Bernal Diaz was sent out as the captain of a
foraging party. He was fortunate enough to
bring back one hundred and thirty loads of maize,
eighty fowls, some honey, and some beans. But
as he returned to the camp at evening, the soldiers
intercepted his convoy and devoured all the pro-
visions, crying out, as they carried off the pro-
vision, " This is for Cortes." It was in vain that
the officers of the General's household endeavoured
to secure some of this food for their master : the
common soldiers exclaimed, " You and Cortes had
swine for yourselves ; and you saw us dying of
hunger, and you gave us nothing."



HEADED BY BEENAL DIAZ, 205

Cortes was enraged when he heard of these
things^ and blamed Bemal Diaz^ who replied that
Cortes ought to have sent out guards to protect
the convoy. Then Cortes resorted to flattery and
persuasion instead of reprimand, and said, « Oh,
Senor brother Bernal Diaz del Castello, if you
have left any of the food secreted by the road, for
the love of me, give me some of it. I am sure you
must have kept some for yourself and your friend
Sandoval." And then Sandoval, who was with
Cortes, said, " I swear I have not even a handful
of maize to roast for my supper." In reply,
Bernal Diaz admitted that, in a neighbouring
village, the inhabitants had secreted for him some
maize, and some fowls, and some honey ; and he
proposed that " at the fourth hour of the second
sleep," when the whole camp would be buried in
repose, they should go and get these provisions.
