d live on one another until they were all dead. They
mocked and jeered at the tribes tearing down the houses, and with grim
humor pointed out to them that they would have to rebuild the city
whoever was successful in the strife, for either the Aztecs or the
Spaniards would compel them to do so. So the fighting went on through
the long days.

XIII. A Day of Desperate Fighting

On one occasion the soldiers, tiring of this, demanded, and Cortes in
compliance with their wishes projected, an attack which was hoped would
capture the narrow circle of defense by storm. In his own words the
story of this day's fighting is now related. It will be seen how he
narrowly escaped with his life:

"The day after mass,[10] in pursuance of the arrangements already
mentioned, the seven brigantines with more than three thousand canoes
of our allies left the encampment; and I, with twenty-five horses and
{199} all the other force I had, including the seventy-five men from
the division at Tacuba, took up the line of march and entered the city,
where I distributed the troops in the following manner: There were
three streets leading from where we entered to the market-place, called
by the Indians Tianguizco, and the whole square in which it is situated
is called Tlaltelulco; one of these streets was the principal avenue to
the marketplace, which I ordered your Majesty's treasurer and auditor
to take, with seventy men and more than fifteen or twenty thousand of
our allies, and rear-guard consisting of seven or eight horses. I also
directed that, whenever a bridge or entrenchment was taken, it should
be immediately filled up; and for this purpose they had twelve men with
pick-axes, together with many more of our allies who were very useful
in this kind of work. The two other streets also lead from that of
Tacuba to the market-place, and are narrower and full of causeways,
bridges, and water-streets (or canals). I ordered two captains,[11] to
take the wildest of these with eighty men and more than ten thousand of
our Indian allies; and at the head of the street of Tacuba I placed two
heavy cannon with eight horse to guard them. With eight other horse
and about one hundred foot, including twenty-five or more bowmen and
musketeers, and an innumerable host of our allies, I took up the line
of march along the other narrow street, intending to penetrate as far
as possible. At its entrance I caused the cavalry to halt, and ordered
them by