How could they, with honor, desert their allies who, at their persuasion, had taken up arms, and had shared their fortunes, and so leave them to the vengeance of the Aztecs?
To retreat now would be but to proclaim their weakness, and give confidence to their foes.
If, however, there were any who preferred going home to the glory of this great enterprise, then in God's Name let them go.

He would feel stronger, with but a few brave spirits with him, than if surrounded by a host of false or cowardly men.
The troops of Narvaez had been the loudest in their complaints, but they were silenced now by the enthusiasm with which the soldiers of Cortez responded to the appeal of their leader; and all agreed to postpone their departure, for the present.
A fresh source of danger speedily arose.

Six Aztec ambassadors arrived, bearing presents, and inviting the Tlascalans to forget old animosities, and to enter into a treaty with them.

All the nations of Anahuac, they urged, should make common cause in defense of their country; and they conjured them, by their common religion, not to allow the white men to escape from their hands; but to sacrifice them, at once, to their gods.

These proposals were made at a solemn council, called to receive them.
There had, even before the arrival of the ambassadors, been a strong party in Tlascala who viewed the Spaniards, with hostility, as the authors of the heavy losses they had suffered; and as becoming, by their continued stay there, a burden to the state.