the water, thinking to save themselves in it, but the light horsemen
crossed the river almost by swimming after them, and they did not leave
one alive save some few who had hidden themselves in their flight after
their army was broken in pieces. Then the Spaniards ran through the
country as far as a league below without finding a single Indian. Then,
having returned, they rested themselves and their horses, which were in
great need of it; both because of the long journey of the day before and
on account of their having run those two leagues, they were rather
crippled. When the truth was learned as to what troops those were [with
whom the Spaniards had fought], it was found that the four captains and
the main body were encamped six leagues down the river from Xauxa, and
that, on that very day, they had sent those six hundred men to complete
the burning of the city of Xauxa, having already burned the other half
of it seven or eight days before, and that they had then burned a great
edifice which was in the plaza, as well as many other things before the
eyes of the people of that city, together with many clothes and much
maize, so that the Spaniards should not avail themselves of them. The
citizens were left so hostile to those other Indians that if one of the
latter hid, they showed him to the Christians so that they would kill
him, and they themselves aided in killing them, and they would even have
done so with their own hands if the Christians had permitted it. The
Spanish captains, having studied the place where these enemies were
found as well as the road, along a part of which they journeyed, they
determined not to shut themselves up in Xauxa, but to pass onward and
attack the main body of the army which was four leagues off before it
should receive news of their coming. With this intention, they
commanded the soldiers to make ready, but their proposal did not come to
pass because they found the horses so weary that they held it to be
better council to retire, which they did. Arrived in Xauxa, they
recounted to the Governor all that had happened, with which he was well
pleased, and he received them cheerfully, thanking them all for having
borne themselves so valorously. And he told them that by all means he
intended to attack the camp of the enemy because, although they were
advised of the victory, it was certain that they would be waiting. At
once he ordered his master of the camp to lodge the men and let them
rest during what remained of the day and through the night until
moon-rise, and that then they should make ready to go and attack their
enemies. At that hour fifty light horsemen were in readiness, and at the
sound of the trumpet they presented themselves, armed and with their
horses, at the lodging of the Governor who despatched them very soon
upon their road. Fifteen horsemen remained with him in the city
together with the twenty peones who made the guard all of each night
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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