue summons that all followers of Narvaez, under pain of death, should at once surrender themselves under the banner of the king, and in his royal name, to Hernando Cortes, captain general and chief justice.

All this took place in the night. When we forced our way into the town it was as dark as pitch, for the moon did not rise till later, and it rained heavily at intervals. But even the darkness favored us, for numbers of fire-flies kept flying about, and the soldiers of Narvaez mistook their recurrent giving off light for the matches of our fire arms, and so they