r~ " 

 
 INK. W CALIF; LIBRARY* LOS
 
 ON TO MEXICO!
 
 CONQUEROR 
 
 Illustrations 
 
 Frank E* Schoonover 
 
 1^ THE 
 
 PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 PHILADELPHIA'
 
 With Cortea the Conqueror
 
 To 
 
 My Brother 
 A. EUGENE WATSON, U. S. N. 
 
 2133391
 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 The conquest of Mexico in the sixteenth century is one of 
 the greatest true fairytales of the world. A handful of men, 
 lured by rumors they had heard of a land where gold was as 
 plentiful as rocks in their Spain, set forth to discover and 
 conquer it, with small conception of the greatness of their un- 
 dertaking. They found a country abounding in marvels, 
 riches and dangers. By means of audacity, courage and gun- 
 powder they made themselves masters of its monarch and of 
 its people, gave a new realm to the King of Spain, a wider 
 sheep fold to Christendom, and started the vast flood of western 
 gold that for generations continued to pour into Europe's 
 hungry coffers. In all American history there is no story so 
 colorful as the story of the Conquistador 'es and the contest 
 between their valor and the desperate defence of the Aztecs. 
 There is no need to turn to European annals in search of ro- 
 mance. And, just now when we of the northern Republic are 
 endeavoring to understand the character and the needs of the 
 Mexican people, in which the Aztec element is still one of the
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 largest, this story may take on an added value due to the light 
 it throws upon Mexico's past. 
 
 The three different races who played the most prominent 
 parts in the exploration of the New World the English, the 
 French, the Spanish were actuated to a certain extent by the 
 same motives. They sought for fortune, adventure, liberty 
 and the chance to convert the heathen; but they differed in the 
 degree by which these motives affected them. The Spaniards 
 above all desired gold and what they believed was the saving 
 from hell of thousands of unbaptized souls. Cortes's zeal to 
 convert Montezuma and his people was undoubtedly as sincere 
 as his eagerness for Montezuma's treasure. 
 
 Hernando Cortes must be numbered among the great con- 
 querors of the world. His "army," if judged by its size in 
 comparison to what it was to achieve, would have been scoffed 
 at by Alexander, Cassar or Napoleon. But these soldiers 
 would have hailed the Spaniard as one of them, for his in- 
 trepidity, his resourcefulness, his skill in handling men, his 
 quickness in forcing an issue, and for his relentlessness. It 
 was a cruel age; but Cortes, though there are deeds in his life 
 which may not be condoned, was less cruel than many of his 
 contemporaries, and was never cruel from mere wantonness. 
 He was the true soldier who would suffer when his men suf- 
 fered; he inspired them to deeds which seemed almost beyond 
 the strength of men, and to personal loyalty to their leader, 
 though many had first been his bitter foes. 
 
 It is possible, as certain historians subsequent to Prescott, 
 such as Morgan and Bandelier, would have us believe, that 
 Mexico at the time of the Conquest was not the land of won- 
 
 [6]
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 der, beauty, riches and ordered government that Cortes, Ber- 
 nal Diaz, Sahagun, Ixtlilxochitl, and other early historians 
 have described it, that the eager imagination of the Conquerors 
 made them ready to see marvels where there were none, and 
 that they and later writers misrepresented facts and institutions 
 for lack of understanding of their real meaning. Nevertheless, 
 even if we concede a certain overcoloring due to enthusiasm 
 or ignorance, there are still many facts of the beauty and 
 size of the Mexican cities, of the warlike temper of the peo- 
 ple, of the magnificence of religious and royal buildings, of 
 the wise husbandry of the populace, which can be proved by 
 remaining monuments, jewelry, pottery and the codices of an- 
 cient picture-writing that testify to a civilization of an ad- 
 vanced order. The contrast between it and the civilization 
 of the Conquistador es is as wide and even more picturesque 
 than that between the Spanish conquerors of Granada and the 
 Moors whom they banished from Europe less than twenty 
 years before. 
 
 I have followed closely Prescott's wonderful history, "The 
 Conquest of Mexico," for the sequence of historical events. 
 Cortes's own letters to Charles V and portions of Bernal 
 Diaz's history have helped make clear in my mind the pic- 
 ture I have tried to make clear for others of the great sol- 
 dier. Montezuma, Alvarado, Sandoval, Guatemozin, Father 
 Olmedo, these and others are alive for ever in the stoiy of the 
 Conquest, and in many places throughout this book I have used 
 the exact words attributed to them by contemporaneous chron- 
 iclers. Fernando and Ahuitzotl and other minor characters 
 
 and most of the incidents owe their origin to my own fancy. 
 
 [7]
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 Years ago in a picturesque old hunting castle in Europe I was 
 shown some capes of brilliant color and soft texture. "These 
 are Aztec feather mantles," I was told. "They were sent by 
 Cortes to Emperor Charles V, from Mexico, a part of the treas- 
 ure that astounded the Spanish court." The sight of these 
 exotic garments quickened in my imagination an interest for 
 that strange race and its tragic history which has never lessened. 
 Those readers who desire to learn of what the future brought 
 to Cortes and Guatemozin may find the facts in the pages of 
 Prescott or other historians. 
 
 [8]
 
 FACE 
 
 I THE LANDING OF THE SPANIAEDS 13 
 
 II THE HUNTER . *. 30 
 
 III THE FUGITIVE .... . . . . . . . . 42 
 
 IV STRANGE TIDINGS 55 
 
 V THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 67 
 
 VI CORTES FINDS ALLIES 80 
 
 VII THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH 92 
 
 VIII ST. JAMES ! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN ! 103 
 
 IX THE SPY . 116 
 
 X THE SWORD OF CORTES 128 
 
 XI WELCOMED TO TLASCALA . . . . 140 
 
 XII THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 151 
 
 XIII THE SACRIFICIAL STONE 165 
 
 XIV IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 177 
 
 XV MONTEZUMA ASKS QUESTIONS 189 
 
 XVI THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 201 
 
 XVII MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 218
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 XVIII CORTES GOES TO VEEA CRUZ . . . ... . , .229 
 
 XIX CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 248 
 
 XX LA NOCHE TRISTE . . .261 
 
 XXI THE BATTLE OF OTUMBA . , ... . . . .273 
 
 XXII XlCOTENCATL MEETS HlS FATE . . . * . . . 286 
 
 XXIII THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN . . >. . . . . . 300 
 
 XXIV THE LAST ASSAULT . , . . . * . . . . .312 
 
 XXV VICTORY! . 321 
 
 [10]
 
 >** 
 
 "On to Mexico!" Frontispiece 
 
 The knife struck , 16 
 
 The eyes of the Europeans glistened 56 
 
 Map of the route of Cortes 105 
 
 He was not spared f 107 
 
 "Behold the statue of the god!" ... V 148 
 
 They saw Montezuma seated 206 
 
 In fierce rushes the Spaniards gained 255 
 
 "Take and eat," he said . . . .309 
 
 11
 
 WITH CORTES THE 
 CONQUEROR 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 HE wind blew direct from the southeast, fill- 
 ing out the sails of the eleven ships, barks, 
 caravels and open brigantines. Their decks 
 were crowded with seamen and soldiers, whose 
 eagerness to reach the goal found even their 
 goodly speed too slow. In the waists of the caravels stood 
 the horses balancing unsteadily in their improvised stalls and 
 neighing nervously when an exceptionally heavy wave pounded 
 against the sides. 
 
 From the mastheads of the eleven ships floated the royal 
 standard of Spain with its Lions of Aragon and the Castles 
 of Castile. Against the distant horizon those on the port side 
 of the vessels beheld a blurred line. Whenever the breeze died 
 down for an instant the heat of the tropical sun was scarcely 
 to be borne, and men threw themselves panting on the deck, 
 
 [13]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 only to spring to their feet when a new gust of wind sent the 
 ships flying westward. 
 
 On the foremost and largest of the vessels stood the chief 
 pilot, Antonio de Alaminos, greyhaired and greybearded, to 
 wliose Spanish eyes the Spanish Main had become more fa- 
 miliar than even the Bay of Biscay. 
 
 "How soon, Captain?" asked of him a dark-eyed man above 
 the middle height. 
 
 "In an hour or so now, Senor, if the wind holds out," an- 
 swered the pilot. "As you know, I have never sailed here 
 before, but I do not believe from what I learned at Cozumel 
 that there are any shoals or hidden rocks to delay or endanger 
 us. But I put more faith in yonder line" and he pointed to 
 two sailors who were heaving the lead "than I do in Indian 
 words." 
 
 "You have had many years in which to test them both, in 
 truth," suggested the Commander. 
 
 "Since the day I piloted the Great Admiral," answered the 
 pilot proudly, "since I found the way for Christopher Colum- 
 bus when he sailed on his last voyage in the Indies." 
 
 "What was he like? Tell me, good Antonio," asked the 
 Commander eagerly. "It was never my fortune to behold 
 him, though I mind me well how I listened as a lad with beat- 
 ing heart in my birthplace in Estremadura to the wonderful 
 news that spread throughout Spain when he returned from his 
 first voyage." 
 
 "I cannot picture him for others," and the pilot shook his 
 head; "but I see him ever in my mind's eye. Only," and he 
 looked up at the Commander as if to verify an impression that 
 
 [14]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 had just come to him, "there is a look in your eye and a tone in 
 your voice, Senor Cortes, which might have been his." 
 
 "A good omen, Antonio," and Cortes smiled ; "may the , ' 
 grant that it means a new world for me also to discover." 
 
 The Commander, whose impatience made him restless, 
 walked aft, and a strolling forward, took his place by 
 
 the pilot. 
 
 "Before sundown, you say?" he repeated, "before sundown 
 we may plant the blessed Cross on yon heathen shore? Truly 
 am I blessed that I should live to see this." 
 
 Both men stood apparently lost in thought, though the 
 trained vision of the mariner made him aware of every differ- 
 ence in the blue waters. His mind revolved the question which 
 he finally put into words : 
 
 "How can it be, that men tell such tales of Senor 
 
 Cortes? In truth he seems to me fit timber for a great leader." 
 
 The bringing back his fancies from the horizon where 
 
 already he beheld a land of baptised converts, answered: 
 
 "Did you ever hear the story, friend Antonio, of how the 
 blessed St. Paul was once a sinner and the foe of all Christians 
 and how the Lord changed him that he might accomplish the 
 great work He had for him to do? I would not indeed call 
 our Commander a saint," and a pleasant smile lightened his 
 deep-sunk eyes; "but the zeal for this expedition has, like 
 Saul's vision, transformed the man. That he was idle, a 
 roisterer, a gambler, one even who went as lightly to a duel as 
 to his dinner, is no more to be remembered now. You yourself 
 have seen already at Cozumel how he showed himself inde- 
 fatigable, grave, bold, cautious, a very leader of men." 
 
 [15]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 While Cortes moved impatiently about from bow to stern, a 
 boy who was sitting astride the bowsprit of the capitana as se- 
 curely as if it had been the back of a surefooted mountain pony 
 followed him with his eyes. He would glance off at the 
 horizon or down at the curling water, but, as if drawn by a 
 magnet, his gaze would turn back to the Commander. Now 
 and then sailors strolling about would hide him from view, and 
 the boy would be restless until once again he caught sight of 
 the man who filled his thoughts. 
 
 "If only I could do something for him," he said aloud, for 
 there was no one to overhear him. Yet at the same time that 
 he longed to attract the attention of the Commander, he feared 
 to do so. He did not believe that Cortes was as yet even con- 
 scious of his existence, and Fernando feared that when he did 
 notice him he might say that he was too young to take part in 
 the great expedition and must be sent back to Cuba. 
 
 He could see now that Cortes held in his hand the banner 
 which he had had made just before he sailed and was examining 
 it proudly as a symbol of his future achievement. The breeze 
 freshened suddenly and, catching the bit of velvet like a sail, 
 whipped it out of Cortes's hand, over the rail into the waves be- 
 low. Cortes gazed after it regretfully, and with it sank his 
 heart as at a bad omen. 
 
 Fernando's act was almost instinctive. He swung himself 
 back on to the deck, ran to the port rail and dived off into the 
 water. The velvet, not yet water-soaked, lay stretched out on 
 the light wave a few feet from the ship, though the distance 
 increased each moment. There was little danger to a good 
 swimmer, and Fernando had not much difficulty in reaching 
 
 [16]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 and grasping the banner. Holding it above his head in one 
 hand, he swam with the other towards the ship. It was a long 
 swim, though the ship had been turned back by orders of An- 
 tonio, and he was glad when the capitana met him halfway. A 
 rope was thrown over the side and, thrusting the banner inside 
 of his jerkin, Fernando caught hold and pulled himself up to 
 the deck. 
 
 He was seized with a sudden shyness when he saw that he 
 must stand face to face with Cortes, but he bowed and held out 
 to him the dripping banner. Cortes smiled at the sight of the 
 slight wet figure and said: 
 
 "It was a gallant act, young sir, and I thank you. If my 
 banner had been lost I fear me I should have thought it a bad 
 sign for the success of our undertaking. Now Youth has 
 brought me aid, and it needs no prophet to unriddle that omen. 
 What are you called? I saw at Cozumel that you could pull a 
 bow well for your years." 
 
 "I am Fernando de Casteiieda, Sir," answered the boy, 
 whose heart beat with surprised pleasure at the knowledge that 
 the Commander had noticed him. 
 
 "And how do you happen here, in this expedition that is for 
 men?" asked Cortes again. 
 
 Fernando felt that the time had come when he must plead his 
 best. 
 
 "Don Hernando," he answered, "my brother planned to sail 
 with you, and because there were only the two of us left out of 
 our family, he consented, after many prayers on my part, to let 
 me accompany him. For not he, nor anyone else," and the 
 boy's eyes now gazed straight at Cortes, "so longed to seek 
 
 [17]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 adventure as did I. Only a few days before we were to em- 
 bark he died of the fever, and I besought Don Gonsalvo de 
 Sandoval, his friend, to take me on board. And now, Senor," 
 Fernando clasped his hands in entreaty "y u will not send 
 me back, I pray. For I am strong and soon can I do the work 
 of a man." 
 
 Cortes smiled. The boy's enthusiasm was akin to his own, 
 and his quickness in rescuing the banner had touched his fancy. 
 
 "I have no page," he said as if speaking to himself. "It was 
 hard enough to get away at all and there was no time to hunt 
 for one." Then he looked fixedly at the boy as he asked: 
 "Fernando, would you like to serve me?" 
 
 Fernando could not find words to answer. This good for- 
 tune was more than he had ever dreamed could come to him. 
 Cortes understood the reason of his silence, but could not resist 
 saying: 
 
 "You hesitate; you think that I shall be a harsh master. 
 You are right. If you serve me you will not lie on a silken 
 cushion like a page in a royal castle." 
 
 Fernando was in despair, fearing that Cortes had misunder- 
 stood his lack of words and that he would recall his offer. 
 If words would not come, then he must trust to deeds, so kneel- 
 ing on one knee, he kissed Cortes's hand again and again. 
 
 "Good!" exclaimed Cortes, "it is settled then. You shall 
 serve me, and time it is indeed that I had someone to look after 
 my armour, which grows rusty in this damp air." 
 
