all. Olmedo now returned to Narvaez, and presented him
Cortes' letter, with these words: "Your excellency must not feel
astonished if in this letter you find Cortes speaking out a little at
random; however, notwithstanding all this, I can assure you, if you
express yourself in kind terms to him, he will submit to you, with the
whole of his troops."

All the bystanders now pressed Narvaez to read the letter; some were
greatly annoyed, but Narvaez and Salvatierra merely laughed, and made
game of the contents. Duero, however, said: "Really I am unable to make
anything out of all this! The reverend father has assured me, that
Cortes and the whole of his men are ready to join our standard, and yet
they presume to write such nonsense to our general." Augustin Bermudez,
who was a captain and alguacil-major of Narvaez's camp, followed in the
same strain and said: "Father Olmedo has likewise assured me privately,
that it merely required some little mediation between them, and Cortes
would himself wait upon our general and join his standard with the
whole of his men. As he is encamped not far from here, we could
certainly do no better than despatch Senor Salvatierra and Senor Duero
thither, and I will accompany them myself." This Bermudez merely said to
see what Salvatierra would say, who immediately declared that he felt no
inclination to visit a traitor.

Do not speak quite so rashly, Senor Salvatierra, said father Olmedo; for
by showing a little more moderation you will be able, in a few days, to
have him in your power.

However it was resolved that Duero should be despatched to Cortes, and
Narvaez held a private conference with him and three other officers,
desiring them to try and persuade Cortes to meet him at an Indian
village on the road between the two encampments, where they might come
to an understanding with each other respecting the division of the
country and the boundaries of their respective territories. Narvaez was
quite earnest in this matter, and had expressed himself to that effect
to about twenty of his men, who were particularly devoted to him. This
circumstance soon came to the ears of father Olmedo and Duero, who
immediately apprized Cortes of it.

We must now, for a time, leave father Olmedo in Narvaez's camp, where he
soon became very intimate with Salvatierra, as the latter was a native
of Burgos and he himself of Olmedo, and he dined with him every day. In
the meantime we will likewise allow Duero