They had sent embassies to the Tlascalans, but the latter had chosen war, and there had been some terrible battles fought.

But the white men were invincible, and had defeated the Tlascalans with great slaughter; and the news had arrived, only that morning, that they had captured the city.
The sensation throughout the country was that of stupefaction.

It seemed absolutely incredible that a state which had successfully defied the armies of Montezuma and his predecessors should, after four or five days of fighting, be overthrown by this handful of white strangers.

There seemed but one comfort.

It was said that several of the Whites had been killed, and this showed, at least, that they were not superhuman creatures, and that it might yet be possible to destroy them.
No sooner did Roger hear the news than he determined to start, at once, to join the Spaniards, who were already far to the west.
Accordingly, the next morning at daybreak, he started with Bathalda, and late on the following afternoon arrived in sight of Tlascala.