ABSTRACT
It was the second hour of the night, on the day of the Circumcision, when the rebels left the lodging of Don Fer nando, with the diabolical intention of assailing the governor, and taking his life. They were eager in their steps (to take vengeance for the insults they said they had received from him). Alonzo de Montoya was the first in advance, with Christoval Hernandez de Chaves, and, entering Ursua’s house, they found him in his hammock talking to a little page named Lorca. When they saluted the governor, he said, “ What seek ye here, caballeros, at this hour?” the reply was several stabs, which missed him. He then rose from his hammock to reach his sword and buckler, which he had at hand, when the rest of the mutineers entered, and they all made a murderous onset on Ursua, so that he soon fell dead, without being able to say more than “ Confessio, confessio, miserere mei Deus.” The deed being done, they sallied out of the hut, and one of them, with a loud voice, shouted “ Liberty, liberty! long live the king, the tyrant is dead.” This was heard by the lieutenant Juan de Vargas, who lived hard by, and he hastily put on his escaupil,1 with his sword, shield, and rod of office, and went towards the governor’s lodging, whence he had heard the cries, and meeting the murderers in the road, who were in search of him, they recognized him, and attacked him, taking from him his sword and shield and armour, so as to serve him as they had the governor. Then, having torn away one sleeve of the escaupil, and getting away the other, one of these monsters of Satan, named Martin Perez, infuriated with his diabolical intention, gave him so severe a thrust that the sword went through and through his body, the point wounding his companion badly, who was behind the lieu-
