offer was in promptly sallying out and attacking our three camps with still greater fury, crying in their language as they struck hand to hand, "What will the king of Spain say to that? What will he say now? "and showering us with lances, arrows and stones till the missiles covered the ground.
Cortes now carried on the siege with more determination, and pushed forward into the city until we reached the great market place on which stood seven lofty temples. In a small temple on a little plaza not far off, we found some beams set upright and on them the heads of several of our companions; and the hair of the heads was much longer than when they were alive, which I certainly should not have believed if I had not seen it. Our hearts ached at the sight of our comrades' melancholy remains. We left them where they were, but twelve days later we took them with other Spanish heads offered before idols, and buried them in a church we founded, in this day called the Church of the Martyrs.
Several of our companies now made a most valiant attempt on the great temple of Huitzilopochtli. To take this elevated and strongly fortified building was a terrific labor. Priests who lived in great numbers in houses near the temple beat our men back, and were our particular assailants. They wounded us dreadfully, nevertheless we ascended the one hundred and fourteen steps, and capped our deed of
