I went down to the breach in the roadway and spoke with their envoy,
who stood upon the path below. At first the terms offered were that we
should surrender at discretion. To this I answered that sooner than do
so we would die where we were. Their reply was that if we would give
over all who had any part in the human sacrifice, the rest of us might
go free. To this I said that the sacrifice had been carried out by women
and some few men, and that all of these were dead by their own hands.
They asked if Otomie was also dead. I told them no, but that I would
never surrender unless they swore that neither she nor her son should
be harmed, but rather that together with myself they should be given a
safe-conduct to go whither we willed. This was refused, but in the end
I won the day, and a parchment was thrown up to me on the point of a
lance. This parchment, which was signed by the Captain Bernal Diaz, set
out that in consideration of the part that I and some men of the Otomie
had played in rescuing the Spanish captives from death by sacrifice, a
pardon was granted to me, my wife and child, and all upon the teocalli,
with liberty to go whither-soever we would unharmed, our lands and
wealth being however declared forfeit to the viceroy.
With these terms I was well content, indeed I had never hoped to win any
that would leave us our lives and liberty.
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