 He bade Fernando as his first duty, as soon as he had 
 changed his clothes, to dry the banner carefully and see that 
 no further harm came to it. 
 
 [18]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 When the boy had gone below, blissfully happy, Cortes 
 strolled to the stern and stood talking to a young man, both 
 of them gazing at the fleet of ships that followed like a flock 
 of white ducks where the capitana led. 
 
 "If Medellin, our birthplace, could see her two sons to-day, 
 Gonsalvo," exclaimed Cortes, resting his hand affectionately 
 upon the shoulder of the young man. "Had she known- what 
 mariners we both were to be she might have had special prayers 
 for us when we were born thirty-five and twenty-one years 
 agone. I wonder if some other boy now stands on the hills as 
 I used to stand, looking towards the horizon and longing to 
 push it back farther and farther and to follow to the very end 
 of the world. And then, before I scarce knew the name of the 
 Pillars of Hercules, came the news that Columbus had discov- 
 ered the Indies. From that day, Gonsalvo, whenever I looked 
 towards the horizon it was the West I faced." 
 
 "Yea," said Gonsalvo de Sandoval, "I understand." 
 
 "I dreamed strange dreams," continued Cortes, "of the In- 
 dies after the reports came from Palos; but I could not see in 
 my mind clearly what the new land could be like. 'I'll e'en 
 go myself and find out some day,' I said in my heart. Then 
 when I grew older they sent me to Salamanca, and there in the 
 ancient university all there was for me to explore were the 
 confines of books writ in Latin and the boundaries of a young 
 man's folly. Two restless years I stayed there, wasting my 
 father's florins. 'Twas when I went home from there that I 
 first saw you, Gonsalvo mios, and your chestnut hair curled as 
 tightly then as now," and he patted it, while Sandoval looked 
 half sheepish, half pleased. 
 
 [19]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "I can scarce believe," continued Cortes, "that my dreams 
 and longings have so far come true, that here I stand, the 
 leader of such an expedition as never before set sail, that yonder 
 the land waits, full of adventure, where Spanish arms shall 
 win fame as a score of years ago they won everlasting glory 
 before Granada." 
 
 Young Sandoval nodded and felt of his sword with an un- 
 conscious motion. He was little given to speech, but Cortes 
 knew that his own words found echo in the heart of the 
 youth. 
 
 There was a softness in the balmy air that, like moonlight, 
 disposed a man to confidences. Of late, since the day when 
 Cortes had felt the weight of his great responsibility, he had 
 grown more silent a leader can not descend too often from his 
 lonely height. OBut Sandoval was dear to him, one whom he 
 had known in their home town, and moreover, talking was one 
 way of getting through the moments during which his eager 
 spirit strained forward. 
 
 "Such weary days were those in Cuba," he continued, pac- 
 ing back and forth with short nervous steps, "when I had 
 naught to do but play farmer on my land, scold my slaves and 
 make money. It was at least a diversion when I could quar- 
 rel with Don Diego Velasquez, some excitement to escape from 
 the prison into which he threw me. He has no love for me, 
 Gonsalvo, since he learned that I was the head of those in Cuba 
 who would have accused him to the crown for his many unjust 
 acts." 
 
 "But you became friends once more, did you not ?" San- 
 doval broke the silence. He had never known just how the 
 
 [20]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 matter stood, a matter in which his own fortunes were now 
 involved. 
 
 "Yea, he appeared to forget his grievances and I forgot 
 mine ; and then when he planned this expedition and I learned 
 of it, I knew that at last the chance for which I had been wait- 
 ing all my life had come. I begged him to give me the com- 
 mand and I promised to find the money for the undertajdng. 
 I could forgive now the long weary days of idleness on my 
 estate, since they had brought me a fortune. All that I had 
 made I got together, and I mortgaged all that I possessed to 
 buy these ships, to provision them and to arm the soldiers. 
 Velasquez has but a small share in the undertaking. Yet," he 
 continued, glancing behind him and lowering his voice, "I 
 would we had fewer amongst us who love him. I trust them 
 not over much." 
 
 "But why," asked Sandoval, "why did Governor Velasquez 
 seek later to stay you?" 
 
 "I do not know," answered Cortes, his brows knitting. 
 "Some sudden fit of jealousy, some fear that I might have 
 plans he knew not of to make myself independent and greater 
 than he, may have worked in his brain. He schemed secretly 
 to take away from me my title of Captain General and to en- 
 trust the expedition to another. But we foiled him, did we 
 not, Gonsalvo?" and he laughed loudly, "when we took to our 
 heels while Velasquez thought we had not yet pulled on our 
 boots?" 
 
 "Fortune favored us," assented the young Spaniard, "as it 
 did in our landing at Cozumel and in our fight there with the 
 Indians. Yet indeed I hope that the folk yonder," and he 
 
 [21]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 pointed to the coast whose blurred blue tinge was growing 
 greener each minute, "will prove more warlike than those of 
 the isle and of the land of the Tabascans. Then there will be 
 no lack of blows for our swords." 
 
 "Yours longs already to be at work?" questioned Cortes, 
 smiling. "But it may be it will rust in the scabbard, for who 
 knows whether the tales we have heard be not wrong. Per- 
 chance 'tis but a meek flock waiting for us to shepherd them." 
 
 "By my faith, I trust not," exclaimed Sandoval emphat- 
 ically, but Cortes did not hear him; his dark eyes for some 
 moments before caught sight of a small island. He called out 
 to the pilot: 
 
 "Is not yonder a fair anchorage, Antonio, sheltered from the 
 north wind?" 
 
 " 'Tis for that I have been making for an hour past, Captain 
 General," called back the mariner, and then shouted orders to 
 the seamen. 
 
 A fisherman's boat a mile or more from land scurried back 
 to the shore before the pilot could question the rowers as he 
 had intended to do. 
 
 Within a half hour all the ships had dropped anchors down 
 into the sapphire waters, the light striking their forks and sil- 
 vering them as they descended. 
 
 On the mainland back of the island the strand was covered 
 with the inhabitants from the nearby villages. Soon a long, 
 low boat was launched and made straight for the capitana. 
 
 Cortes and his shipmates watched it curiously. Did these 
 people come as friends? If not, there was little to fear from 
 so small a number. But as the boat approached they could see 
 
 [22]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 that bottom, thwarts and even the knees of the rowers were 
 covered with brilliant blossoms and strange fruits. The In- 
 dians, smiling and apparently fearless, swung themselves up 
 to the deck of the Spanish vessel, and with gestures of wel- 
 come and of deference, handed their offerings first to Cortes, 
 who advanced to meet them, and then to his companions. 
 
 "Come hither, Aguilar," called Columbus to the interpreter, 
 "and tell us what they are saying. 
 
 "I cannot understand them, Senor," confessed Aguilar after 
 he had listened a moment. "Their tongue is not like that 
 spoken by the people of Yucatan, who kept me prisoner until 
 you came and rescued me. Only by gestures can I communi- 
 cate with them." 
 
 "And that's no more than the rest of us can do," said Cor- 
 tes in a tone of disappointment, for he had builded much upon 
 the ease with which the Spanish castaway whom he had stum- 
 bled upon spoke different Indian dialects. " 'Twill take us 
 many a day now ere we can learn enough of their tongue to 
 get from them the information about this land which we must 
 have." 
 
 It was indeed a vexatious delay. Unless some way could 
 be discovered to interpret their words, how could he be sure, 
 thought Cortes, that they had reached the kingdom, reports 
 of whose riches had caused the sending of this expedition? 
 
 Then Pedro de Alvarado, who had been listening to the 
 whispers of one of the soldiers, spoke: 
 
 "Senor Cortes, there is a way out of the difficulty, it seems. 
 Juan here has just told me that one of the women slaves pre- 
 sented by the old Indian chief at Tabasco says that she is a 
 
 [23]
 
 native of this land, whence she was sold in slavery to the Tabas- 
 cans. She can turn their words into the Tabascan tongue, and 
 Aguilar can then render them into our Castilian. 'Tis a long 
 and winding road, but 'twill lead us at last whither we would 
 
 go-" 
 
 "St. Peter, my patron saint, be praised!" cried Cortes. 
 "Fetch the girl quickly, Aguilar." 
 
 From the little group of Indian women huddled together in 
 the waist of the ship, who were to serve as cooks and for other 
 menial tasks, Aguilar brought back a young girl with bright 
 features, whose quick step and easy bearing had little to recall 
 her position as a slave. 
 
 "This is Marina," he said, "or at least that is the way her 
 name would sound to Spanish ears." 
 
 The girl spoke to the Indians who had stood waiting with- 
 out a sign of impatience, and she talked long with them. 
 After she turned and repeated the information she had gained 
 from them to Aguilar in the Tabascan dialect, he spoke it in 
 Spanish, in a loud voice so that none on board should fail to 
 hear. 
 
 "We have come," he said, "to the land of the Mexicans, or 
 Aztecs, as they call themselves. It is ruled over by a great 
 monarch, named Montezuma, who dwells seventy leagues 
 away, in a great city, Tenochtitlan, to reach which many high 
 mountain passes must be traversed. It is a land of great ex- 
 tent and of many people," says the maiden. 
 
 "But is it -the land of gold and of great treasures?" inter- 
 rupted Cortes, "the land of which we have heard? Is it the 
 country we seek?" 
 
 [*]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 "Aye," answered Aguilar. "Montezuma is the king of the 
 richest people in the world, even so I heard in my captivity. 
 See," and he laid in Cortes's hand a few small gold ornaments 
 which the Indians had placed in his palm; "they say that many 
 more of these await if you will visit their chief, or Cacique, 
 Teuhtlile who rules this province for King Montezuma." 
 
 Cortes's face grew bright as the gold in his hand. He had 
 then in truth reached the land he had sought, and thankfulness 
 welled up within him. He ordered presents given to the 
 Aztecs and he bade them inform their Cacique that they were 
 about to land. 
 
 It was the first of April, 1519, that the Spaniards first set 
 foot on Mexican soil. Boat after boatload followed that 
 which contained Cortes and his principal officers, among them 
 Gonsalvo de Sandoval, Pedro de Alvarado, Alonzo de Avila, 
 Cristoval de Olid, Alonzo de Puertocarrero and Juan Vel- 
 asquez de Leon, kinsman of Cortes's enemy, the Governor of 
 Cuba. At the bow of this first boat the standard of Cortes 
 was flying black velvet all, showing no sign of its wetting, 
 embroidered with gold, in the centre a red cross surrounded 
 by blue and white flames and beneath this the Latin motto: 
 "Friends, let us follow the Cross, and under this sign if we 
 have faith, we shall conquer." Cortes, as he sprang out on the 
 strand, carried it in his left hand, and in the other he took 
 the royal standard of Spain which Cristoval de Olid handed 
 to him, and planting them firmly in the sand, he claimed the 
 land for the King of Spain. 
 
 The Aztecs flocked from every side to watch the disembark- 
 ing. 
 
 [25]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "You would say," declared Sandoval to Alvarado as they 
 examined them curiously, "that all the folk of the country 
 were here. They do not look upon us as foes," he added al- 
 most regretfully, for the Indians were bringing with them food 
 of every kind, mats of cotton and flowers which they presented 
 to the Spaniards. 
 
 But Cortes was too good a soldier to let even this peaceful 
 welcome make him neglect the precautions necessary in a 
 strange country. He ordered the precious artillery brought 
 ashore and mounted it on one of the few sandhills that broke 
 the flat land. The horses were tethered in a stall quickly made 
 of bushes. After these important weapons for so he thought 
 of the horses had been cared for, rough huts were built for 
 officers and men. And nightfall saw a complete if simple 
 camp finished. 
 
 In the early part of the night the men were unable to sleep 
 for excitement and wonder. Bernal Diaz, a Castilian soldier, 
 was the centre of a group which sought by questioning Aguilar 
 and Marina to discover what difficulties and rewards lay ahead 
 of them. 
 
 "An army greater in number than yon stars above our 
 heads, you say Montezuma has," commented Diaz lightly, 
 though the glare of the campfire on the faces of his comrades 
 showed him that not all took the news as calmly as he did. 
 "And what of that? When I go into a tavern I do not ask 
 the host to give me bread and wine scotfree. I pay my score. 
 Here too we must pay with wounds for the glory and the 
 gold we shall take from the land. We Spaniards are soldiers, 
 
 [26]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 not puling children, hey comrade?" and his broad palm came 
 down with a clap on the nearest shoulder. 
 
 His cheerfulness dissipated the feeling of strangeness and 
 unknown terror which had gripped the men for a moment. 
 Soon they were laughing and singing until sleep overcame 
 them. 
 
 But there were others in the small army who stayed awake 
 and talked until dawn. Ever since they had sailed from Cuba 
 the adherents of Velasquez had found fault with all that Cortes 
 had done. They blamed him for the fight with the Tabascans 
 and for the loss therein of several of their number. "He plans 
 now to shake off all allegiance to Velasquez," one of them whis- 
 pered; "therefore we must be on the watch to prevent him, per- 
 chance, even to make him a captive and carry him back to 
 Cuba." 
 
 "Let us not abide longer in this sickly spot," suggested an- 
 other. "Here is little gold, and a man were mad who would 
 seek to advance farther into an unknown country with so small 
 a force as ours." 
 
 "Fear not," said a third, who was a priest; "before Cortes 
 can think of advancing another step we will act." 
 
 Word had been brought Cortes that the Cacique would visit 
 him the next day. 
 
 It was Easter morning when Teuhtlile, attended by his 
 train, advanced to meet Cortes, who stood surrounded by his 
 officers. The two leaders observed each other curiously, while 
 each gravely and ceremoniously welcomed the other. Then 
 Father Olmedo said Mass, and the Aztecs showed no sign 
 
 [27]
 
 of astonishment at a ceremony they could not comprehend. 
 When it was over a feast was served, and then Marina and 
 Aguilar were brought forward in order to interpret between 
 the Spaniard and the Aztec chiefs. 
 
 "Why have you come to visit our land?" asked the Cacique. 
 
 Cortes answered: 
 
 "I am the subject of a potent monarch beyond the seas, who 
 rules over an immense empire, who has kings and princes for 
 his vassals. When news came to him of the greatness of the 
 Mexican empire my master desired me to come hither and 
 enter into communication with its emperor, and he has sent 
 me as an envoy to wait on Montezuma with a present of his 
 good will and a message which I must deliver in person." 
 
 The Spaniards could see that the Cacique was not pleased 
 at this speech. The Aztec answered: 
 
 "How is it that you have been here only two days and yet 
 you demand to see the emperor? It amazes me to learn that 
 there is another monarch in the world as powerful as Mon- 
 tezuma ; but if that be so doubtless Montezuma will be glad to 
 communicate with him. I will send your gift to him and when 
 I have learned of Montezuma's will I will tell it to you." 
 
 Though the bearing of the Aztec was haughty, the Spaniards 
 forgot to resent it when they beheld the presents the slaves 
 laid at Cortes's feet : ten loads of fine cotton, mantles of rare 
 feather-work, and a small basket filled with ornaments of 
 wrought gold. 
 
