, which were ground very sharp. The whole of
the company had already laid aside their cloaks to seat themselves at
table, and stood around Oli, discoursing on Cortes' good fortune and the
conquest of the strong city of Mexico. As Christobal de Oli was thus
quite off his guard, not in the least suspecting that there was any
design upon his life, Las Casas, on a sudden, seized forcibly hold of
his beard and stabbed him in the neck with his knife. Upon this the
other conspirators fell in a body upon him, and gave him so many stabs,
that he fell to the ground; but as he was a man of enormous muscular
power he regained his consciousness, while the conspirators were sitting
at table enjoying their suppers, and assembling all his strength he
started up from the floor with the cry of: "_My friends, assist your
captain!_" and then ran out to hide himself in the woods until his
adherents should have rallied round him. And, indeed, a great part of
his troops instantly assembled for this purpose; but Las Casas cried out
to them: "In the name of the emperor and of Cortes I command you to fall
upon the tyrant! His tyranny is no longer to be borne!"

As soon as these names were mentioned no one durst stir a finger in
Oli's defence; on the contrary, every one quietly submitted and
immediately obeyed Las Casas' commands, by hurrying off in search of Oli
to bring him in a prisoner. He then made known that any one who knew of
Oli's concealment and neglected to give information of it should suffer
death.

By this means it was soon discovered where Oli lay concealed, and after
he had been brought in a prisoner, a criminal suit was commenced against
him in due form, and sentence of death being passed on him he was
decapitated by order of these two officers, Las Casas and Avila on the
market-place at Naco.

Thus miserably did Christobal de Oli end his days by listening to the
advice of bad men, and forgetting how greatly he was indebted to Cortes,
who had appointed him quartermaster-general, and had bestowed upon him
lucrative commendaries. He had always proved himself a man of great
courage, and was recently married to a Portuguese lady, named Filipa de
Araujo, by whom he had a daughter.

As soon as Las Casas and Avila had got rid of their common enemy they
assembled all the troops; they divided the command equally between
themselves, and continued on the best terms with each other. Las Casas
soon after founded the town of Truxillo, whic