chief personages would not make their appearance, he was very willing to
call upon them, and he doubted not for an instant but that they would
immediately repair to our quarters.

Cortes desired him accordingly to go and call them; in the meantime he
would detain the other papa. It was not long before this chief priest
reappeared in our quarters, bringing along with him the caziques and the
other principal personages of the district. Cortes inquired of them what
cause they had had to fear us, and why they no longer sent us anything
to eat? adding, that if our stay in their town was burdensome to them,
we would leave the very next morning for Mexico, to pay our respects to
their monarch Motecusuma: they had merely to furnish us with a requisite
number of their porters to convey our baggage and the tepuzques, (that
is, our cannon,) and to send us provisions.

The cazique was so embarrassed at what Cortes had said, that he scarcely
durst open his mouth; but at length promised us the provisions we
required, although he had been, he added, commanded by Motecusuma, his
sovereign, to withhold them, and not to allow us to proceed any further
on our march.

During this conference, three of our Sempoallan friends entered, and
secretly acquainted Cortes that they had found deep holes in the streets
adjoining our quarters, which were thinly covered over with sticks and
earth, so as to be imperceptible to the eye, unless by close inspection;
they had the curiosity to remove the earth from off one of these holes,
and found, sticking up at the bottom, numbers of short stakes sharply
pointed, and no doubt placed there to wound our horse when they fell
into the holes: heaps of stones had been gathered on the tops of the
houses, and the latter strengthened by breastworks made of burnt bricks.
Every preparation had been made for an attack, and another street was
strongly barricaded by large wooden beams. At this same moment eight
Tlascallans also arrived from their quarters outside the town, and said
to Cortes, "Are you ignorant, Malinche, of the treacherous designs which
are going on in this town? We have been given to understand that the
Cholullans last night sacrificed seven persons to their god of war,
among them five children, in order to obtain from him a promise of
victory over you. And we also know that all their goods, wives, and
children have been sent out of the town."

On learning this piece of news, Cortes desired these m