o, and immediately after one of our corporals
approached and told me that Galleguillo, who had deserted from Narvaez
to us, was nowhere to be found, and that he must have been a spy; and as
it was certain he had by this time betrayed our approach to the enemy,
Cortes had given orders for our immediate advance upon Sempoalla. An
instant after I heard the drum and pipe, and we all marched forward.
Galleguillo, however, was found a few minutes after fast asleep under
some cloaks he had thrown over him, as damp and cold were two things to
which the poor devil was wholly unaccustomed.

Cortes now ordered the drum and pipe to be silenced, and we marched
steadily forward, until we arrived at the river where, as I have above
mentioned, Carrasco and Hurtado were posted with a detachment of the
enemy. This, our sudden visit, was the last thing they could have
thought of, and we succeeded in capturing the former, but the other
escaped and ran to give the alarm.

I shall never forget our crossing this river, how it was swoln by the
rain, and the difficulty we experienced in passing over the stones which
had become loosened and were very slippery; while, at the same time, we
were greatly incommoded by our weapons which we had slung to our backs.
I well remember Carrasco, when he was taken prisoner, crying out aloud:
"Mind what you are about Senor Cortes, for Narvaez has marched out with
all his troops to receive you." As Hurtado had already ran off to give
the alarm, it mattered very little whether Carrasco thus strove to
inform his general of our approach by his loud cries. Cortes gave him in
charge of his secretary Hernandez, and commanded us to the attack. We
immediately lowered the points of our lances and made so violent a rush
at the cannon, that the artillerymen had scarcely sufficient time to
fire off four pieces, every ball of which passed over our heads,
excepting one, which killed three of our men. At the same moment our
respective officers, with their men, forced their way up under the sound
of our drum and pipe. Several of Narvaez's cavalry certainly offered
some resistance, but for a short time only, while six or seven of their
number lay stretched on the field of battle. We, under Pizarro, had the
good fortune to capture all the cannon, but durst not leave them in
charge of our artillerymen alone, as Narvaez continued to shower down
arrows and musket-balls upon us from the top of the temple. Sandoval now
likewise cam