and the other neighbouring towns had placed themselves in ambush on each side of a difficult pass in order to make sure of those Christians when they were descending a slope on foot, leading their horses behind so that they were unable to use them, and to execute upon them the greatest cruelty that has ever been done; for they took them in the midst killing some, while others, whom they captured alive, they brought to Tesaico and sacrificed, tearing out their hearts before the idols. That it happened thus, is proved by the fact that, when the alguacil mayor passed there, certain Spaniards who had accompanied him, found in a house of a village which is between Tesaico and the place where they captured and killed the Christians, a white wall on which the following words were written in charcoal: "Here the unhappy Juan Yuste was kept a prisoner.[1] A thing fit without doubt to break the heart of those who saw it. He was a gentleman, one of the five horsemen. When the alguacil mayor arrived at that town, the natives, conscious of their great guilt, fled, and the horsemen and Spanish foot soldiers and the friendly Indians pursued and killed many and captured many women and children who were declared slaves. However, moved by compassion, he did not kill and destroy all whom he might have, and before he left there he even collected those who survived and restored them to their town, so it is now populated again and repentant of the past.
The alguacil mayor proceeded five or six leagues towards that town of Tascaltecal which is nearest to the borders of Culua, and there he met the Spaniards
- ↑ Juan Yuste came originally with Panfilo de Narvaez, passing later into service under Cortes. He started with five horsemen and twenty-five foot to bring some gold from Vera Cruz, and at Tlascala he was joined by three hundred natives. Ignorant of the events which had followed upon Alvarado's massacre in Mexico, he and his party proceeded with entire confidence, and were surprised with the consequences Cortes describes.
