s, Cortes received a visit from some Indian
chiefs of the Totonacs, a tribe lately conquered by the Aztecs. Their
ruler, it seemed, had heard of the white cacique and would like to
receive him in his capital. Cortes gave them presents and promised to
come. In the meantime his own men were quarreling, and both parties were
threatening him. The bolder spirits announced that if he did not make a
settlement in the country, with or without instructions from the
governor of Cuba who had sent him out, they would report him to the
King. The friends of Velazquez accused Cortes of secretly encouraging
this rebellion, and demanded that as he had now made his discovery, he
should return to Cuba and report.

Cortes calmly answered that he was quite willing to return at once, and
ordered the ships made ready. This caused such a storm of wrath and
disappointment that even those who had urged it quailed. Seeing that the
time was ripe, the captain-general called his followers together and
made a speech. He declared that nobody could have the interests of the
sovereigns and the glory of the Spanish race more at heart than he had.
He was willing to do whatever was best. If they, his comrades, desired
to return to Cuba he would go directly. But if they were ready to join
him, he would found a colony in the name of the sovereigns, with all
proper officers to govern it, to remain in this rich country and trade
with the people. In that case, however, he would of course have to
resign his commission as captain-general of an expedition of discovery.

There was a roar of approval from the army at this alluring suggestion.
Before most of them fairly knew what they were about they had voted to
form a colony under the royal authority, elected Cortes governor as soon
as he resigned his former position, and seen the new governor appoint a
council in proper form, to aid in the government.

"I knew it," said Saavedra to himself as he went back, alone, to his
quarters. "Just as people have made up their minds they have got him
between the door and the jamb, he is somewhere else. When he resigned
his commission he slipped out from under the government of Cuba, and
that has no authority over him. He has appointed a council made up of
his own friends, and now he can hang every one of the Velasquez party if
they make any trouble. But they won't."

They did not. Cortes sent his flagship to Spain with some of his
especial friends and some of his particular