,
Malinche," cried they, "how deeply we take your misfortune to heart, and
lament the death of so many of your brothers, and of our countrymen, who
have perished with them! How oft have we not warned you not to trust to
the Mexicans, and told you they would certainly, one time or other, fall
suddenly upon you; but you would not believe us. However, what has
happened cannot be recalled; the only thing you must think of at present
is, to cure your wounds and strengthen yourselves with good food. Do,
therefore, just as if you were at home in your own country. Rest
yourselves a little and then proceed to our town, where we will find you
quarters. For the rest, Malinche, you may look upon it as no small piece
of heroism that you fought your way out of that strong city after the
bridges had been destroyed; and if we previously looked upon you as men
of extraordinary courage, we do so now in a much wider sense. We are
well aware that numbers of men and women of this country have to mourn
the loss of their sons, their husbands and their brothers, but let not
this be matter of too much grief to you. You have likewise great reason
to be thankful to your gods who have conducted you here in safety, and
who gave you power to gain the victory over that vast army, which we
were well aware had been lying four days in wait for you at Otumpan. It
was our intention to have come to your assistance with 30,000 men, but
we were unable to collect such a body of troops in sufficient time."

Cortes, with the whole of the officers and soldiers embraced these
excellent men in the most affectionate manner, and we made them a
present in gold and jewels, to which every man among us was glad to
contribute his mite. They were also extremely rejoiced to find that Dona
Marina and Dona Luisa had escaped the carnage; but their joy soon turned
into lamentations when they discovered what numbers of their countrymen
were missing; and Maxixcatzin evinced excessive grief at the loss of
Dona Elvira his daughter, and of Leon, to whom he had presented her.

We now, in company of all the caziques marched into the metropolis of
Tlascalla. Cortes was quartered in the house of Maxixcatzin, and
Alvarado in that of Xicotencatl. We dressed our wounds with great care,
and patiently awaited their cure; four of our men, however, soon after
died, and many others suffered for a length of time before they were
completely restored.

[87] The daily allowance of a soldier duri