The _Indians_ laughed at his talke, and skorning at him, they returned to the Towne, to enforme their fellowes of the pride and madnesse that they thought they hadde hearde. Then the Spanyardes wente to dinner, and hauing well refreshed themselues, they putte on their Armour, and went aboorde their Boates and Vergantines, looking for some aunswere from the _Indians_, and séeyng the Sunne decline apace, and no aunswere, _Cortez_ aduised the Spanyardes that lay in ambushe in the woodde, to giue assault, and he embarqued himselfe with his rapier and Targette, gyuyng likewise assaulte with néere two hundred men, who comming néere the Towne walles, discharged his Ordinance, and lept into the water to the knées, and began valiantly to assault the walles and bulwarkes. The _Indians_ séeyng their enimies so nigh vnto them, beganne to fighte with courage, shooting arrowes, throwing of dartes and stones, wherewith they hurte about twenty Spanyardes: yea, and though the fearefull noyse of the Ordinance did many times so annoy them, being things so straunge, and neuer before séene of them, yet they fledde not from the walles, but resisted the Christians valiantlye, and suffered them not to enter the Towne that way, if they had not bin assaulted in another place. But when the Company that lay in ambush hearde the shooting of their fellowes, they began likewyse theyr onsette. The _Indians_ knowyng nothyng what was prepared behynde theyr backes, and hauing also theyr handes full in defending the entrance by the Riuer: and the Christians fyndyng that parte of the Towne without resistance, entred in wyth a terrible noyse, killing as many as they mette. Then the Townesmen vnderstoode theyr oversyghte, and woulde haue remedyed it, and fledde from the place where _Cortez_ was gyuing combat, whereby _Cortez_ and hys Company entred the Towne at ease, without contradiction, so that hée and the other Companye of his Souldyers mette togither at the Markette place, and expulsed all the _Indians_ out of the Towne, excepte those that were taken prisoners, and the carkases of the deade. Then the Chrystians soughte the spoyle, and founde nothyng but Turkie Hennes, and some thyngs wrought of Cotten wooll, but verye little Golde. There was that daye aboue foure thousande _Indians_ in fyghte and defence of the Towne: There was much _Indian_ bloud shedde, bycause they fought naked, manye were wounded, and fewe Captiue. _Cortez_ lodged himselfe wyth hys armie in the chiefest Temple of the Idolles, where was roome sufficiente. They kepte that nyghte good watche, as in a house of enimies, but the poore _Indians_ durst not once interrupte them. After thys forte was _Potonchan_ taken, béeyng the fyrste Cytie that _Cortez_ wanne by force in all hys Conquest. The Battell of Cintla. [Sidenote: Care of a good Captayne.] [Sidenote: Fortye thousande Indians.] [Sidenote: Perill of the Christians.] [Sidenote: A miracle.]