| 30. However, these robbers and other authors of this tumult, who were afraid on their own account, for fear that I should punish them for what they had done, took six hundred armed men and came to the house where I abode, in order to set it on fire. When this their insult was told me, I thought it indecent for me to run away and I resolved to expose myself to danger and to act with some boldness; so I gave order to shut the doors and went up into an upper room and asked that they would send in some of their men to receive the money [from the spoils] for I told them they would then have no occasion to be angry with me; and when they had sent in one of the boldest of them all, I had him whipped severely and I commanded that one of his hands should be cut off and hung about his neck; and in this case was he put out to those that sent him. At which procedure of mine they were greatly affrighted and in no small consternation and were afraid that they should themselves be served in like manner, if they stayed there; for they supposed that I had in the house more armed men than they had themselves; so they ran away immediately, while I, by the use of this stratagem, escaped this their second treacherous design against me. | |