_How Gonzalo Pizarro ordered the Captain Francisco de Almendras to
go to the city of San Juan de Victoria which is in Guamanga to
seize the artillery that had been sent there by the Licentiate Vaca
de Castro._
When Gonzalo Pizarro conceived his evil design, he remembered that the
artillery with which the younger Almagro gave battle to Vaca de Castro
at Chupas, was in Guamanga. Having confidence in Francisco de Almendras,
who was a citizen of Plata, Pizarro sent him, with thirty arquebusiers,
to get possession of the artillery without doing any harm to that city.
On the contrary he was to talk to the citizens and municipality, telling
them that Pizarro had charged himself with the duty of answering in the
name of all touching the question of the ordinances, and as they had
written so many times and incited him to action, they should now be
prepared to help.
Francisco de Almendras set out from Cuzco with his men, and arrived at
Guamanga where, at that time, Vasco Suarez was Alcalde for the King our
lord. When the object of Almendras was known there was a meeting of the
Alcalde and magistrates to decide what steps should be taken to prevent
the artillery from being taken away. Vasco Suarez said that he desired
to defend the artillery, and to oppose Almendras and his men. Juan de
Berrio, a magistrate, declared that with his person, arms, horses, and
servants he would support the loyal intention of the Alcalde. Diego
Gavilan said the same. The Captain Vasco de Guevara feigned to have a
bad indisposition which increased so much at that time that he was
unable to leave his bed. Almendras, in a loud voice, asked how long they
would delay to give up the artillery? Those of Guamanga equivocated, not
wishing to tell where the artillery was deposited. Almendras waited,
for the soldiers said that he had little occasion to pass compliments,
for Gonzalo Pizarro had left home and estate to answer the calls of
these men, and now they pretended not to know where the artillery was.
Some say that Vasco de Guevara told Almendras where it was, but that is
false. The truth is that, with the most persuasive words he could use,
he deceived Francisco de Almendras and, when night came, he mounted his
horse and rode off to the country of Soras, where his grant of Indians
was, with the wish of helping and serving the Viceroy.
When the Captain Almendras knew of the escape of Vasco de Guevara, he
had a mind to destroy the town. In a great rage he went to the house of
Guevara, and tortured his servants until they confessed where the
artillery was. He took possession of it with great joy, saying to the
citizens of Guamanga that he had little to thank them for, that he would
return to Cuzco, and they would see what orders would come from there.
This done he loaded the artillery on the shoulders of Indians, and took
the road back to the city of Cuzco.