 "It is indeed the land we sought," exclaimed Cortes joy- 
 fully to Alvarado. Then he ordered Fernando to see that the 
 presents for Montezuma were brought forward. These were 
 
 [28]
 
 THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 
 
 an arm chair, carved and painted, a crimson cap with a gold 
 medal on it, bracelets and collars of cut glass, which to the 
 Aztecs seemed very wonderful. Then Teuhtlile, admiring 
 a helmet worn by one of the soldiers, asked for that also to 
 send to the emperor. 
 
 "Take it and give it to Montezuma," assented Cortes, "and 
 ask him to return it filled with gold. I would compare the 
 metal with the gold of my country," he added craftily. 
 
 Then Teuhtlile and his train withdrew, leaving the Span- 
 iards to await word from Montezuma. 
 
 [29]
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE HUNTER 
 
 WHILE the Spaniards were approaching the Mex- 
 ican shores the fates of many within its borders 
 were leading aD unknown to them in directions 
 which must soon cross those of Cortes and of Fernando. 
 Among these were Ahuitzotl, the hunter, and Xicotencatl, 
 the fugitive. 
 
 Ahuitzotl was the son of Cacama, a noble Aztec. Since 
 dawn he had been alone in the dense forest in search of game 
 worthy of a hunter, and at last he had come upon the track 
 of a mountain lion. 
 
 The gaudy feathers of many-colored birds, the chattering 
 of monkeys that sprang from bough to bough across his path, 
 the almost overpowering odors of brilliant blossoms none of 
 these sights, sounds and fragrances of a tropical forest had for 
 one moment distracted the young Aztec from his object. He 
 had not notched his bow when a wild turkey whirred up out 
 of the thick underbrush; once even he had seen the footprints 
 of a bear on the wet sand along the bank of a stream he waded* 
 
 [30]
 
 and had not followed it. It was not for the sake of any easy 
 quarry, thought Ahuitzotl, that one disobeyed a king. 
 
 His first bear he had killed when he was nine, he recalled 
 with pride; for even though it had not been full grown in 
 either height or strength, still his father and his father's re- 
 tainers had praised the young hunter. That was no bad feat 
 for a child, he said now to himself; but it behooved one who 
 was five years older to outdo his childish victory. In all the 
 Mexican land, old hunters had told him, there was no beast so 
 dangerous, so wily, so strong as the mountain lion, the ocelot. 
 
 Ahuitzotl had sworn by the gods that he would not eat nor 
 leave the forest until he had killed an ocelot. For weeks his 
 mind had dwelt only on this desire. He feared the softness 
 of the palace life might have weakened his muscles, that his 
 court garments might be teaching his legs too quiet a gait. 
 Now, as he strode naked, save for breech-cloth and sandals, he 
 knew that his fears had been unnecessary. For five hours he 
 had walked through the thick jungle, making a path often by 
 slashing with his knife the twisted trunks of massive creepers. 
 He had noted the almost imperceptible traces of many beasts, 
 but until now he had seen none that told of the passing of an 
 ocelot. _nd all these hours he had been climbing and the 
 jungle had been growing less dense as he ascended. Now, as 
 he neared the top of the mountain the sky widened from the 
 narrow bit over the tree tops ; there were spaces too between the 
 trees, more of which were cypresses and oaks whose straighter, 
 compacter branches made it easier for the light to penetrate. 
 
 Then he had come upon the half devoured carcass of a hare, 
 and all about it were footprints of the ocelot. Doubtless the 
 
 [31]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 beast, hearing the approaching hunter, had deserted his din- 
 ner the moment before. Ahuitzotl's heart beat more quickly 
 as he stood there, glancing in all directions. Three trees ahead 
 of him he caught sight of his quarry. He fitted an arrow in 
 his bowstring and let it fly. 
 
 The arrow was well sped, and the young hunter's aim a true 
 one; the shaft pierced the tree just behind the notch where 
 the ocelot had crouched but the ocelot was not there when it 
 arrived! He had sprung over to a large birch nearer to the 
 boy. Perhaps the beast was as eager for human blood as the 
 boy was for the beast's. At all events, he showed no desire to 
 avoid the contest. 
 
 Ahuitzotl measured the distance ; it was too short for an ef- 
 fective shot ; so, throwing down his bow, he began to climb the 
 trunk, knife in his teeth. The beast waited until the boy was 
 within reach. Then with one sweeping claw, quick as a flash 
 of lightning, he ripped open the boy's shoulder in five long 
 red wounds. 
 
 But the boy did not stop as any beast might have had the 
 right to expect ; instead, he raised himself upright on the branch 
 to his full height just as the ocelot leaned down to meet him. 
 Again the awful claws scratched their way through human 
 flesh, but, quickly shifted from teeth to hand, the knife struck 
 almost at the same instant into the ocelot's brain, and boy and 
 beast fell heavily to earth. 
 
 When he came to himself a few seconds later, Ahuitzotl 
 jumped up and examined proudly his dying quarry, unmind- 
 ful even of his own wounds. It was a splendid creature, and 
 the boy cried out aloud his chant of victory. 
 
 [32]
 
 THE HUNTER 
 
 After he had washed his shoulder at a cold trickling stream, 
 Ahuitzotl lifted the dead ocelot on his back and began his de- 
 scent to the valley. 
 
 He had left the garments which he had worn when he en- 
 tered the forest beneath a guava tree by the side of a stream 
 and had weighted them down with pebbles. It was a long 
 way for anyone to walk with wounds growing stiffer each 
 moment, yet Ahuitzotl's heart so rejoiced at his success that he 
 was almost indifferent to pain and fatigue. Nevertheless he 
 was glad when he came in sight of the stream, into which he 
 plunged after depositing the ocelot on the bank. The water 
 freshened the tired muscles, and when he had moistened the 
 leaves of certain healing plants and laid them over the cruel 
 scratches he felt more comfortable. 
 
 He found his garments where he had left them, but did not 
 touch them. He stretched himself, delighting to feel no bind- 
 ing clothes. He gathered some figs and cactus fruit and ate 
 them. Then, with a long sigh that betokened both bodily fa- 
 tigue and mental contentment, he threw himself on the ground, 
 resting his head on the furry pillow of his dead enemy, and 
 was soon asleep. 
 
 When he awoke at dawn the forest was again verbal with 
 the voices of birds and animals. The air was still fresh, and 
 Ahuitzotl jumped up and down a moment to start the blood 
 running. His eyes sparkled as they fell on the ocelot. For a 
 moment he was as keenly happy as he had ever been in his 
 life: he was free, unhampered by custom or rule, and he had 
 proved himself a hunter such as old hunters could not help 
 honouring. 
 
 [33]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Then his head drooped and he remembered. He had taken 
 the liberty which would never have been granted him. He 
 had thrown aside the garments and insignia of the palace, but 
 he could not forget, hard as he tried, that he belonged there. 
 He wondered what Montezuma, his royal master, thought of 
 the absence of his favorite page, Ahuitzotl, whether his com- 
 panions imagined that something serious had befallen to keep 
 him from his duties. He was sure that no one in all the court 
 would even dream that he had dared run away that he might 
 enjoy a day's hunting in the forest. It was impossible that 
 any boy should dare act thus, said Ahuitzotl, the page, to him- 
 self; but Ahuitzotl, the hunter, wondered that anyone should 
 choose to stay within walls when there was such sport to be had 
 in the forest. 
 
 However, the excitement of yesterday had subsided a little, 
 and now he must decide what he would do. No man had ever 
 deserted Montezuma's service and faced him again; and 
 though the great king had always shown kindness to him, 
 Ahuitzotl dared not go back and confess. 
 
 The town and countryside over which his own father ruled 
 as cacique lay farther away, some leagues from Montezuma's 
 city of Tenochtitlan. He determined to go thither. He took 
 up his mantle and bright sash, woven of the finest cotton and 
 dyed red as a parrot's tail. But he could not bring himself 
 to put them on. They were a sign of the life he had run away 
 from. So he left them lying, and swinging the ocelot to his 
 shoulder, once more started off through the forest in the op- 
 posite direction to that from which he had entered it the day 
 before. 
 
 [34]
 
 THE HUNTER 
 
 It was near sundown when Ahuitzotl emerged from the for- 
 est and beheld at the farther end of the open plain before him 
 his father's village. On a mound raised a few feet above 
 the huts of the villagers, he saw again for the first time in three 
 years the white stone walls of his home. 
 
 Men and women sat outside of their huts eating their even- 
 ing meal and calling across to neighbors the news of the day, 
 of the taxes to be paid, of the height to which the maize 
 had shot up since the last rain, of the coming festival. Chil- 
 dren played around them, noisy and happy. 
 
 Ahuitzotl stood still watching the scene. It was simple, 
 homelike after the ceremonious court life which had so wearied 
 him. He began to pick out different individuals in the groups 
 before him, hunters, farmers, boys whom he had played with 
 and fought. He wondered if they would know him. 
 
 Suddenly one of the men glancing up, caught sight of him 
 and pointed out the stranger to his wife ; and soon the eyes of 
 all the village were upon the approaching hunter, and there 
 were many speculations as to who he might be. 
 
 Ahuitzotl gave a peculiar whistle, such as the village had not 
 heard since he left it to be educated by the priests at Tenoch- 
 titlan, and men and women sprang to their feet, crying out as 
 they ran to welcome him: 
 
 "Ahuitzotl! Ahuitzotl! The son of our Cacique!" 
 
 Never had the boy known such a moment of triumph as 
 now when he told how he had slain the fierce ocelot and lis- 
 tened to the loud praise of his prowess. As he strode along 
 towards the father's house, escorted by all the village, he asked 
 questions of everyone, of how each had fared, who had married 
 
 [35]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 and who had died. But even while he talked he kept wonder- 
 ing what reception he would meet with from his father. There 
 at the gate he stood; his ears had caught the call unheard since 
 his son had been away. The two great stone figures of the 
 gods on either side of the lintel seemed still to the boy, as they 
 had always seemed, to grow more lifelike and more awful in 
 the dusk. 
 
 "Ahuitzotl, is it you?" asked Cacama, the Cacique. 
 
 "It is I, my father," replied the boy. "I have brought you 
 a gift." 
 
 He threw the ocelot on the ground at the feet of the Ca- 
 cique. 
 
 The villagers had left the two together, only the servants 
 of the household peered curiously from the distance at their 
 young master. 
 
 "And where did you find the beast?" asked the Cacique, bend- 
 ing to examine him. 
 
 "In the forest," answered Ahuitzotl, "near the mountain 
 top, where my knife ended him." 
 
 The boy noted with a feeling of relief and pleasure the 
 gleam of pride in his father's eyes. 
 
 " 'Tis no mean gift you bring, my son," and the older man's 
 tone, though he tried to make it stern, could not conceal his 
 affection. " Yet I fear me you have paid too dearly for it. 
 Nay, I mean not your scars," he continued as the boy's hand 
 rubbed the marks of the claws. "All hunters must be willing 
 to pay with these; but you have paid with the favor of Mon- 
 tezuma. Do you know that he has sent messengers in all di- 
 rections to learn what evil has befallen you ; and what will our 
 
 [36]
 
 THE HUNTER 
 
 dread Lord say when he learns that you are here of your free 
 will and unharmed?" 
 
 "I hated the court, father," the boy blurted out. " 'Tis no 
 life for a warrior. One grows soft and a weakling, with the 
 feasting and wearing fine garments." 
 
 "And where are your garments?" inquired Cacama, suddenly 
 aware of his son's appearance. 
 
 "In the forest; they had become to me like the garb of a 
 slave." 
 
 Cacama was silent. The night had fallen ; white moths were 
 flying low through the branches and blossoms of the plants of 
 the garden in which the Cacique, like most Aztec noblemen, 
 took keen pleasure. At last he spoke, and now his voice was 
 indeed stern. 
 
 "What are your plans, Ahuitzotl? Since you claim for 
 yourself the liberty of a man you must assume the responsi- 
 bilities of a man. Do you perchance know of any spot where 
 you can hide from the anger of Montezuma, whom you have 
 offended?" 
 
 At these words of his father all the defiance of Ahuitzotl fell 
 away from him, and he was overwhelmed with the seriousness 
 of the situation. The pride in his valor and endurance was 
 vanished; instead of feeling himself a man and a warrior, he 
 grew suddenly conscious that he was still a child, with no power 
 to stop the descent of the stone he had started rolling with so 
 light a heart. In a low voice he entreated: 
 
 "Help me, my father, for I know not what to do." 
 
 Cacama's heart grew soft at this demand for help; he laid 
 his hand gently on the boy's shoulder. 
 
 [37]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "Come, my son, welcome to your home again. It is your 
 refuge, and when you have eaten and drunk as a weary hunter 
 needs to eat and drink, we will consult together." 
 
 Calling a slave, he bade him care for the skin of the ocelot, 
 and to others he gave orders to prepare a supper. When this 
 was over and Ahuitzotl had greeted all the members of the 
 household, he and his father sat alone. Cacama asked: 
 
 "Tell me, Ahuitzotl, what it was your desire to be. I sent 
 you to the priests to be educated, as it is meet for one of thy 
 rank. Moreover, I thought you might be glad to become a 
 priest yourself, to serve the gods and to be the master of much 
 wisdom. Then you grew restless in the temple, and when 
 Montezuma beheld you and sent for you to be his head page, 
 you were all eagerness for this new life. Then even the favor 
 of the Emperor was not sufficient for you and you have thrown 
 it aside as lightly as your garments in the forest. What then, 
 in the name of the gods, would you be if Montezuma asks not 
 your life for your disobedience?" 
 
 "I would be a warrior, father, even as you and your fathers 
 have been," replied the boy with no hesitation. 
 
 "And where should one learn better to be a warrior than 
 under the eye of Montezuma, the great warrior?" asked 
 Cacama in astonishment. "Have you then been deaf not to 
 have heard of his glorious battles?" 
 
 "But they were long ago," objected the boy; "now the King 
 has less love for war and I fear me little intention of setting 
 out on any new campaign. I grew restless waiting." 
 
 "Impatient child," scolded Cacama. "Suppose yonder 
 palm could not wait to grow. And did you think to find war 
 
 [38]
 
 Los Aiir 
 h School lib 
 
 THE HUNTER 
 
 in the forest after you had slain your ocelot, or here in my 
 village?" he asked scornfully. 
 
 "I scarcely knew what I expected, father," confessed 
 Ahuitzotl. "I think I hoped that you would take rne some- 
 where to the borders of the empire where there is always fight- 
 ing; yet I fear I had no very clear idea of aught further than 
 a day's freedom and to prove myself a hunter." 
 
 "Ah !" sighed the Cacique with relief. "You are but a child- 
 ish truant after all. Perhaps I may succeed in convincing 
 Montezuma that you are still too young to be accountable." 
 
 Ahuitzotl's pride suffered at this speech, yet he was wise 
 enough to know that it was his youth alone that could serve 
 as his excuse. 
 
 Cacama rose. 
 
 "We must lose no more time, my son; we must throw our- 
 selves upon the mercy of our Lord. Not even the needed rest 
 after thy exertions may be thine. You may console thyself 
 for your weariness on the walk to Tenochtitlan by calling it the 
 forced march of a warrior under orders. Bid the slaves bring 
 you garments, and then we must set forth." 
 
