age,
Orteguilla, shed tears all day long, and we others narrowly watched the
monarch's person. I must here for the last time acquaint the reader,
that whether night or day, we never took off our gorgets or our armour,
while our arms were never for a moment out of our hands. A bundle of
straw and a mat formed a couch; our horses stood ready saddled, and in
short every soldier was ready for action at a moment's notice.

At night we also took the precaution of posting such numbers of
sentinels, that each of us in turn, had at least one watch every night.
I do not mention this in praise of myself; but I grew so accustomed to
being armed night and day, as it were living in armour, that after the
conquest of New Spain I could not accustom myself for a length of time
to undress on going to lie down, or make use of a bed, but slept better
in soldier fashion than on the softest down. Even at the present day, in
my old age, I never take a bed with me when I visit the townships
belonging to my commendary; and if I do take one, it is merely because
the cavaliers who accompany me may not think I take no bed with me,
because I have no good one. From continued watching at night it has
become quite natural to me to sleep for a short time together only, and
get up at intervals to gaze upon the heavens and the stars, and take a
couple of turns in the open air. Neither do I wear a nightcap or wind a
kerchief around my head; and thanks be to God! this has become so
natural to me, that I never feel any inconvenience from it. I have
merely mentioned all this to convince the reader how we, the true
Conquistadores, were always obliged to be upon our guard, and what
hardships we had to undergo.

CHAPTER CIX.

_How the governor of Cuba, Velasquez, in all haste fits out an
armament against us, the command of which he gives to Pamfilo de
Narvaez, who was accompanied by the licentiate Lucas Vazquez de
Aillon, auditor of the royal court of audience at St. Domingo._

In order to explain what I am now about to relate I must refer to prior
events.

I have already mentioned, in the proper chapter, that Diego Velasquez
got information of our having sent agents to our emperor with all the
gold and presents we had received; and also of the bad reception they
had met with from the bishop of Burgos; who not only favoured Velasquez
in various ways, but even commanded him to fit out an armament against
us, for which he himself wou