( 392 ) 



him for liberty to return to Cortes J to which De Oli replied, that he 

 was too happy to have fo brave a man for his conrrpanion, and did not 

 choofe to part with him. *'Then," faid Las Cafas in the fame man- 

 ner, *• take care that one of thefe days I do not kill you." All this the 

 other con/idered as a joke; but the meafures were taken, and one night 

 after fupper, when the cloths were taken away, and the fervants and 

 pages had fat down in their apartment, as Juan Nunez de Mercado and 

 other foldiers of the party of Cortes, Las Cafas, and Avila, were con* 

 verfing with De OH upon the affairs of Mexico, and the fortune of 

 Cortes, he being entirely unfufpicious of their deligns, the confpirators 

 fuddenly drew out penknives and fell upon him. Las Cafas feizing 

 him by the beard made a cut at his throat, and the others gave him fe- 

 veral wounds j but fuch was his ftrength and activity of body, that he 

 efcaped out of their hands for the prefent, calling aloud to his people 

 for affiftance, but they were all too bufily employed at their fuppers to 

 hear him. He then fled, and concealed himfelf among fome bufhes, 

 in hopes of affiftance. Many were in the a6t of coming to him for the 

 purpofe, but were deterred by the cries of Las Cafas not to affift the ty- 

 rant, but to rally on the fide of their King, and his general Cortes. 

 They firfl hefitated, and then obeyed ; and Las Cafas immediately gave 

 notice, that whoever knew where De Oli was, and did not immediately 

 reveal it, fhould fuffer death. Information was foon given, in confe- 

 quence of which he was made prifoner, and, by fentence of the two 

 captains, beheaded in the town of Naco, thus paying with his life for 

 having followed evil counfels j being a very brave man, but of no fore- 

 iight. Cortes had conferred many favours on him ; he held a commif- 

 iion of Maeflre de Campo, had valuable eflates, and was married to 

 Donna Philippa de Aranja, a handfome Portugueze lady, by whom he 

 had one daughter. 



Las Cafas and Avila being now free and their enemy dead, joined 

 their troops together, and aded in concert. Las Cafas colonized Trux- 

 illo-in Eflremadura; Avila fei.t a mtfiage to his lieutenant in Buena 

 Vifta, ordering him to remain as he was, and that he fhould fhortly 



receive 