 It was early next morning that Cacama and Ahuitzotl were 
 admitted to the presence of Montezuma and awaited in hum- 
 ble posture and deep anxiety his judgment. At last, after 
 what seemed to them years, the monarch spoke : 
 
 "Because you are a child, Ahuitzotl, I shall not judge your 
 act as that of a man nor punish you with a man's punishment, 
 which were death. As a child I punish you by sending you 
 back to the priests to be taught wisdom until, perchance, some 
 day it may please me to call you to my service once more." 
 
 [39]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 The boy made a humble obeisance in gratitude for this royal 
 clemency. 
 
 So Ahuitzotl found himself once more in the school within 
 the confines of the temple, and during the hours spent in wear- 
 isome lessons he regretted the freer days of his pagehood. He 
 was taught music as well as the service of the gods and helped 
 the priests in their careful calculations of the calendar. 
 
 Montezuma's heart was softened towards him when Cacama 
 presented the cured skin of the ocelot as Ahuitzotl's offering. 
 The bravery and skill of the young hunter pleased him, and 
 within two months he sent word to the temple that the boy 
 was forgiven and was to return to his duties as page on the 
 day when the wedding festivities of his daughter, Princess 
 Tecuichpo, should take place. 
 
 The High Priest who brought this message found Ahuitzotl 
 poring over picture writings which represented the wars of the 
 early part of Montezuma's reign. 
 
 "You are free to leave us on the morrow, my son," he said 
 in a kinder tone than anyone else had ever heard him use. 
 "Perhaps you will serve the gods better as a warrior than as a 
 priest, by sending plenty of captives to be sacrificed to them." 
 
 "But I fear, Servant of the Gods," the boy interposed, "that 
 there will not be many more wars. Our Lord hath conquered 
 so many lands that with whom shall he now fight?" 
 
 "Fear not, Ahuitzotl," replied the priest. "This land be- 
 longs to the dread Huitzilopotchli, the God of War, who will 
 never let his altars want for victims. Years and cycles shall 
 pass, our names and, perchance it might even be, the very name 
 of Montezuma be forgotten, but the day will never come when 
 
 [40]
 
 THE HUNTER 
 
 this land, this Anahuac, this Mexico, shall be long at peace. 
 Fear not, you that glow like a lighted torch, that there will be 
 no work for your arm to do. Even now have captives been 
 brought from the borders of Tlascala, where there have been 
 skirmishes, and they will be offered to the gods tomorrow. One 
 of the youths is a young Cacique of noble bearing, though clad 
 in rough garments such as those mountaineers wear. 
 
 Ahuitzotl had many questions to ask concerning them, but the 
 High Priest was not minded to waste more time. 
 
 "Farewell," he said; "return to the palace tomorrow at 
 dawn." 
 
 [41]
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 AS Ahuitzotl was leaving the teocalli next morning, he 
 was nearly knocked down by a young priest who 
 rushed past him with most unpriestly haste. As the 
 boy glanced up in astonishment he saw that he had been mis- 
 taken, though the robes were indeed those of a servitor in the 
 temple, the muscular arms and legs could belong only to a 
 soldier or hunter. Moreover, the face was not even that of an 
 Aztec ; its features were those of a foreigner. 
 
 Remembering the words of the High Priest, it came to him 
 that here must be one of the Tlascalan captives who was trying 
 to escape. Ahuitzotl immediately started after him. The 
 fugitive was already a hundred yards in advance, and when 
 he heard the flying steps behind, he increased his speed. 
 
 Ahuitzotl followed him around one corner after another, 
 running his best. But the desperate Tlascalan was older and 
 stronger, and increased his lead at every turn. At last, fear- 
 ing reproof for wasted time, Ahuitzotl gave up the chase and 
 
 [42]
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 returned to the Palace. The captive could not go far before 
 being stopped by the guards. 
 
 Having shaken off his pursuer, the Tlascalan paused a mo- 
 ment, panting. Near him was the entrance of a windowless 
 hall, and he slipped hastily into its semi-obscurity. There he 
 stood still in order to catch his breath and to listen. From the 
 distance came the sounds of laughter and singing, and behind 
 him, in the courtyard he had just left he could still hear the 
 splashing of water in the fountain. 
 
 Though for a moment he was safe, as his keen eyes and 
 ears assured him, he dared not linger. Evidently the hall 
 was a thoroughfare through that wing of the palace. 
 
 Yet how should he know where to turn, he who had never 
 before set foot within these walls? Any chamber or court- 
 yard he entered might prove a trap for one ignorant of its 
 use or occupants. Perhaps it were just as well to leave it 
 all to the gods and to walk blindly in any direction. How- 
 ever, a famous hunter who had stalked both the most danger- 
 ous and the most timorous of game had gained habits of weari- 
 ness that he could not throw off if he would; some of them 
 might help him even here in the heart of the great city, where 
 he was the hunted, as they had helped him when he was the 
 hunter in the forests. 
 
 He listened again. The sound of laughter came from be- 
 fore him; the courtyard lay to his right; he had then a choice 
 between turning to the left or continuing in the hall. He 
 turned to the left, into a small corridor that led out of the 
 larger hall. He did not run; if anyone appeared he might 
 be able to pass as one who had some business there. More- 
 
 [43]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 over, he did not fear any pursuers within the palace. When 
 he reached the street again, if he ever reached it, he would 
 find them in wait at every crossing. No causeway would be 
 safe, not even the hills without the city ; their eagerness to re- 
 capture him would urge them on until if the gods were kind 
 he might at last succeed in reaching his own blessed moun- 
 tains. 
 
 He stood still again, for he had felt, almost before he had 
 heard, footsteps coming towards him. Quickly he made his 
 decision, as once in the past he had made one as momentous, 
 when on a narrow mountain trail he had had to decide to turn 
 back or to face a bear that barred his way. He had gone on 
 then and his knife had done its work so well that it was the 
 bear and not he that tumbled over the precipice. So now too 
 he decided : He must go on. 
 
 The steps approached, and before they rounded the corner 
 of the corridor the fugitive's muscles relaxed that was only 
 the tread of a slave. If need be, he could silence his outcries, 
 but he hoped that the priestly garments he wore would be his 
 peaceful passport. 
 
 And so they proved. The slave looked his momentary as- 
 tonishment at the strange face in this portion of the palace; 
 but the robe of the priest which the fugitive had flung about 
 him as he made his escape silenced all questions. Of course, 
 on such a day, the priesthood would be active everywhere; so 
 bowing his deference to this unknown servant of the gods, he 
 hurried by, staggering under the load of rugs, whose vivid 
 colors made a passing brightness in the sombre hall. 
 
 There was no sombreness in the next corridor that branched 
 
 [44]
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 again to the left. This the fugitive found carpeted with soft 
 new palm mats, and its walls, of red stone, were hung with cot- 
 ton cloths brilliant with paintings representing victorious bat- 
 tles of his enemies. The sunlight too came in through the 
 opening at the end which led, he saw, into a tiny court. He 
 peered eagerly forward to make certain that it was unoccupied 
 and that no one was on the low roof that surrounded it. Then 
 he flung himself down beneath the leaves of a wide-spreading, 
 low-growing palm that served both as a protecting screen and 
 as a shelter from the sun. 
 
 He was glad to have this moment of rest. His nerves were 
 as strong as his body, nevertheless, he had undergone that day 
 enough to shake the stoutest heart. For the moment he had 
 succeeded in escaping a most horrible death; but unless the 
 gods were on his side, he knew that no vigilance and no bravery 
 would save him, so great were the dangers that surrounded 
 him. 
 
 Even as he lay there, so quiet that a bright butterfly lit on 
 his knee and balanced itself, waving its wings in a drowsy 
 rhythm, his eyes and his mind were busied reckoning up the 
 possibilities of escape. It would not be difficult to climb to 
 the roof, but once there, his position might be worse instead of 
 better. He had no means of telling whether another court, 
 or several courts, lay beyond, or whether its outer walls came 
 down to the street. At all events, he must wait until nightfall 
 to explore. 
 
 Directly opposite him was a large room, the chamber doubt- 
 less of some woman of high rank, to judge by the fineness of 
 its furnishings and the rich carving of the ceiling. This room 
 
 [45]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 and the corridor by which he had come were the only openings f 
 from the court. 
 
 It was so quiet beneath the palm tree that the sound of ap- 
 proaching voices was a terrifying interruption. The fugitive 
 again decided quickly. He sprang to his feet, rushed into the 
 chamber and hid behind a painted cotton hanging on the 
 wall. 
 
 Even as he crouched there in danger of his life, his lip curled 
 in disdain at all the luxury about him. His own people in 
 the mountain homes had no need of such soft coverings, such 
 ornaments of gold, such multitudes of slaves. And his heart 
 cried out its scorn of his enemies so loudly that he felt it must 
 be audible. 
 
 Through the court they came, straight into the chamber 
 two girls. One, taller than the other, as he could dimly see 
 through the weave of the curtain, bore herself as one accus- 
 tomed to be obeyed ; the other was doubtless a waiting maid. 
 
 "Princess," said the latter as she undid the veil which hung 
 over the dark braids, "rest a while on the couch. This will be 
 a long fatiguing day for you, and your eye must not be 
 dimmed." 
 
 But the young princess had no desire to rest. She was too 
 full of life for that, too young to rest in preparation for future 
 fatigue. 
 
 "It's my wedding day," she sang as she laid aside her outer 
 mantle, "and I shall do only what I wish from now on. But 
 oh! I would that I had my Maztla here to sing with me. 
 Why did I leave him behind?" 
 
 " 'Tis in truth a pity," condoled the other mockingly, "but 
 
 [46]
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 why have you not sent a slave to the gardens to fetch the 
 bird?" 
 
 "Little silly one," answered Princess Tecuichpo, "do you 
 not remember that Maztla's strong beak has broken several 
 fingers already. He will not come down from his seat in the 
 tree for anyone but his mistress or for Guatemozin, my cousin 
 and my husband to be." 
 
 "Then there is naught to do but forget him," suggested her 
 companion as she began to open carved boxes and to take from 
 them the wedding garments. "It is strange indeed if you can 
 not forget a mere pet at such a time. Surely Lord Guatemozin 
 will not be flattered to hear you." 
 
 "He has already listened to my complaints," answered Te- 
 cuichpo, but her thoughts were distracted by the sight of the 
 soft cotton robes, the finest woven on any loom in Anahuac, 
 the gorgeous mantle of featherwork that glistened like the 
 humming-bird throats from which it was made, and the finely 
 wrought golden chains and bracelets. She was still so young 
 that this would be the first time she had ever worn the costume 
 and the ornaments that belonged to her position as the daugh- 
 ter of the King. 
 
 While she fingered them lovingly the fugitive was standing 
 as motionless as the statue of the Sun God in the corner oppo- 
 site him. He was afraid that even his breath might ripple the 
 curtain and betray him. He knew now that he had stumbled 
 into the chamber of the princess, daughter of the mighty Mon- 
 tezuma, Lord of Anahuac and many allied countries. It was 
 her wedding day then which was the cause of the great festival 
 at which he was to have been offered as a sacrifice ! 
 
 [47]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Though he could have easily overpowered the two maidens, 
 their outcry, he knew, would endanger his escape. The only 
 course for him was to wait where he was until dark. 
 
 Then once more he heard footsteps advancing down the 
 corridor. This time they were not those of a woman nor of a 
 slave. That firm tread could belong, he felt sure, to a warrior 
 only. The maidens also had heard the steps, though fully a 
 half minute later than his keen ears. 
 
 "Guatemozin!" exclaimed Tecuichpo, "what brings you 
 here?" 
 
 And the fugitive at the sound of that name which already 
 was spoken with respect by his enemies, peered curiously 
 through the curtain that he might judge what this young foe, 
 so nearly his own age, looked like. 
 
 Prince Guatemozin stood in the doorway, waiting permis- 
 sion to enter ; the handmaid of the Princess bowed low, touching 
 the earth with her hand, which. she then raised to her forehead. 
 Tecuichpo, catching sight of a huge gorgeous macaw sitting 
 on his shoulder, its long red and blue tail feathers almost touch- 
 ing the floor, its curved beak resting confidingly against the 
 young warrior's cheek, ran forward with a cry of delight. 
 
 "Maztla, my Maztla!" she cried, and the bird, arching its 
 neck forward and flapping its wings, could scarcely wait to 
 climb on to the perch of her finger. 
 
 It was not until she had smoothed the bird's plumage that 
 she turned to her betrothed and said : 
 
 "And did you in truth go all the way to the hill just to 
 gratify my whim, Guatemozin?" 
 
 "I would do more than that, little wife," he answered, smil- 
 
 [48]
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 ing. "May I now sit down for a moment's rest and talk be- 
 fore they come to array you in all that splendor?" and he 
 pointed to the garments spread out on the chest. 
 
 The handmaid brought him a seat and then ran off down the 
 hall to fetch him refreshments. The fugitive, who studied 
 his enemy closely, could not but admit that his vigorous body 
 bore no sign of having been softened by the luxury of his 
 uncle's court. His face was bronzed by long exposure, and 
 his arms and legs uncovered by his short robe, looked firm and 
 muscular as his own. He carried no weapons, but the fugi- 
 tive did not doubt for an instant that he knew how to use 
 them. 
 
 The Prince and the Princess chatted lightly together. They 
 had been playmates all their lives, and though they were now 
 lovers and soon to be husband and wife, there was no shyness 
 between them. They talked of the gardens of Chapultepec 
 whence he had fetched the macaw, and of their pleasure in that 
 beautiful spot. Then Tecuichpo asked: 
 
 "What meant the excitement in the city? There was such 
 shouting and running about in the streets an hour ago. I 
 had meant to send a slave to discover the cause for me, but 
 then I began to long for Maztla and forgot." 
 
 "One of the sacrifices escaped from the teocalli" (Mexican 
 temple), replied Guatemozin, "one of the number that will be 
 offered to the gods in honour of our marriage festival. 
 Ahuitzotl, your father's page, who has just returned, told me 
 that he pursued him a long way. They have sought for him 
 all through the city." 
 
 "That's a bad omen," cried Tecuichpo, covering her face 
 
 [49]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 with her hands as if to ward off the evil. "Has he been taken 
 again?" she queried eagerly. 
 
 "Nay, not yet, though the priests swarm through every street. 
 It is strange where he can have hidden himself. But soon he 
 must be discovered. He will betray himself wherever he may 
 be ; he is a foreigner, one of those cursed Tlascalans. He is of 
 high rank, the priests told me, the nephew of one of the four 
 great Caciques who govern the Republic of Tlascala." 
 
 "How was he captured at first?" asked the girl, leaning for- 
 ward on her stool until her hand almost touched the curtain 
 that hid the fugitive. 
 
 "He had led a war party down the mountain slope that di- 
 vides their tiny country from ours," answered Guatemozin. 
 "They had come on a foraging expedition, since we are not at 
 actual war just now, in the hopes that they might procure a 
 goodly supply of cotton and salt, which they perforce must do 
 without, surrounded as their boundaries are by our allies. His 
 party was but small and though they wrought their will in a 
 few villages near the border, a party of our troops that marched 
 upon them as soon as a frightened farmer had reached the 
 nearest post with the news of their presence, overpowered them 
 easily and returned with a score of prisoners for our temples.'* 
 
 The little handmaid now came back with a golden goblet 
 filled with chocolatl chilled with snow from the mountains, and 
 when Guatemozin had drunk she slipped back to a rug in the 
 corner. 
 
