lot had one of his
feet cut off. Two of the sailors received two hundred lashes. The rest
were spared.

It is recorded that Cortez, as he was ratifying this sentence, gave a
deep sigh, and exclaimed,

"How happy is he who is not able to write, and is thereby prevented
from signing the death-warrants of men!"

But this development of disaffection disturbed Cortez exceedingly. He
was about to march two hundred miles into the interior. It would be
necessary to leave a garrison at Vera Cruz. The fleet would be lying
idly at anchor in the harbor. A more successful attempt might be made
during his absence; and Velasquez, informed thus of his position,
might easily send, from the powerful colony of Cuba, a force
sufficient to take possession of Vera Cruz, and thus leave Cortez in
the interior but a desperate adventurer, wandering in the midst of
hostile nations. In this emergence, he came to the decision, of
almost unparalleled boldness, to _destroy the fleet_! He would thus
place himself in a distant land, with but five hundred men, hopelessly
cut off from all retreat, and exposed to assault from exasperated
nations numbering many millions.

This plan was no sooner conceived than executed. He assembled his
principal friends privately, and informed them of his determination.

"We shall thus," said he, "gain all the sailors for soldiers, and the
men, having no possibility of escape, must either conquer or die."

While most of the soldiers were employed at Zempoalla, the ships were
dismantled of every movable article, and they were then scuttled
and sunk. In a few hours the majestic ocean rose and fell in silent
solitude where the fleet had so proudly floated. One small vessel
only was left.

When the soldiers heard of this desperate deed, they were struck with
consternation. They were apparently now forever separated from friends
and home. In case of disaster, escape was impossible and destruction
sure. Murmurs of indignation, loud and deep, began to rise against
Cortez. He immediately gathered his troops around him, and, by his
peculiar tact, soothed their anger, and won them to approval of his
course. They at once saw that murmurs would now be of no avail; that
their destiny was henceforth entirely dependent upon their obedience
to their leader. It was evident to all that the least insubordination,
in the position of peril in which they were placed, would lead to
inevitable ruin. Cortez closed his speech with the fol