horsemen and musketeers. Martin Lopez, who had charge, as I said, advised that we now change the order of our march, for the Tlaxcalans had told him that the Mexicans might attack and defeat those heavily laden with materials and food supplies. Therefore Sandoval divided the horsemen and crossbowmen so that some should always be in advance, and others on the flanks, and others form the rear guard with Sandoval himself. Another two days' march brought the transport in front of Texcoco, which town the Tlaxcalans entered, clad in their finest mantles and head-feathers, in military order, drums and trumpets playing, and themselves shouting, "Long live the king! Spain forever! Tlaxcala forever! "
The porters laid the woodwork and other material for the sloops near the canals, where the boats were to be put together, and the builder-In-chief, Martin Lopez, aided by Andrez Nunez, and the elder Ramirez, and a sawyer, and certain Indian carpenters, and two blacksmiths with their forges, and Hernando de Aguilar, who helped with the hammer—all together worked with such will that they put together the sloops in a very short time, and then they had merely to caulk them and set masts and rigging.
We had now to keep a sharp outlook for Mexican spies, lest they should destroy the boats as they