 Behind the curtain the fugitive's body was quivering, with 
 anger, not with fear. 
 
 " 'Tis a pity," and Tecuichpo spoke earnestly, for she was 
 
 [50]
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 talking of earnest matters such as she had heard discussed by 
 her father and his councillors when Montezuma had sometimes 
 allowed her to sit beside his throne, "it is a pity that Anahuac 
 and Tlascala should be at enmity. The arms of my father 
 are very powerful, but not yet has he been able to conquer that 
 little country." 
 
 "But soon he will conquer it, oh! wise little statesman,"- ex- 
 claimed Guatemozin, rising, "soon will another expedition be 
 sent against those dogs of Tlascala, and I shall bid farewell for 
 a day or two to your smiles till I bring thee back the wives 
 and daughters of its Caciques for your slaves." 
 
 "Never!" cried a voice, and the fugitive, bellying the cur- 
 tain before him in his fury, sprang upon the astonished Prince. 
 The little handmaid shrieked with terror, but Tecuichpo, whose 
 quick wits told her that here was no matter to be made public, 
 rushed towards her and held her hand over her mouth. 
 
 The two youths rolled over on the ground together, their 
 evenly matched strength giving first one and then the other 
 a momentary mastery. Since neither was armed, the contest 
 seemed likely to be prolonged forever. 
 
 Tecuichpo knew that any minute her slaves might appear. 
 Then she remembered the small jewelled-handled obsidian 
 knife she wore as an ornament in her girdle. Stooping over 
 the combatants, she slipped it into the hand of Guatemozin, 
 who chanced to be uppermost. In another second the Prince 
 had plunged it into the fugitive's right shoulder. 
 
 After a few ineffectual struggles, the Tlascalan was impo- 
 tent. Guatemozin bound his arms to his side with a scarf 
 Tecuichpo handed him. Then he bade his prisoner rise. 
 
 [51]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "Are you he of whom I spake," he asked, "the sacrifice who 
 escaped from the teocalli?" 
 
 "Xicotencatl am I," answered the other proudly, "son of 
 the great Cacique of Tlascala, known as the Old Xicotencatl." 
 
 "And what have you to do here in the chamber of the 
 Princess Tecuichpo, in the palace of King Montezuma?" 
 
 "Chance led me here as chance leads the hunted deer to a 
 place of safety." 
 
 "The gods have not been good to you, Tlascalan," exclaimed 
 the young Aztec scornfully, "to lead you into my hands." 
 
 " 'Twas a woman's weapon that conquered me," replied the 
 other as scornfully, "and not your hands." 
 
 "Your words are powerless to hurt me," cried out the Prince, 
 who, however, spoke not the truth, since it irked him to realize 
 that it was indeed to the knife and not to his superior strength 
 that he owed his victory. "Nor will many more words, even 
 harmless though they be, pass your lips," he mocked; "for 
 the priests await you on the steps of the teocalli. Their knives 
 are far sharper than this woman's weapon, and before night 
 falls the gods shall enjoy the fragrance of your burning 
 heart." 
 
 The Tlascalan made no answer, but his eyes looked fear- 
 lessly into those of his captor. Guatemozin read in them what 
 his foe meant him to read. He was silent a moment then he 
 
 said : 
 i 
 
 "You believe, Tlascalan, that you are the better warrior 
 and that I could not have conquered if we had been evenly 
 matched with bow or knife?" 
 
 The Tlascalan nodded. 
 
 [52]
 
 THE FUGITIVE 
 
 "That I give you up to the priests because I fear you?" 
 questioned the Prince further. 
 
 The prisoner made no answer, but his lip curled. 
 
 "Nay then," cried Guatemozin, "your spirit shall not carry 
 such a boast to Huitzilopotchli, dread God of War." 
 
 Turning to the handmaiden, he commanded: 
 
 "Fetch me quickly another knife." 
 
 Tecuichpo started. "What is it you will do?" she asked. 
 
 "I will loose him," replied her cousin, "and we two shall 
 meet again and fight till the weaker falls." 
 
 The Tlascalan's eyes sparkled. "Prince Guatemozin is a 
 gallant foe," he exclaimed. 
 
 Then from the distance there came the sound of music 
 heralding the approach of the Princess's maidens. Already 
 the perfume of incense and the masses of flowers they bore 
 with them had reached the chamber. The two youths realized 
 that it was too late now for their contest. 
 
 Guatemozin cut the bonds of his captive and threw his own 
 mantle over him. 
 
 "Hide there beneath the palm in the courtyard," he com- 
 manded, "until the night. I will send to you further disguise 
 and a safe-conduct by which you may pass out of the city and 
 through the country to your own borders. For I could not 
 live to remember that, dying, you believed yourself the better 
 warrior. Then when you have reached your own land wait 
 and I shall come and challenge you to meet me on the battle 
 field and the gods shall decide between us." 
 
 Xicotencatl stepped forward till he stood before Tecuichpo 
 and saluted her. 
 
 [53]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "Princess," he said, "you are mating with a gallant man. I 
 would he were a Tlascalan." 
 
 Then, facing Guatemozin, he exclaimed: 
 
 "But since you are an Aztec, the foe of my land and my 
 foe, I will hope each night that the next day will see us face to 
 face in battle that you may see how a 'Tlascalan dog' can 
 bite." 
 
 [54]
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 STRANGE TIDINGS 
 
 PRINCESS TECUICHPO'S marriage to her cousin, 
 Prince Guatemozin, had filled the streets of Tenochtit- 
 lan with rejoicings. There had been f eastings and 
 dancings at which the court and many of the populace had 
 taken part. When these festivities were over Montezuma had 
 left the city for the spacious gardens and cooler air of his coun- 
 try palace at Chapultepec. 
 
 He now sat beneath a wide-spreading cypress tree, hold- 
 ing a court of justice. Behind him and at his sides the great 
 nobles of Anahuac stood grouped, and back of them a score of 
 the royal guard, each member of which was of high birth. 
 Those who had known the Emperor only as a fierce warrior 
 and relentless conqueror could scarcely believe that this pains- 
 taking judge who patiently weighed the merits of the cases 
 brought before him and who gave his decision after full de- 
 liberation could be the dreaded Montezuma. 
 
 One of the Caciques from the allied country of Tezcuco 
 
 [55]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 expressed this amazement to his host, who had brought his 
 friend to witness the royal audience. 
 
 "Surely your Emperor is as mild as a turkey. I had 
 thought him, a hawk in fierceness." 
 
 "You see him now amongst his children," explained the 
 Aztec. "These merchants and farmers and even slaves are 
 close to his heart. But wait, presently you shall behold an- 
 other Montezuma. Even now a deputation from the far 
 South which our arms have conquered is coming. These are 
 strangers to him and their loyalty suspect." 
 
 The approaching deputation felt this enmity of their dread 
 to beseech their new sovereign to lighten the heavy taxes that 
 everyone, even those of high degree, had to don when they 
 entered the presence of the Emperor, who alone might shine 
 in the splendor of brilliant robes and jewels. They had come 
 to beseech their new sovereign to lighten the heavy taxes that 
 had been laid upon their province. But Montezuma frowned 
 as he listened and then waved them away angrily, saying 
 harshly : 
 
 "Dare not to question the will of Montezuma. By his might 
 he has conquered, and you must pay the tribute demanded." 
 
 And cutting his audience short, he rose and moved off down 
 the garden path, leaving the petitioners with heavy hearts at 
 the thought of the news they must bear back with them. 
 
 "It seems to me," said the Tezcucan to his friend, "that it had 
 been a wiser policy, if I may judge your Emperor, to con- 
 ciliate the conquered. They would the sooner become recon- 
 ciled and contented subjects if their riches were not taken away 
 from them by the tax collectors." 
 
 [56]
 
 STRANGE TIDINGS 
 
 "That may be," assented the other; "I am no statesman 
 myself. Still it matters little to Montezuma whether a few 
 thousand new subjects be content or not. There are not 
 enough of them to rise in revolt. His power is too mighty." 
 
 "A root of a vine is a weak thing," said the Tezcucan; "yet 
 when many roots pry through a strong wall they may destroy 
 it." 
 
 Montezuma had waved back his attendants, except two of 
 the guard who followed fifty paces behind, and his page 
 Ahuitzotl, who bore a cushion for the monarch should he wish 
 to sit down. The Aztec Emperor loved the gardens with their 
 hoary trees and their brilliant and fragrant flowers, arranged 
 with such taste and such scientific knowledge that no plant 
 which grew within the confines of his entire realm, if it could 
 bear transplanting, but was to be found there. Fountains and 
 little canals kept the air fresh, and everywhere the branches 
 were filled with bright-hued birds. The place was dear to him 
 for many reasons : there he had spent many pleasant days, and 
 everything spoke of the pride his ancestors had taken in making 
 these gardens more beautiful than any other spot in their known 
 world. 
 
 Montezuma walked slowly in the shade of gigantic oaks, 
 breathing in the spicy fragrance of the flowers, and as he went 
 his mind was busy with thoughts of the way the kingdom won 
 by his fathers had grown like the trees about him, enlarging 
 its boundaries as they enlarged their girth with each year. 
 Now, under his governance, the realm had widened until it was 
 washed on either side by the seas. It pleased him as he strolled 
 to play with this fancy of likening Anahuac to the garden: 
 
 [57]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the brilliant blossoms were the riches of his treasure houses, 
 filled with gold and precious stones; the birds darting about 
 were his people, warriors those in the most gorgeous plumage, 
 and farmers and merchants those in soberer coloring. But the 
 priests to what should he compare them? He had himself 
 belonged to the priesthood before he had been a warrior and 
 before he had been chosen king. 
 
 While his mind was still pleasantly occupied with these 
 fancies he came out from the grove into a more open terrace, 
 below which lay the tennis-ground. A number of young nobles 
 were playing at this favorite game; but when one of them 
 chanced to glance up and beheld their monarch leaning upon 
 the red stone railing above them, they threw down their balls 
 and made low obeisances. Montezuma waved to them to con- 
 tinue their game and stood there watching while they ran to and 
 fro and leaped gracefully into the air, their lightly clad or 
 almost naked bodies showing the play of their well developed 
 muscles. It pleased him to note that the best player was 
 Guatemozin, his nephew and husband of his daughter. 
 
 And Guatemozin proved to be the victor in the hardly con- 
 tested game, and Montezuma sent Ahuitzotl to carry to him as 
 a prize the fan of fine feather work he took from his own girdle. 
 The young Prince sprang up the steps to the terrace and gave 
 thanks for the gift. 
 
 "It is naught," said Montezuma, "but my son may ask of 
 his father any gift he desires." 
 
 "There is in truth one for which he longs," said Guatemozin, 
 encouraged by Montezuma's kind words and tone. 
 
 "Speak," commanded the monarch. 
 
 [58]
 
 STRANGE TIDINGS 
 
 "That you would make a new war against our enemies of 
 Tlascala and let me go forth to win victory for you." 
 
 Montezuma was silent for a moment, astounded at this bold- 
 ness. That even a prince of his own blood had dared suggest 
 when and where he the King should go to war was an unheard- 
 of liberty. He thought of calling up the guard and order- 
 ing the Prince to be placed in restraint and kept there until 
 he realized the gravity of his deed. Then he remembered 
 Tecuichpo, and his face softened. He loved his daughter 
 dearly and he could bring no sorrow on her youthful happi- 
 ness. 
 
 "Montezuma makes war when it pleases him," he said 
 sternly ; but he added in a kinder tone : "When the time comes 
 see, Guatemozin, that you make good your boast." 
 
 The young Prince knew that it was useless to urge further. 
 
 "Perchance," the monarch continued, as if he felt a need to 
 reply to a question that had not been asked aloud, "you have 
 wondered, as have others, why Montezuma has not already 
 conquered the little land of Tlascala and made it a part of his 
 kingdom. Know then that I have spared it until now that the 
 prisoners of its people taken in battle might furnish sacrifices 
 for the altars of our gods." 
 
 A sound of singing, of young voices, broke into the grave 
 words, and down the glade came Princess Tecuichpo and her 
 attendants, all youthful like herself except for the older dame 
 who accompanied them, according to their custom. They wore 
 finely woven cotton garments, embroidered and painted 
 in bright colors, and Tecuichpo's neck and hair were hung with 
 flowers. 
 
 [59]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Montezuma smiled as he greeted his daughter. Her attend- 
 ants moved back beneath the branches of a hoary cypress where 
 their bright raiment was as brilliant as the feathers of the par- 
 rots who chattered above their heads. 
 
 Guatemozin greeted his young bride and then stood aside 
 that father and daughter might talk unheard. 
 
 "Go back to your game, my son," commanded Montezuma 
 kindly, his anger quite forgotten. "I have need of your 
 wife's company this morning." 
 
 And Tecuichpo at his side, the Emperor turned down an- 
 other lane that wound round again towards the palace. 
 
 "Are you happy, my little one?" he asked tenderly. 
 
 "Yea, my father," she answered, "very happy. The gods 
 are good to Anahuac and to the family of Montezuma." 
 
 As they came to the palace Montezuma took a signet ring 
 from his finger and gave it to Ahuitzotl. The boy ran swiftly 
 through the carved pillars of the doorway, and before the mon- 
 arch and Tecuichpo reached it a high official had hurried to 
 meet them. Then he preceded them down corridors to a 
 chamber Tecuichpo had never entered, though her childish 
 curiosity had often been excited by what she had heard of it. 
 Its walls were plain without hangings; there were no furnish- 
 ings save a large plain heavy wooden table, one cushioned stool 
 directly behind it, upon which Montezuma seated himself, and a 
 cushion that the page had brought in for her. At Montezuma's 
 gesture, Ahuitzotl left the chamber, closing the door behind 
 him. Then the treasurer walked to the corner of the room and 
 touching a stone in the floor which, to Tecuichpo's amazement, 
 moved easily to one side, he descended some steps that were un- 
 
 [60]
 
 STRANGE TIDINGS 
 
 covered, and disappeared from view. In a minute he returned 
 with a large box under his arm and placed it on the table ; he 
 descended and twice again returned with other boxes. At an- 
 other signal from his master he opened them. 
 
 "Come here, Bright Eyes," called Montezuma, smiling with 
 pleasure at her astonishment. 
 
 The room was suddenly ablaze with color and glistening with 
 gold. All the cunning of Anahuac's famous goldsmiths and 
 jewel-workers was here displayed. There were chains of gold 
 and precious stones, nose rings and ear-rings, delicately fash- 
 ioned tiny birds for ornaments, with alternate scales of gold 
 and silver, brooches of inlay and bracelets that were so heavy 
 that they weighed down the hand. 
 
 "Do you like them?" asked her father. "If you could choose 
 which should it be?" 
 
 After a moment's hesitation, she replied: 
 
 "I would choose that chain of emeralds, just the color of 
 Maztla's breast." 
 
 "In truth you are a king's daughter," exclaimed Montezuma; 
 "you have picked out the finest jewels of them all. But they 
 are none too fine for Tecuichpo," and he placed the emerald 
 chain about her neck. "And this bracelet and this girdle of 
 turquoise," he continued as he put them into her hands, "will 
 become you well. Montezuma's treasure-house is so rich they 
 will never be missed." 
 
 Tecuichpo thanked him warmly. She knew without this 
 token of his affection that she was very near his heart, the dear- 
 est of his many daughters. 
 
