Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/278

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The Mastering of Mexico

the message Narvaez sent Montezuma, that he was coming to release the monarch from prison and lead us away In chains; and because Montezuma found that although we now had ships, we were not leaving the country and he believed what we said about embarking empty words; and since more teules were arriving we never Intended to leave. Therefore the Mexicans had determined, before we should come back to Mexico with the soldiers we had conquered, to put all who were there to the sword and liberate their monarch. Cortes became very angry when Alvarado gave these and other reports about the uprising, and he told Alvarado his work had been ill done and hurtful to the Spanish cause and he wished to hear no more of it.

When Cortes on our return march saw how the people of Texcoco had not stirred a foot to give him a reception and had only afforded him food, and bad food at that, and with ill will, and when he met the same, or stronger, expression of ill feeling in entering Mexico, and, although he returned with additional forces, the people no longer brought him supplies, the pride he had showed to the officers on the march to Mexico, glorifying himself and telling of the power he enjoyed and how the Indians would come from all parts and receive him with splendor and give him gold—this expectation of his meeting the very opposite of what It had pleased him to be-