dressing Cortes: "Only consider for a moment, general,
we are here indeed on safe ground, but there are still such numbers of
our men in the streets behind the bridges, who will be inevitably lost
unless we hurry back to their assistance. Up to this moment but few have
been able to cut their way through, and these are all covered with
wounds."

To which Cortes gave the sorrowful answer, "That it was a real wonder
every time one of us escaped; if, however, they turned back to the
bridges, they would certainly be lost with horses and all."

Nevertheless Cortes, Oli, Avila, Sandoval, Morla, and Dominiguez, turned
back and took with them six or seven of the cavalry and a few of the
foot who had escaped without a wound. They had not advanced far before
they came up with Alvarado. He had lost his brown mare and was coming on
limping with one foot, heavily wounded, with lance in hand, having only
seven of his Spanish soldiers and eight Tlascallans left, all dripping
with blood.

Cortes and those who had accompanied him now returned, and we took up a
position close to Tlacupa. But even here the Mexicans had by this time
arrived, and were stirring up the inhabitants of this town, of
Escapuzalco, and of Tenayuacan against us.

Here again the Mexicans, who had fastened on our swords to their long
pikes, set hard upon us, and we had enough to do to maintain our ground.

When Cortes came up with Alvarado and his few followers, and learnt the
fate of those left behind, tears flowed from his eyes; for Alvarado and
Leon had had above twenty horse and more than one hundred foot with them
in the rear-guard. All these, with nearly the whole of the cavalry, and
above one hundred and fifty other men of the old and new troops, had
perished with Leon. Alvarado related, that after he and his men had all
lost their horses, he managed to get together about eighty men, and with
these he succeeded in passing over the first opening by clambering over
the baggage, dead men and horses. Although I am not sure whether he said
that he passed the opening by stepping over the dead bodies, I know that
at this bridge more than 200 men, with Leon at their head, were cut to
pieces by the enemy, notwithstanding all their courageous fighting. At
the second bridge again, it was merely through God's mercy that Alvarado
had saved himself, as all the canals and streets were crowded by the
enemy.

It was also at this bridge of sorrows that the well-known leap