To Which The Viceroy Replied And Said, Surely
We Shall Have Him Shortly Come Into Our Hands, Driven On Land
Through
necessity in some one place or other, for he, being now in these seas
of Sur, it is not
Possible for him to get out of them again; so that if
he perish not at sea, yet hunger will force him to land. And then
again I was commanded by the Viceroy that I should not depart from the
city of Mexico, but always be at my master's house in a readiness at an
hour's warning, whensoever I should be called for. Notwithstanding
that, within one month after, certain Spaniards going to Mecameca,
eighteen leagues from Mexico, to send away certain hides and
cuchionelio that they had there at their stantias, or dairy houses, and
my master having leave of the secretary for me to go with them, I took
my journey with them, being very well horsed and appointed; and coming
thither, and passing the time there at Mecameca certain days, till we
had certain intelligence that the fleet was ready to depart, I, not
being more than three days' journey from the port of St. John de Ullua,
thought it to be the meetest time for me to make an escape, and I was
the bolder presuming upon my Spanish tongue, which I spake as naturally
as any of them all, thinking with myself that when I came to St. John
de Ullua I would get to be entertained as a soldier, and so go home
into Spain in the same fleet; and, therefore, secretly one evening
late, the moon shining fair, I conveyed myself away, and riding so for
the space of two nights and two days, sometimes in, and sometimes out,
resting very little all that time, upon the second day at night I came
to the town of Vera Cruz, distant from the port of St. John de Ullua,
where the ships rode, but only eight leagues; and here purposing to
rest myself a day or two, I was no sooner alighted but within the space
of one half hour after I was by ill hap arrested, and brought before
justices there, being taken and suspected to be a gentleman's son of
Mexico that was run away from his father.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 133 of 144
Words from 38659 to 39044
of 42569
