g them, had their hatred of the Aztecs been less, they
might have broken their agreements with the Spaniards and overwhelmed
them, but the hatred of the Tlascalans did not permit them to look
beyond the present day. They decided to maintain the alliance they had
entered into with Cortes and welcomed him with open arms. They gave
him a chance to recuperate, to get something to eat, and to dress the
wounds of his men. All the Spaniards wanted was time to bring about
the inevitable downfall of Mexico and the Mexicans.

Among the men who had followed Narvaez was a Negro who had brought with
him the germs of small-pox, which were communicated to the Aztecs in
the city. It spared neither rich nor poor, as one of the first victims
was their leader, Cuitlahua. The electors chose his nephew to succeed
him, the youthful Guatemoc, or, as he was commonly called, Guatemotzin.
In some respects in spite of the lack of the sagacity and
farsightedness of Cuitlahua, he was a better man for the problem, for
he at once mustered his forces and launched them upon Cortes and the
Tlascalans in the valley of Otumba. The Tlascalans had furnished
shelter and provisions to Cortes, and had resolved to stand by their
treaty with him, but they had not yet furnished him with any great
assistance. A strong party in the council had been entirely opposed to
doing anything whatever for him. Cortes practically had to fight the
battle alone and the battle had {192} to be won. He and his fought, as
the saying is, with halters around their necks.

All day long the Spaniards and their few allies fought up and down the
narrow valley. Defeat meant certain death. They must conquer or be
tortured, sacrificed and eaten. It was Cortes himself who decided the
issue. With Alvarado and a few of the other captains, he finally broke
through the Aztec centre, with his own hand killed the Aztec general,
to whom Guatemoc had committed the battle, and seized the Aztec
standard. At the close of the long hours of fighting the natives broke
and fled, and the supremacy of Cortes and the Spaniards was once more
established.

Wavering Tlascala decided for Cortes and he was received with generous,
royal and munificent hospitality, which accorded him everything he
asked. Messengers were despatched to Hispaniola for reinforcements and
every preparation made for the renewal of the campaign. During the
fall, troops, horses, men, guns and thousands of the flower of the