that we were advancing towards
Sempoalla, he said to Narvaez, "How can you remain so quiet and
careless? Do you imagine that Malinche and his teules are people like
yourselves? I assure you, if you don't keep a sharp look out, he will
some time or other fall upon you unawares, and destroy you all."

Narvaez and his partisans, though they could not help laughing at these
warnings of the fat cazique, nevertheless thought it necessary to adopt
some decisive step. He first formally declared open war against us with
fire and sword. This we learnt from a soldier named Galleguillo, who had
deserted to us from Narvaez during the night, or perhaps had been
secretly sent to apprize us of it by Duero.

Narvaez then encamped with the whole of his troops, taking the cannon
and all with him, at about a mile from Sempoalla, in order the better to
watch our movements and not to allow any of our men to pass without
killing or taking them prisoners. But as it rained heavily just about
this time, his men soon got tired of standing in the water to await our
arrival, and Narvaez's officers, who were neither accustomed to dampness
nor the fatigues of war in general, and imagined it would be an easy
matter to overcome us, advised him to return with the troops to their
former quarters. They likewise pretended it would be a reproach to them
if they all marched out against a handful of men as we were, and
considered it sufficient if they placed their artillery, which consisted
of eighteen heavy guns, in front of their camp. Forty of the cavalry
would be sufficient at night to guard the road leading to Sempoalla,
along which we should be compelled to advance: besides which, pickets of
cavalry and light-armed foot could watch the spot where we should have
to pass the river, to give notice of our approach; and another twenty of
the cavalry were always to stand in readiness during night-time in the
courtyard adjoining Narvaez's quarters.

All this his officers merely advised to return to their former
comfortable quarters again. "Do you, then," continued they to Narvaez,
"stand in such awe of Cortes as to believe, on the assertion of the fat
cazique, that he will dare to push forward to our very quarters with his
paltry numbers? Only let him come, we will give him the reception he
merits."

Narvaez allowed himself to be convinced by these arguments, and returned
with the whole of his troops to the former quarters. He then made known
that he who