it, and fully believing they were Indians, sent them
to cut some grass for his horse. It was about the hour of Ave-Maria,
when they returned with a load of grass, and carried it to the shed,
where the horse was tied up. They then cowered down, after the fashion
of Indians, near Salvatierra's quarters, and overheard a discourse
between him and several others of Narvaez's officers. Among other things
they heard Salvatierra exclaim, "O! at what a fortunate time we have
arrived in this country, just as the traitor Cortes has collected above
700,000 pesos! We shall all become wealthy; for his officers and
soldiers all together cannot have a much less sum than that in their
pockets."

They listened to many similar fine speeches till a late hour at night,
when they stole off silently to the shed where Salvatierra's horse was
fastened up, which they very quietly saddled and bridled, and so rode
off with it. In the same way they managed to capture a second horse on
their road home, and brought them both safely to Sandoval.

Cortes was very desirous to see those horses, but Sandoval told him he
had left them with the invalid soldiers in Papalote, as he had marched
along a very steep and rugged road over the mountains, where horses
could not pass, which he had done that he might not fall in with
Narvaez's troops.

Cortes was vastly pleased with the trick which had been played off upon
Salvatierra, and the manner in which he had lost his horse, and
exclaimed, "He will now threaten us with more vengeance than ever!" The
following morning, we were told, when he found the two Indians, who sold
him the cherries had decamped with his horse, saddle, and bridle, he
threw out language really laughable, particularly when he discovered
they had been disguised Spaniards belonging to Cortes' troops.

[77] According to Torquemada, Motecusuma, accompanied by a distinguished
suite, conducted the Spaniards as far as Iztapalapan. (p. 303.)

[78] Probably Topaniqueta, which sounds more like an Indian name. (p.
304.)

CHAPTER CXVI.

_How we determined once more to despatch father Olmedo to Narvaez's
head-quarters, and what we commissioned him to say._

As soon as all our troops had arrived at Tampanicita, we determined to
despatch father Olmedo, who was a remarkably shrewd man, to Narvaez with
a letter, which, after expressing the usual courtesies, ran nearly as
follows:

We all rejoiced at his arrival in this country, as w