my, who pressed hard upon us. At this
moment there came up a servant of mine and made a little room; but
presently he received a blow in his throat from a lance thrown from a
low terrace, that brought him to the ground. While I was in the midst
of this conflict, sustaining the attacks of the enemy, and waiting for
the crowd on the narrow causeway, to reach a place of safety, one of my
servants brought {203} me a horse to ride on. But the mud on the
causeway, occasioned by the coming and going of persons by water, was
so deep that no one could stand, especially with the jostling of the
people against one another in their effort to escape.

"I mounted the horse, but not to fight, as this was impossible on
horseback; but if it had been practicable I should have found on the
little island opposite the narrow causeway, the eight horsemen I had
left there, who were unable to do more than effect their return; which
indeed, was so dangerous that two mares, on which two of my servants
rode fell from the causeway into the water; one of them was killed by
the Indians, but the other was saved by some of the infantry. Another
servant of mine Cristobal de Guzman, rode a horse that they gave him at
the little island to bring to me, on which I might make my escape; but
the enemy killed both him and the horse before they reached me; his
death spread sorrow through the whole camp, and even to this day his
loss is still mourned by those who knew him. But after all our
troubles, by the blessing of God, those of us who survived, reached the
street of Tlacuba, which was very wide; and collecting the people, I
took my post with nine horsemen in the rear-guard. The enemy pressed
forward with all the pride of victory, as if resolved that none should
escape with life; but falling back in the best manner I could, I sent
word to the treasurer and auditor to retreat to the public square in
good order. I also sent similar orders to the two captains who had
entered the city by the street that led to the market-place, both of
whom had fought gallantly, and carried many entrenchments and bridges,
which they had caused to be well filled up, on account of {204} which
they were able to retire without loss. Before the retreat of the
treasurer and auditor some of the enemy threw in their way two or three
heads of Christian men from the upper part of the entrenchment where
they were fighting, but it was not known whether they were persons
belonging t