Cortes flattered himself it would be an easy task to hold the mutinous Mexicans in check by force. Thinking thus, he sent one of his bravest officers, Ordaz by name, with a corps of four hundred men, partly Spaniards, partly Tlaxcalans, to ascertain whether the people had really quieted down or were making preparations for new attacks. In pursuance of his duty, Ordaz marched through the city streets but had not gone far before he encountered a body of armed Mexicans. In order to intercept some of them he incautiously advanced upon them, but they at once retreated. This was done, as soon appeared, not from cowardice, but because of their orders to draw the Spanish leader and his men into a trap. Their plan succeeded. Ordaz pursued the fugitives to a quarter of the city where he suddenly found himself surrounded and attacked by a countless swarm of the enemy. Even the flat roofs of the houses were covered with men who darkened the air with stones, arrows, and other missiles, hurled at the Spaniards from every direction. Fortunately Ordaz, serious and unexpected as the danger was, lost neither his courage nor presence of mind but placed his men in a formation best calculated to make the attack. Then he charged upon the enemy where they were densest. It was not long before the Mexicans began to weaken. Ordaz cut his way through them and at last, after much bloodshed, succeeded in reaching the Spanish quarters. One Spaniard and eight Tlaxcalans were killed, and Ordaz himself and most of his people were wounded. After this disaster Cortes expected the Mexicans would desist from further hostilities, but he was mistaken. Hardly had the Spaniards reached their quarters before they observed the enemy assembling in formidable bodies for a general attack. Cortes instantly made the necessary preparations for defence, and now began a battle which for courage and obstinacy has hardly been equalled. The Mexicans charged with such a din of drums and horns and such fearful battle cries that the roar of the cannon could hardly be distinguished. They seemed unanimously determined to conquer or die. Some kept up a continuous shower of arrows and stones. Others, despising death, sought to scale the walls and others to get possession of the gates. Some mounted upon the shoulders of others to reach the top of the walls, and when they were hurled down dead or wounded, others would take their places instantly. Such was their courage that they trod upon the dead and wounded to fill up the breaches, and, terrible as was the effect of cannon and musketry among them, they still kept up their furious attack until at last, after horrible slaughter, superstition forced them to end the battle and withdraw, for they never fought after sundown, and it was now evening.