 The monarch enjoyed the sight of her happiness and waited 
 
 [61]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 until the treasurer had carried the precious burdens down the 
 stairs and until he had replaced the stone in the pavement. 
 Then he rose, and followed by Tecuichpo, left the chamber. 
 The Princess could scarcely wait to show her presents to Guat- 
 emozin. 
 
 One of the Emperor's councillors was standing just without 
 in the corridor, and when Montezuma, seeing that he had some- 
 thing of importance to communicate, bade him speak, he an- 
 swered, bowing low: 
 
 "Lord Montezuma, there is news of the greatest moment fit 
 for your ear alone." 
 
 Montezuma sent the willing Tecuichpo off to show her treas- 
 ures and turned to his councillor. 
 
 "What has happened?" he asked. 
 
 "It is strange news I have for you, oh my Lord," answered 
 the noble whose tense bearing and features testified to his agi- 
 tation, "tidings which have just been brought by a runner from 
 the seacoast. He has a tale to tell which may scarce be be- 
 lieved, of sights which he says he has seen with his own eyes 
 of strange men who have come no one knows whence or with 
 what purpose. You who are the wisdom of your people, will 
 you listen to his words and judge whether he speaks the truth?" 
 
 "Bid the courier be brought to me in the council-room, 
 Ahuitzotl," commanded his master, turning to the page who 
 had stood some paces away, out of hearing. Then Montezuma 
 went directly to the hall of audience. 
 
 As soon as he was seated on the throne, the courier was ad- 
 mitted. He had come the seventy leagues from the eastern 
 borders of the realm in two days. He bore with him, he said, 
 
 [62]
 
 STRANGE TIDINGS 
 
 a picture-writing sent by the Cacique so that his dread sovereign 
 would not think that the marvels he had to report were the 
 words of a madman. 
 
 "Speak!" commanded Montezuma, "and then the pictures 
 shall confirm your message." 
 
 The courier began. 
 
 "Great. Lord Montezuma, it was three days gone that seme 
 fishermen set out to fish on the Eastern Sea. We who were 
 idling in the shade on the shore watched them till their boat 
 was out of sight. An hour later, it may be, we beheld them 
 returning, their boat flying over the water as if a hurricane 
 were behind them. They sprang to the strand, no fish in their 
 baskets, and they cried out words that, though they were in- 
 deed those of our own tongue, we could not comprehend. 
 They pointed seaward, and then our eyes too beheld what their 
 eyes had seen." 
 
 The monarch and his councillors were all attention. 
 
 "What did you behold?" questioned Montezuma. 
 
 "We saw," answered the courier, after he had humbly 
 saluted his sovereign, "we saw what seemed to be great houses 
 in the water, and white wings, bigger than those of the might- 
 iest eagle that flies over Popocatepetl, were attached to them. 
 We cried out at the strange sight, each of us thinking that per- 
 haps he had drunk too much pulque and therefore could not 
 see aright. The houses with wings moved swiftly, swifter 
 than a boat with strong rowers. They came near to the shore 
 and then stopped, and we beheld men within them. After a 
 while little boats left the houses, and when they reached the 
 strand men jumped from them. But such men!" 
 
 [63]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 He stopped as if to recall in all its keenness his first impres- 
 sion of these strangers, forgetting almost before whom he 
 stood. 
 
 "Oh! Lord Montezuma," he cried out, "never has any man 
 living beheld such men as these be. They are not even dark 
 as other men whom the gods have made ; their faces and hands 
 are white, the color of maize kernels." 
 
 "White !" exclaimed Montezuma, in astonishment. Then he 
 commanded : 
 
 "Continue." 
 
 "These men," said the courier, "came from their floating 
 houses until there were hundreds on the sand, and if I should 
 talk forever, I could not make you see how strange was their 
 appearance and how wonderful their garb and ways. The 
 picture-writing that the Cacique Teuhtlile sent you will tell 
 better than my tongue." 
 
 Montezuma nodded to a councillor to open the scroll before 
 him. There it was, all writ so that the Emperor could see for 
 himself. Montezuma followed it eagerly, picture by picture: 
 the strange water-houses, the curiously garbed white-faced men 
 on the beach, and, most marvellous of all, some beasts on which 
 they sat astride, animals such as had never been seen or heard 
 of since the world began, bigger even than jaguars. 
 
 When Montezuma had examined the writing again and again 
 and noted the dots and little flags beneath the pictures which 
 told him the number of the strangers, he passed it on to the 
 councillors, and sat silent, lost in thought. 
 
 "White!" he exclaimed to himself, "men with white faces! 
 Can it be that the old prophecy is to be fulfilled?" 
 
 [64]
 
 STRANGE TIDINGS 
 
 Then rousing himself, he commanded: 
 
 "Send to Tenochitlan for the High Priest." 
 
 The slave who was setting forth to the city in search of the 
 priest met him at the foot of the hill at Chapultepec. Strange 
 rumors were abroad in the city and the priest had hastened to 
 the summer palace to verify them. When he entered the 
 throne-room Montezuma cried out : 
 
 "Servant of the Gods, it may be that my memory has lost 
 what once I learned from you when as a youth I too served 
 in the temples; speak therefore and tell us of the passing of 
 Quetzalcoatl and of his coming again." 
 
 The High Priest looked about and tried to understand what 
 the story of a god could have to do with the present moment. 
 But he could not question the sovereign's will, so speaking in a 
 slow, measured tone, as if praying, he began: 
 
 "You know, great Montezuma, that Quetzalcoatl is the 
 God of the Air; that for many years he dwelt in Anahuac and 
 that the earth smiled ever at his presence and brought forth 
 fruit and flowers, and that no man had to labor. Not as now 
 grew the maize, the size of a man's hand ; but one ear then was 
 the weight of two strong men. No need was there of the swing- 
 ing of sweet incense; all the air was perfumed by his breath. 
 And Quetzalcoatl taught men how to live together, not each 
 alone in a den as the beasts of the fields. He instructed them 
 in the art of ruling and how to take metals from the bowels 
 of the earth and how to fashion them for their needs. There 
 was no lack of food in all the land, no man went hungry, no 
 woman wept, and no child died an untimely death while 
 Quetzalcoatl abode amongst us." 
 
 [65]
 
 "Thus too did my memory speak to me," confirmed Mon- 
 tezuma. 
 
 "Then," continued the High Priest, "Quetzalcoatl left us, 
 since the other gods were jealous of him. When he passed 
 tornadoes swept the land, leaving it barren ; there was famine 
 and disease and men and women labored and suffered that 
 they and their children might not die. Quetzalcoatl passed on 
 to the Eastern Sea and entered into his magic boat of serpent 
 skin. Tall he was beyond the stature of men as he stood there 
 bidding farewell to his followers, and bearded as none other of 
 gods or men, and his face was white as the pale magnolia 
 flower. 'I sail for the Isle of Tlapallan,' he spake to that 
 magic isle which lies we know not where 'but I will return 
 some day to Anahuac, I and my people, to bless the land.' 
 Thus spake Quetzalcoatl as he departed." 
 
 The High Priest ceased and gazed in amazement at the ex- 
 pression he beheld on all the faces of those about him. Mon- 
 tezuma handed him the picture-writing, saying: 
 
 "These strangers that have landed on the eastern coast have 
 white faces, as you may see, and are bearded. Speak and tell 
 me, is then the prophecy fulfilled and come they in truth from 
 Quetzaloatl?" 
 
 [66]
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VEEA CEUZ 
 
 THE week of inaction that followed the excitement of the 
 landing tried to the utmost the soul of Hernando 
 Cortes. The old tales of chivalry came to his mind and 
 he thought of himself as a knight who, having blown the horn 
 before the castle of a powerful prince or fearful giant, must 
 wait for him to come forth, whether as friend or foe no one 
 could foretell. 
 
 "Ask the woman how long a journey it is to the city where 
 Montezuma dwells," he said again and again to Aguilar when 
 there was still no news of the envoy's returning; and Aguilar, 
 after consulting Marina, would reply that the road to the capi- 
 tal was a long and a difficult one. 
 
 There was nothing to do while he waited impatiently but 
 drill his men, and this Cortes did each day in the cooler hours 
 at sunrise and after sunset. It was a curiously mixed assem- 
 blage, this expedition that had set forth from Cuba. Vastly 
 different were the impulses which had moved the different men 
 to embark on it. There were planters of Cuban estates which 
 had been given them by the Crown, who looked for no more 
 
 [67]
 
 in this new land than to secure more acres to plant and more 
 slaves to work them; there were rough men of low birth and 
 hidalgos (Spanish nobles) of ancient names equally stirred at 
 the prospect of winning immeasurable fortunes. Others there 
 were, young men who had never fought in any contest more 
 important than skirmishes with the Indians of Cuba, and vet- 
 eran warriors who had won their spurs before the walls of 
 Granada in the armies of Ferdinand and Isabella, who hoped 
 for more glory to be won here, who believed that the career of 
 arms was the only one fit for those of gentle birth. And each 
 of them, hidalgo, gambler, ruffian and youthful adventurer, 
 was convinced that his purpose was ennobled by the Cross he 
 helped bear into a pagan land. 
 
 During the long days of his waiting, as he lay on the mats 
 sheltered from the fierce sun by the hut covered with green 
 boughs, or strolled alone in the cooler hours along the beach, 
 Cortes came to realize that as yet he possessed no army only 
 the material from which an army might be made. In his haste 
 to set sail from Cuba before Velasquez could detain him, he 
 had thought only of getting together enough men and materials. 
 In the fighting at Cozumel and at Tabasco, with the insight of 
 a born commander, he had seen what discipline would be needed 
 to weld these adventurers into an army fit for his great purpose. 
 
 "And I can do it!" he exclaimed aloud the seventh evening 
 after the departure of the courier. "I can forge them into a 
 body that no army has surpassed since the old Roman legions. 
 But," he added thoughtfully, "will it be large enough?" 
 
 Day by day new reports of the great extent of the kingdom 
 and of the power of Montezuma were brought to him by the 
 
 [68]
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 
 
 natives who came to the camp with food or to barter with the 
 Spaniards for trifles valuable in their eyes because of their 
 strangeness. To a prudent man the very idea that dwelt in 
 Cortes's brain would have seemed madness ; but no friend nor 
 foe of Cortes had ever called him prudent. 
 
 Fernando had been quick to learn his duties as a page. He 
 had already found that his master's temper was often quick, 
 but that he was just and generous. Gratitude that he had 
 allowed him to take part in the expedition and devotion to his 
 person made his service a pleasure. 
 
 On the eighth day Fernando rushed into Cortes's hut and 
 called out : 
 
 "Senor, the ambassadors have arrived, and there are scores 
 of men weighted like sumpter mules under the presents sent 
 you by their king. Hasten, Senor, I pray. I would fain be- 
 hold what they may be." 
 
 Cortes smiled at the boy's excitement, but his own was 
 scarcely less keen. He hastily summoned Marina, and she in- 
 formed him that the two ambassadors who were approaching 
 with the governor were two high Aztec nobles. 
 
 "Master," cried Fernando eagerly, "look, look at him who 
 comes first and tell me what you see." 
 
 Cortes gazed at the Aztec, then he turned a puzzled glance 
 at Alvarado, who stood behind him. 
 
 "Has the sun confused my sight?" he queried. 
 
 "Nay, Captain, that brown chief save for his color is as much 
 like you as if he were your twin brother. I would he might 
 put him into your garments and you into his." 
 
 And every Spaniard noted the resemblance. They learned 
 
 [69]
 
 later that the Aztec, a Cacique called Cacama, had been spe- 
 cially chosen by Montezuma as an envoy on account of his 
 likeness to the face of the white chief as it had appeared on the 
 wonderfully accurate picture-writing. 
 
 After saluting the Spaniards the ambassadors ordered their 
 slaves to spread out on the mats the treasures sent by their 
 monarch. The eyes of the Europeans glistened as they saw 
 shields, helmets and breastplates covered with thin plates of 
 gold, ornaments of gold, fans of bright featherwork, precious 
 stones and robes and coverlets of the finest cotton. They saw 
 also the helmet sent by Cortes to Montezuma now returned 
 filled with gold dust, and there were also circular plates of gold 
 and silver. 
 
 "The finest craftsmen of Seville have never wrought as del- 
 icate work as this," whispered Alvarado to Sandoval as he ex- 
 amined an intricately fashioned chain. 
 
 Though these treasures surpassed Cortes's hopes, he turned 
 from them eagerly to hear the messages of Montezuma. 
 
 "It has given our master great pleasure," spake the ambas- 
 sadors gravely, "to hold this communication with the King of 
 Spain, for whom he feels the most profound respect. He 
 greatly regrets that he cannot enjoy a personal interview with 
 you, but the distance of his capital is too great, and indeed the 
 journey is beset with difficulties and with too many dangers 
 /from formidable enemies to make it possible. Therefore he 
 sends these tokens of his friendly disposition that you may not 
 delay in returning to your own land." 
 
 "It appears that Montezuma does not desire us greatly as 
 guests, Captain," said Alvarado when the ambassadors had de- 
 
 [70]
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 
 
 parted. "And even though you did send him word again that 
 no distance nor dangers would keep you away, I do believe 
 he does not intend that you should ever make the journey to 
 his city." 
 
 "Nevertheless, we shall go thither," answered Cortes briefly. 
 
 Though he spoke in a tone as confident as one in which he 
 might say that on the morrow he would rise and eat, when he 
 was alone Cortes asked himself how this thing should be done. 
 He knew that the country was prosperous that he could judge 
 by the products brought into camp and that there was a dense 
 population, and warlike, if Marina's information were to be 
 relied on. To oppose to all this he had only a few hundred 
 men. Never, except in the fairy stories he had heard as a 
 .child, of a prince who killed dragons singlehanded, had there 
 been so foolhardy an exploit as the one he intended to under- 
 take. 
 
 To distract the men, made querulous and discontented by 
 idleness, Cortes welcomed the chance for action which soon 
 arrived. 
 
 Into the camp one day had come five Indians whose garments 
 and features were different from those of the Aztecs with 
 which the Spaniards were familiar. They came, they said, 
 from Cempoalla, and they said that their country which bor- 
 dered the great sea to the northward had been conquered years 
 before by the Aztecs. Word had reached them of the land- 
 ing of the strangers, and they were curious to see the white 
 men and eager to have them visit their country. Cortes prom- 
 ised that he would come shortly. 
 
 But first a more important matter sprang up to claim his 
 
 [71] 

 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 attention. Cortes was aware that among the adventurers were 
 many men who were either openly or secretly the partisans of 
 Velasquez, Governor of Cuba. During the excitement of the 
 landing and on account of their eagerness for gold, he had 
 found them willing to submit to his leadership; yet he had 
 known that they were plotting against him in secret. Now 
 that they had attained their object and had received their 
 portions of the treasure, they were eager to return to Cuba, 
 some because they were content with what they had gained, 
 and a few more timid natures, because they feared Velasquez* 
 enmity and the harm he might do to their Cuban property if 
 they took the side of Cortes against him. The bolder spirits, 
 among them Sandoval, Alvarado, Christoval de Olid, Puerto- 
 carrero and de Avila, feared that Cortes might be influenced 
 to submit to their desire and return to Cuba. So those who 
 
 fl^J^HIH 
 
 had been notified in whispers of the meeting, strolled one by 
 one after nightfall to the hut of Cortes. They stationed Fer- 
 nando outside to guard against interruption and eavesdrop- 
 ping. 
 
