It was the brave Tlascalan mountaineers who had helped Cortez and who had made possible his conquest of the great Mexican empire.

But these were not the Tlascalans of that day.

They were a mongrel breed, short, dirty and barefooted.

He ate of the food they gave him, said nothing, and lay down on his serape to seek sleep.

Almonte came to him there.
"I feared this," he said.