n a canoe.

Cortez, wounded as he was, would still have fought on; but
Quinones, taking his horse by the bridle, turned it to the rear,
exclaiming that his leader's life was "too important to the army to
be thrown away there!"

The mass of fugitives poured along the causeway. The road was soft,
and was so cut up that it was knee deep in mud; and in some places
the water of the canals beside it met across it. Those on the
flanks were often forced, by the pressure, down the slippery sides;
and were instantly captured and carried off by the canoes of the
enemy. Cortez's standard bearer was among those who fell in the
canal, but he succeeded in recovering his footing, and saved the
standard.

At last the fugitives reached the spot where the cannon and cavalry
had been placed in reserve. Here Cortez rallied them, and charged
the Aztecs with the little body of horse, while the artillery
opened a hot fire upon them. He then sent orders to the other two
columns to fall back and, when these had rejoined him, the division
retired, Cortez covering the movement with the cavalry.

As soon as they were freed from the city, Tapia was sent round on
horseback to acquaint the other commanders of the failure. They had
advanced at the same time as Cortez, and had on their side nearly
gained the square; when they, too, were startled by the blast of
Guatimozin's horn, and by the terrible yell that followed it. Then
they heard the sound of battle, which had before been clearly
audible, roll away in the distance; and knew that the division of
Cortez had been driven back.

In a short time the attack upon themselves increased in fury, as
the troops who had been engaged with Cortez returned and joined in
the attack upon them. Two or three bloody heads were thrown among
them, with shouts of "Malinzin!"

Although Sandoval and Alvarado did not credit the death of their
commander, they felt that it was useless to persevere, and indeed
were unable to withstand the furious assaults of the Aztecs. With
great difficulty they drew off their troops to the entrenchment on
the causeway, and here the guns of the ships, sweeping the road,
drove back their assailants. The greatest anxiety prevailed as to
the fate of Cortez, until Tapia arrived, bleeding from several
wounds, which he had received from parties of men whom Guatimozin
had stationed to interrupt the communication between the two camps.

Sandoval at once rode round. He, too, was attacked on