 "We are not minded, Senor," began de Olid after Cortes 
 had welcomed them and begged them to be seated, "to turn our 
 backs on the very gate of this enchanted land nor to carry 
 home a mere handful of treasure when we may return with a 
 bagful." 
 
 "And how shall you get that?" asked Cortes; "it will not fall 
 into the bag for the asking." 
 
 "By the points of our good swords," cried Puertocarrero, 
 striking his own scabbard with his fist. 
 
 "This is no Cuba, to be won easily, and these warriors are 
 
 [72]
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 
 
 no fearful Cuban Indians," said Cortes, speaking deliberately. 
 
 "But we be Spaniards," retorted de Avila proudly. 
 
 "Even St. Michael and the rest of the archangels could not 
 subdue Satan and his hosts without a struggle," replied Cortes, 
 stroking his beard. 
 
 At this speech the hidalgos glanced at each other as if to 
 try and read whether their companions' thoughts were the 
 same as their own. Then Alvarado spoke angrily: 
 
 "And so Hernando Cortes fears for his skin and turns his 
 back on a glorious adventure. Indeed Velasquez judged 
 rightly when he desired to entrust the expedition to another." 
 
 Cortes's eyes flashed, but it was in a calm voice that he 
 asked: 
 
 "And shall I defy lawful authority by refusing to return 
 now to Cuba?" 
 
 "Velasquez exceeds his authority," said de Avila. "It is in 
 the name of the King of Spain that we set forth. Let us ap- 
 peal to our sovereign to judge between us and the Governor 
 of Cuba, and in the meantime let us continue our work here." 
 
 Had the light been brighter in the hut a close observer 
 might have beheld a smile of triumph flit across Cortes's lips. 
 
 "Yes, we will stay," cried one, and there was a general out- 
 cry from his companions, "we will stay, we will stay," till Fer- 
 nando ran inside to warn them that their voices might carry 
 to nearby tents. 
 
 "Yea ! we will remain," said de Olid, speaking more quietly, 
 "but we will choose another leader than Cortes, who is too" 
 
 "Stop!" cried Cortes, rising. "Stop, before words pass your 
 lips that your blood would needs wipe out. Harken, gentle- 
 
 [73]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 men, I crave your pardon for my silence, but it was of design 
 that I allowed you to misunderstand me. I but desired to test 
 your spirits, to learn whether in truth you were minded to dare 
 dangers here from Indians and dangers in Cuba from Ve- 
 lasquez." 
 
 "Then you will stay?" questioned Sandoval eagerly, who 
 had not spoken before. 
 
 "Stay?" exclaimed Cortes. "I would not leave this land 
 until we have won it more than a hungry lion would leave the 
 deer beneath its paws. Stay, Gonsalvo? If I were the only 
 Spaniard left I would win this kingdom singlehanded!" 
 
 He spoke boastfully, but his very exaggeration brought re- 
 lief to his followers. They surrounded him, laughing, joking, 
 begging his pardon for having misjudged him, and Cortes laid 
 aside the stern manner he had assumed for his purpose and was 
 again the comrade of them all. 
 
 "And now," asked Puertocarrero, "how will you deal with 
 the partisans of Velasquez? Bid us make prisoners of them 
 this night. It will be better to lessen our force till it be all of 
 one mind." 
 
 "Have you never heard, friend," asked Cortes, "the old 
 fable of the Wind and the Sun? Each wagered that he would 
 make a way-farer lay aside his cloak. So the Wind blew his 
 fiercest, but the man only drew the folds closer about him. 
 Then the Sun cast his warm beams upon him and the man 
 quickly threw his cloak aside." 
 
 Cortes ceased, then after a pause bowed to his guests, saying 
 "Senors, I shall play the Sun." 
 
 Though Fernando had guarded the hut faithfully, rumors 
 
 [74]
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 
 
 of that night's council had somehow spread throughout the 
 camp. On the following day a group of Velasquez' partisans 
 approached Cortes after he had watched the daily drill of the 
 soldiers on the shore and had seen the horses led back to their 
 stalls after their exercise. There were so many of them that 
 their comrades' presence made each bold, and they burst out 
 with their complaints that Cortes's intention to stay longer in 
 the land was sheer rebellion against the lawful authority of the 
 Governor of Cuba. They spoke sharply ; and those who knew 
 Cortes's proud nature looked for his anger to flash out. In- 
 stead, he smiled at the deputation and said : 
 
 "Sefiors, nothing is further from my desire than to exceed 
 my instructions. I should indeed willingly remain in this land 
 and by peaceful intercourse with the natives increase the treas- 
 ure we have already amassed for our sovereign and for our- 
 selves. But since my comrades think otherwise, I will defer to 
 their opinion and I will give orders to embark at once on board 
 the fleet and to set sail again for Cuba." 
 
 This speech was received with astonishment from both par- 
 ties. 
 
 "He has betrayed us," cried out Alvarado, and others 
 echoed him. But Sandoval went among his furious compan- 
 ions, whispering "Remember, he told us that he would play the 
 Sun." 
 
 And de Olid, noting the dismayed glances of many of Velas- 
 quez' friends, said to Sandoval and Alvarado: 
 
 "Cortes is right, see, they have got more than they wished 
 for. Now they regret to leave the rich land. Their hands 
 are beginning to itch for more gold." 
 
 [75]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 And de Olid was right. After thinking it over and after 
 overcoming a certain awkwardness in approaching the subject, 
 a deputation composed of both parties sought Cortes the fol- 
 lowing day and protested that he should not set sail. It was 
 necessary, they urged, to plant a colony here whose duty it 
 would be to watch over the interests of the sovereign of Spain. 
 
 And Cortes, still playing a part, pretended that it was with 
 great reluctance that he allowed himself to be convinced. 
 
 "There is no one," he said, "more deeply devoted than my- 
 self to the welfare of my sovereign and to the glory of the 
 Spanish name. Not only have I expended my all, but you 
 know that I have incurred heavy debts to meet the charges 
 of this expedition and I had hoped to repay myself by con- 
 tinuing our traffic with these Mexicans. But I am willing to 
 abide by the decision of my soldiers, to go or to stay." 
 
 And the crowd cried out, "Stay!" 
 
 "Then," continued Cortes, "that no one may say hereafter 
 that Hernando Cortes acted for his own advantage and against 
 lawful authority, I will settle this colony in the name of our 
 Sovereign, King Charles, and I will appoint a magistracy to 
 preside over it." 
 
 The soldiers cheered loudly, and cheered again when Cortes 
 appointed as civil magistrates Puertocarrero and Monti jo. 
 The former was a faithful friend of Cortes, and the latter had 
 been one of the most ardent adherents of Velasquez, so that 
 his choice satisfied both parties. The other lesser officials were 
 chosen; then it became necessary to find a name for the Spanish 
 town to be built upon the land now covered by the huts of the 
 camp. 
 
 [76]
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 
 
 "Let it be 'Villa Rica,' " suggested Cortes, "for it will be a 
 'rich city.' " 
 
 "And since it was on Good Friday, the blessed day of our 
 Lord's Agony, that we landed here," said Father Olmedo, 
 "let us add 'De Vera Cruz/ of the 'Holy Cross/ " 
 
 "So be it," assented Cortes; "Villa Rica de Vera Cruz is the 
 name of this new town, and may it ever prosper." 
 
 Later Cortes, still playing the part of the Sun which con- 
 ciliates instead of exciting opposition, appeared before the 
 newly chosen magistrates and resigned to them his office as 
 Captain General. 
 
 "This office," he said, "has expired, since it is now super- 
 seded by that of the civil authority of the magistrates of Villa 
 Rica de Vera Cruz." He then walked quietly out from the 
 large pavilion where the magistrates had assembled, back to 
 his own hut. 
 
 "I am no longer the head of this expedition, Fernando," he 
 said as he sank down on the mats, glad to escape the heat and 
 dust without. 
 
 But Fernando, familiar with his master's manner, could see 
 that he was not discontented. 
 
 And in truth it was not long before a messenger from the 
 magistrates commanded his presence. When Cortes had once 
 again buckled on his sword and returned to them, they an- 
 nounced that after solemn deliberation they had found no one 
 so suited as himself to take charge of the interests of the com- 
 munity and, therefore, in the name of their sovereign they ap- 
 pointed him, Hernando Cortes, Captain General and Chief 
 Justice of the colony. 
 
 [77]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Cheers went up from the soldiers at this news. It was, how-, 
 ever, not long before the adherents of Velasquez began to 
 murmur : 
 
 "It's a fine trick he has played us! He caught us napping 
 with his smooth-mouthed treachery! We were fools to listen 
 to his words, fools almost as great as those silly creatures who 
 think that he will lead them to their fortunes instead of into 
 their graves ! But let Cortes beware ; we shall get the better of 
 him yet." 
 
 Fernando, who had not been near enough to hear their 
 words, knew from their angry gestures that they were threat- 
 ening his master. He ran to one of the older soldiers and told 
 him of his fears. Nothing loath to a quarrel, the soldier 
 shouted to his comrades, and they all made for the spot where 
 the disgruntled Velasquez men were planning their next 
 step. 
 
 "Traitors!" they cried. "We know the language of your 
 scowls and shaken fists. If you have any words to utter against 
 Cortes or against us out with them and your swords too." 
 
 Immediately the fight was on, a little sooner and more openly 
 than the Velasquez faction liked. They would have preferred 
 a more secret attack. 
 
 The fight had not lasted long before Cortes came out to 
 learn the meaning of the noise. 
 
 "What is the cause of this?" he questioned sternly. 
 
 The Velasquez partisans saw that they had gone too far to 
 cover up their intentions and therefore did not attempt to hide 
 from Cortes their soreness at what they called his falseness. 
 Cortes no longer felt the need of conciliating them. His au- 
 
 [78]
 
 THE FOUNDING OF VERA CRUZ 
 
 thority was now firmly established and he determined to make 
 use of it. 
 
 "Since you have chosen me legally and with respect to Span- 
 ish custom, I will rule you, whether you will or no. And those 
 who disobey or incite to rebellion against me will wish they 
 had never laid eyes upon Hernando Cortes. Bind those men," 
 he commanded his loyal soldiers, "and put them in irons on 
 board the ships." 
 
 The ringleaders were soon led off to imprisonment, and the 
 wavering were sent off on a foraging expedition under Al- 
 varado's keen eyes, so that they could find no chance of doing 
 further harm. 
 
 [79]
 
 --Vj-^Utf''-- 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 NOW that those of the Velasquez faction had been over- 
 awed or won over, Cortes was eager to pay the prom- 
 ised visit to the Cacique of Cempoalla. He sent one 
 of the ships to explore the coast while he himself commanded 
 the troops that followed the shore northward into the country 
 of the Totonacs. 
 
 So wearied were the eyes of the Spaniards of the low mo- 
 notonous land surrounding Vera Cruz, that they cried out 
 with delight at the first sign of a more varied landscape. The 
 plains began to slope up into hills that were covered with trees, 
 shrubs and vines undreamed of in Europe, and even many that 
 were new to those familiar with the tropical groves of Cuba. 
 Fruits were there for the picking; and Cortes, always glad to 
 indulge his men when it was not at the expense of discipline, 
 set the march at an easy pace and one that had many baitings. 
 
 The men were like children let out of school. They ex- 
 amined eagerly everything that was novel : some who had come 
 almost direct from Spain, hearing from their comrades who 
 
 [80]
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 had been longer in the Indies that the low hanging clusters of 
 bananas were good to eat, plucked them and bit into them, 
 skin and all, to the amusement of their more sophisticated com- 
 panions. Others tried to catch the brightly colored parrots 
 and other birds that whistled and called from the branches 
 above them, or wondered at the strange animals they beheld 
 the armadillo, for instance, "like a Swiss lanzknecht in his 
 armour," declared Sandoval. 
 
 Everyone kept running to Marina to ask questions : what 
 was the name of that strange horned lizard? Was this berry 
 good to eat? Was that gold that glittered in the sands of the 
 shallow stream through which they waded, and were there lions 
 and bears in the dense forests surrounding them? And 
 Marina, who had already picked up a fair knowledge of Span- 
 ish, answered each one, or when she could not understand them 
 or had not the terms to reply in, would smile and do her best. 
 
 "Surely this is a land of enchantment," said de Olid to Cortes 
 as they rested at noon beneath a palm tree. "The wizards set 
 the sandy ugly coast as a barrier to dishearten knights in search 
 of adventure." 
 
 "And who knows what new marvels lie still ahead of us," 
 suggested Cortes. "In truth, since the days of the Crusades 
 no man in Europe has wrought such deeds as await us, nor 
 have his eyes beheld what we shall behold. It is as if in this 
 New Spain of the Western Seas a spring of new blossoms were 
 waiting man wearied of the winter monotony of existence in 
 Europe. Is it not a very wonder that stirs the spirit to its 
 depths that we cannot foresee nor even so much as imagine 
 what each day shall bring forth? We rise up in the morn 
 
 [81]
 
 not as in Spain, saying, 'To-day will I eat this, wear this, go 
 hither, behold plains, cities, rivers, mountains, and meet with 
 men and women who look as men and women have looked since 
 the world began.' Nay, here it may be that men shall have one 
 eye set in the middle of the forehead or walk upon their hands ; 
 the land, for all we know, may be paved with silver, and in 
 place of trees there may be strange beasts upholding the sky 
 upon their shoulders. Everything i possible," he continued, 
 his eyes sparkling, "it is the great Unknown that awaits us, and 
 no man has ever led such a quest as I lead." 
 
 "You are eloquent indeed, Captain," admitted de Olid. 
 "Yet I confess 'tis not so much the Unknown that draws me 
 as the known gold in the land, to be won by a few sharp blows 
 of my blade that has served me faithfully since it first drew 
 Moorish blood before Granada's walls." 
 
 "Your few blows may grow to many," said Cortes, his ex- 
 pression changing to one of thoughtfulness. "Marina tells me 
 that Montezuma's troops are as numerous as the stalks in yon- 
 der far off field of maize, as they call the plant, or as the flocks 
 of that strange peacock-like fowl she calls turkey." 
 
 But de Olid's fancy was not one that saw difficulties in ad- 
 vance, nor did he experience the anxiety of a commander. 
 
 The next day, after passing through thick forests where 
 prickly-pear trees and trees of liquid amber and cocoas and 
 other palms shaded the way for leagues, the Spaniards came 
 upon several deserted villages. They judged that the inhabit- 
 ants, having learned through some mysterious source of their 
 approach, had flown from their homes in fear of the strangers. 
 They examined the houses curiously and searched for treas- 
 
 [82]
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 ures, but Cortes issued strict orders that there should be no 
 pillaging. 
 
 At the second village Cortes found awaiting him Alvarado, 
 who had been sent ahead with an advance guard. 
 
 "Senor!" cried his lieutenant, "we have beheld such a sight 
 as no white man has ever seen before. It has turned my sol- 
 dier's stomach till it is no stronger than a woman's." 
 
