-that is, if he could.

So he got together a little army, and sailed away with it for the unknown
land. He had about one hundred sailors, five hundred and fifty soldiers
armed with sword and pike, and among them thirty-two cross-bow men, and
thirteen musketeers. Above all, he had sixteen horses, ten heavy guns--or
what may be called heavy guns in those times--about 9-pounders, I
suppose, and four smaller guns; and with that he set out to conquer a new
world; _and he conquered it_!

He did not know whither he was going. All he knew was, that this
wonderful country of Mexico was _somewhere_, and treasures inestimable in
it. And one other thing he knew, that if mortal man _could_ get there,
he _would_.

He landed at Tabasco--where Vera Cruz city stands now--fought with the
Indians, who ran away at the sight of the horses and noise of the cannon;
and then made friends with them. From them he got presents, and among
others, a present which was worth more than its weight in gold to him,
namely, a young slave girl, who had been born near Mexico, and knew the
language. She was very clever, and very beautiful; and soon learnt to
speak Spanish. She had been a princess in her own country, and was sold
as a slave by her cruel stepmother. They made a Christian of her, and
called her Dona Marina,--her Indian name was Malinche,--and she became
Cortez's interpreter to the Indians, and his secretary. And she loved
him and served him as faithfully as true woman ever loved man, and saved
him and his from a hundred dangers. And the Spaniards reverence her name
still; and call a mighty snow mountain after her, Malinche, to this day.

After that he marched inland, hearing more and more of the wonders of
Mexico, till he came at last, after many adventures, to a country called
Tlascala, up among high mountains.

The men who lived there seem to have been rough honest fellows; and brave
enough they showed themselves. The Mexicans who lived in the plains
below never could conquer them, though they had been fighting with them
for full two hundred years. These Tlascalans turned out like men, and
fought Cortez--one hundred Indians to one Spaniard they fought for four
mortal hours; but horses and cannon were too much for them, and by
evening they were beaten off. They attempted to surprise him the same
night, and were beaten off again with great slaughter. Whereon a strange
thing happened.

Cortez, through Dona Marina, his interpr