, making
room for them to draw up in regular order. Having re-established their
ranks, a troop of horse and a company of foot made so furious a charge
on the Indians that they drove them into the town, and attempted to get
in at the gate after them; but they were received by such a volley of
arrows and stones as compelled them to retire two hundred paces, yet
without turning their backs, in which consisted their safety. As the
Indians followed them, they made a fresh charge, and drove the Indians
back to the town, yet dared not to venture too near the wall; and the
fight continued in this manner for some time, alternately gaining and
losing ground, several of the Spaniards being killed and wounded.
Finding they had the worst of it in the open field, the Indians kept
close behind the walls of the town. On this Soto alighted from his
horse, causing others to do the same, and advanced up to the gate at the
head of a party armed with targets, under cover of which two hundred men
with axes hewed down the gate and rushed in, not without much hazard and
some loss. Others of the Spaniards contrived to mount the wall, helping
each other, and hastened to succour those who had gained the gate.
Seeing the Spaniards had forced their way into the town, which they
deemed impregnable, the Indians fought desperately in the streets, and
from the roofs of the houses, for which reason these were set on fire by
the Spaniards. After entering the town, Soto remounted his horse, and
charged a body of Indians in the market-place, killing many with his
spear; but, raising himself in the stirrup to make a home thrust, an
arrow penetrated through his armour and wounded him in the hip, so that
he could not regain his seat: yet, not to discourage his men, he
continued to fight during the remainder of the action, though obliged to
stand the whole time in the stirrups. Another arrow pierced quite
through the spear of Nunno de Tovar, near his hand, but did not break
the shaft of the lance, which continued to serve after the arrow was cut
off.

The fire which had been put to the houses burned fiercely, as the houses
were all of wood and covered with thatch, by which great numbers of the
Indians perished. About four in the afternoon, being sensible of their
own weakness and that they were likely to be worsted, the Indian women
began to join in the battle, armed with the spears, swords, and
partizans which the Spaniards had lost, some even with bows and a