[133] The real truth was that there was not a single one of the old
and trusted captains of the elder Almagro with his son; Diego de
Alvarado had gone to Spain, Orgónez and Lerma were slain at or after
Las Salinas, Francisco de Chaves had been murdered by Juan de Herrada,
and Sotelo by García de Alvarado. The rest were disgusted with the
murder of the Marquis and at Juan de Herrada being placed over them.
Four, indeed, were actually fighting in the army of Vaca Castro,
namely Gómez de Alvarado, Saavedra, Guevara, and Montemayor.
The murder of the ever faithful and very able Captain Sotelo was
a fatal blow to young Almagro. There was no one at Chupas that
he could trust. Six of his captains were actual assassins of the
Marquis Pizarro, three others were accomplices outside the chamber.
Little reliance could be placed on the rest. The assassins and their
accomplices would be fighting with ropes round their necks and would
fight hard. But the ill-fated young half-caste, with his ability and
bravery, was doomed.
[134] Both were assassins of the Marquis. They did this to escape the
halter.
[135] Some authorities say that the Inca Paula and his Indians, on the
side of Almagro, made an attack early in the day, which was repulsed.
[136] Juan Rodriquez Barragán, the ensign Enrique, and eight others
also fled with Don Diego, as well as Diego Méndez.
Juan Balsa, Almagro's Captain-general, fled to Vilcas where he was
killed by the natives. He had a house at Cuzco and had married an Inca
Princess.
Some authorities say that Pedro Suárez, when he marshalled Almagro's
army, told Don Diego to remain on the spur. His plan was to defend the
ascent from the Lambras-huayccu ravine and not to attack. It is said
that when Don Diego charged down at the head of his cavalry, Suárez
told him that he would be defeated, but that if he had taken his
advice he would have been victorious. It is added that he abandoned
Don Diego, and went over to the side of Vaca de Castro. This story is
not mentioned by Cieza de León.
CHAPTER LXXIX
_How, after the battle, the Governor ordered the wounded to
be tended, and had Gómez de Tordoya carried to Guamanga; how
retribution was inflicted on the conquered, and how Gómez de
Alvarado, being ill, died at Vilcas, and was taken to be buried
at Guamanga._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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