 Cortes, followed by his officers, let Alvarado lead him to the 
 temple. It was built pyramid-shape, with a flight of wide 
 steps up the front, and its top was a square on which stood 
 images of horrible gods wrought in dark stone. And there 
 was another stone' also the Stone of Sacrifice and on this 
 and on the stone pavement upon which it rested lay human 
 bodies, a hole gaping in each where once the man's heart had 
 beat. 
 
 "Human sacrifices!" cried Cortes; " 'tis indeed a most grue- 
 some sight. Truly the Lord has directed our coming to this 
 land, that we may show these benighted paynims the error of 
 their ways and awaken their souls to our blessed faith." 
 
 Fernando, who but the year before had been a child cared for * 
 by nurses, shivered at the sight, and tears sprang to his eyes. 
 Yet the place had an awful attraction for him, and he listened 
 eagerly while Marina explained that in every temple through- 
 out the land hundreds of human victims were sacrificed each 
 year and their hearts, torn from their living bodies, were lifted"*"* 
 up as the most pleasing of offerings to the gods. jf* 
 
 The following day they neared Cempoalla, and as they ap- 
 proached thousands of men and women of the Totonac race 
 came forth to welcome them. They threw about the necks of 
 
 [83]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the Spaniards circlets of flowers and offered to them fruit and 
 drink which they carried in woven baskets and brilliantly dec- 
 orated earthenware vessels. The Spaniards were interested 
 in noting the difference between the Cempoallans and the In- 
 dians near Vera Cruz. All, men and women, wore garments of 
 cotton brightly colored and the men, in addition, wore capes 
 over their shoulders and sashes about their waist. 
 
 The city to which they were escorted was a large one sur- 
 rounded by orchards and gardens; the houses w r ere well built 
 and covered with stucco that glistened so brightly in the sun- 
 shine that some of the Spaniards, expectant of all wonders, 
 called out that the walls were made of silver. The Cacique, 
 who overtopped all of his own people and most of the Spaniards 
 also, welcomed Cortes with great courtesy, and placed at the 
 disposal of his visitors numerous apartments opening out of a 
 great courtyard. 
 
 Though Cortes had no reason to doubt the friendliness of the 
 Totonacs, nevertheless he did not relax any of his precautions. 
 Guards were stationed and the rounds made as regularly as if 
 they were in a hostile country. 
 
 At the formal reception by the Cacique Marina accompanied 
 Cortes and translated the speech of each leader to the other. 
 Cortes said that he had come to the land to bring to Montezuma 
 the message of his own sovereign and to overthrow the worship 
 of idols and to teach the faith of those who worshipped the 
 Christian God. 
 
 "The gods send us sunshine and rain," answered the Cacique; 
 "we desire no better ones." 
 
 He spoke of Montezuma and of his great power, of how 
 
 [84]
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 the Totonacs, akin to the Aztecs, had been conquered by them, 
 and how merciless were their conquerors, how they exacted 
 large tribute and, should the Totonacs dream of resisting, how 
 their young men and women would be borne away to Tenoch- 
 titlan to be offered up there as sacrifices in the temples. He 
 added, when Cortes questioned, that there were other parts 
 of the kingdom which were also oppressed, but he said : 
 
 "How should we revolt more than the shore might revolt 
 against the sea? Montezuma's armies would overwhelm us as 
 the waves cover the sand, and we should be no more." 
 
 During this interview the thoughts of Cortes had been rac- 
 ing through his brain. No possible difficulties, no certain 
 dangers confronting them had made him hesitate a moment in 
 his design to advance on Montezuma's capital. But daily, 
 hourly, his mind had been seeking the way, the method by 
 which he might lead safely his few hundred men against the 
 hosts that would probably seek to bar him. Now at last he 
 saw the way ! Dissension and rebellion in the land itself should 
 be his aid. He would use to the utmost the enemies Monte- 
 zuma's harshness had made in his own realm. 
 
 Cortes talked eloquently with the Cacique while his men 
 were being feasted. "A single Spaniard," he boasted, "is 
 worth a host of Aztecs" ; and at last his words and the awe of 
 the white man conquered the Cacique's fears and he agreed to 
 assist the Spaniards in their undertaking. 
 
 It was not long before he was called upon to keep his word. 
 Cortes, eager to explore the land still further, had marched 
 along the coast to the town of Chiahuitzlan, where the Cacique 
 joined him. While they were greeting each other a stream of 
 
 7 :
 
 WITH CORTES THE COXQUEROR 
 
 people began to surge into the wide market place, sullenness 
 and dismay painted on their features. Five men in richer 
 garb than was worn by any of the Totonacs strode through the 
 crowd bearing wands in their hands, and slaves with fans 
 brushed the flies away from them. 
 
 "By St. James!" cried Alvarado to Sandoval, "did you ever 
 see such overwhelming pride? The King of Castile bears him- 
 self more humbly." 
 
 He noticed that Marina, standing behind Cortes, was trem- 
 bling, and he pointed her out to his commander. 
 
 "Speak," ordered Cortes. "Who are these men and why 
 do you tremble, and why greets them the Cacique so hum- 
 bly?" 
 
 "They are Aztec chieftains," she answered in a low voice, 
 hiding her head in her scarf. "They are come to collect tribute 
 for Montezuma, and no man in all the land dare refuse aught 
 to one who beareth a wand. And he who wears that chain of 
 little gold rabbits, he it was who used to come for tribute to the 
 village where I was born. His servant it is to whom my mother 
 sold me as a slave, and he in turn sold me again to the Tabas- 
 cans." 
 
 There was a great silence in the market place ; then in a loud 
 voice one of the Aztecs spoke, saying that Montezuma's dis- 
 pleasure had been roused by the actions of the Totonacs be- 
 cause they had welcomed the white strangers without his per- 
 mission. Therefore, in addition to the tribute due, they should 
 send twenty youths and maidens to Tenochtitlan for sacrifice 
 in the temples. 
 
 There was weeping and sobbing, and many a mother sought
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 to cover her daughter with her skirt, and many a father threw 
 his cape over his son's head. 
 
 "Quick! Marina," commanded Cortes as soon as she had 
 translated this speech, "tell the Cacique of Cempoalla that now 
 the hour has come to cast off the hated yoke of the Aztecs. Tell 
 him to seize and bind these proud nobles, and together we will 
 face Montezuma's wrath." 
 
 Marina trembled still. The fear of the power of her dread 
 sovereign had returned in all its old force. Yet already her 
 heart had gone out to the Spaniards, to these men who spoke 
 of doing what no mere human being might accomplish. She 
 believed in them and in their powers, yet for a moment she 
 hesitated. Then bravely in a firm loud voice she transmitted 
 Cortes's message. 
 
 The Cacique too hesitated. Which side should he choose; 
 which would prove the stronger? Dared he revolt against the 
 Lord of Anahuac, whose vengeance would be so frightful? 
 But at last Cortes prevailed against his fears, and he gave the 
 command. His guard flung themselves upon the tax collect- 
 ors, bound them hand and foot and bore them off to prison, 
 while the populace cried out in frenzied joy or shook their 
 heads questioningly. 
 
 Though it was from policy that these tax collectors were 
 freed later on and sent back to Montezuma, the news that their 
 Cacique, aided by the Spaniards, had defied the .authority of 
 Montezuma spread rapidly throughout the entire country of 
 the Totonacs. Everywhere, in towns, villages and in the fields, 
 it was talked about with fear or hope, fear of the Aztec ven- 
 geance and hope that at last the chance had come to win inde-
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 pendence. It was too late to back out now even if they would, 
 and all the chiefs of the Totonacs swore to help the Spaniards 
 to the utmost. 
 
 Now that these valuable allies had been won, Cortes and his 
 small force returned to Vera Cruz. During their absence a 
 ship from Cuba had arrived with twelve soldiers and two horses. 
 The newcomers brought word fhat Velasquez planned to send 
 a new expedition to Mexico to interfere with Cortes's under- 
 taking. 
 
 "I'll cut them down as they land on the beach," cried San- 
 doval angrily. 
 
 "The better way would be to prevent their coming at all,'* 
 replied Cortes, who however smiled at Sandoval, pleased at the 
 youth's enthusiastic loyalty. 
 
 "And how, Captain, may that be brought about?" ques- 
 tioned Puertocarrero as they sat at sundown on the sand, wav- 
 ing fans brought from Cempoalla to set the heavy air in 
 motion. 
 
 "Who is the superior of Velasquez?" asked Cortes, unbuck- 
 ling his heavy sword and handing it to Fernando. 
 
 "The Governor of Hispaniola?" asked de Olid. 
 
 "Higher than that, Cristoval," said Cortes, "higher even 
 than the Council of the Indies in Spain. I mean our gracious 
 Sovereign, King Charles of Castile and Aragon, and now also 
 Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. We will appeal to 
 him to confer upon us full authority to explore this land. 
 Then Velasquez can no more act against us than yon fish there 
 can live now that the wave hath cast it high and dry." 
 
 They discussed the best means of doing this, and Cortes 
 
 V 
 
 \ 
 
 \
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 wrote a long letter to the King, setting forth all that had al- 
 ready been accomplished and all that he hoped to do. The 
 royal fifth of the treasure was to be sent with the letter by ship 
 to Spain; but Cortes, who desired to overwhelm Spain by the 
 sight of the riches won and thus make the King eager to gain 
 more, put a suggestion to his officers that they should all give 
 up their portions of the gol^ and jewels and send them as a 
 gift to the King. Then the soldiers were told what their lead- 
 ers were doing and that by this gift they would likely gain 
 favor from their Sovereign. They, too, they were told, might 
 contribute if they liked, but it was left to each to decide himself 
 whether he would make a present sacrifice for a possible gain 
 in the future. All of them brought forward the treasures they 
 had gloated over and delivered them up more or less willingly. 
 
 It may be that the suggestion to contribute their hoarded 
 gold seemed too much like a command. At all events, it helped 
 inflame the minds of some of the soldiers against Cortes; and 
 they added this wrong, as they termed it, to the other wrongs 
 they counted up against him. 
 
 One day Fernando was so careless in his manner of serving 
 his master, dropping his sword and casque and spilling wine 
 from the goblet upon his doublet, that Cortes glanced up to ob- 
 serve the lad. He noticed that Fernando seemed eager to 
 speak, but he did not question him until the officers who had 
 dined with him left the pavilion. 
 
 "What is it, boy?" he asked. "Tell me before your secret 
 makes you wreak yet more damage to me and to my apparel." 
 
 Then Fernando related how the night before when he had 
 come up from bathing in the gulf, he had approached unseen a 
 
 [89]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 number of soldiers sitting together in the darkness, well away 
 from the rest of the camp. They had set a sentry between 
 them and the tents, but had not expected that any one would 
 come upon them from the water side. 
 
 "They were plotting against you, Senor," said the boy in 
 an awestruck tone. "They fear you and they fear this land 
 of wonders and strange dangers, and so they have taken one 
 of the ships and stored provisions aboard and will sail her back 
 to Cuba and join your enemies there. 'Tis tonight they in- 
 tend to sail. The priest, Juan Diaz, and Escudero are the 
 leaders." 
 
 Cortes wasted no words in further questions, but began is- 
 suing orders. Even as the conspirators were stealing down to 
 the beach where the vessel would have weighed her anchor an 
 hour later, they were seized and carried away to be judged and 
 sentenced. 
 
 But though Cortes had dealt successfully with two revolts, 
 he realized that in order to prevent others in the future he 
 must take some step that would bind the entire expedition more 
 closely together. He thought long over this matter, and then 
 talked it over with several of his officers. 
 
 Fernando was sent with secret messages to the captains and 
 pilots of the ships, and soon they returned a report in which 
 they laid before the Captain General the information that the 
 severe storms which had been raging had so strained the tim- 
 bers of their vessels that they were no longer seaworthy. 
 
 When Cortes heard this report he exclaimed: 
 
 "If it be so we must make the best of it. Heaven's will be 
 done." 
 
 [90]
 
 CORTES FINDS ALLIES 
 
 He ordered all the sails and spars and stores to be taken 
 off the ships and stored at Vera Cruz and then he com- 
 manded that all the vessels be burned. There was a terrible out- 
 cry among the troops when this news was made known and 
 some of the men declared that he had betrayed them and taken 
 away all means of escape from the land where he meant them 
 to perish. But Cortes looked calmly on when they crowded 
 about him, crying and gesticulating angrily. He waited until 
 their voices were hoarse with their shoutings, then he began 
 to speak. 
 
 He praised their bravery and recalled what they had al- 
 ready accomplished, and he promised them victory in the fu- 
 ture and innumerable spoils. 
 
 "But," he called out when the loud cries had dwindled to 
 occasional murmurs, "there is yet one vessel left. They who 
 fear may sail on her to Cuba." 
 
 He paused and waited for an answer, but no man stepped 
 forward. Instead their leader's eloquence had inspired them. 
 They forgot their grievances, and thought only of the glory 
 and spoils they would take home with them some day. Toss- 
 ing caps into the air, they cried: 
 
 "To Mexico City ! On to Mexico !" 
 
 By this desperate deed Cortes had indeed made the fate of 
 one the fate of them all. There they now stood in a strange 
 land which they must conquer or wherein they must perish. 
 And the hearts of the brave Spaniards rose to meet the great 
 adventure. 
 
 [91]
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 THE BEGINNING or THE MAKCH 
 
 WHILE Cortes, his army increased by the three thou- 
 sand Cempoallan allies, was marching towards the 
 borders of the Republic of Tlascala, the streets and 
 council palace of its capital city were noisy with the shouted 
 opinions of its populace and councillors. 
 
 News of the westward march of the whitefaced strangers 
 ever since they set out from Vera Cruz had reached the city 
 daily, and in the market place even bargaining for food or 
 pottery vessels for which the land was famous had lost interest 
 for the folk, now that there was the chance that these myste- 
 rious strangers might try to invade their land which lay on the 
 route to Tenochtitlan. Discussions as to this possibility grew 
 so vehement that the police, upon whose efficiency the four- 
 quartered city prided itself, had to interfere several times to 
 restore quiet among the disputants. 
 
 Then when the four Cempoallan envoys arrived, bearing as' 
 a sign of their embassy from the Spaniards a token of num- 
 berless black marks upon white paper which, unlike their own 
 picture-writing, could not be solved even by the priests, it was 
 
 [92]
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH 
 
 learned that the Spaniards asked thereby, and through the 
 words of their allies and envoys, for permission to traverse 
 Tlascala on their way to Montezuma's capital, and the up- 
 roar and the expression of divers opinions increased. 
 
 Within the council-hall the four Caciques who ruled Tlascala 
 with equal authority had gathered together a large assembly 
 composed of lesser Caciques, knights and soldiers of various 
 grades. 
 
 The youngest of the ruling Caciques, Maxixcatzin, was the 
 first to speak after a moment of silent deliberation. 
 
 "Brother Rulers and nobles, we have to decide this day such 
 things as have never been discussed in all the long years since 
 The Land of Bread (the Tlascalan meaning of the name of 
 the country) was first settled by our forefathers. Our friends 
 from Cempoalla have brought to us the message of the white- 
 faced strangers who desire to pass through our borders. Let 
 our deliberations be not too lengthy, since while we talk they 
 approach nearer and nearer our wall." 
 
 There was a murmur of approval and the Cacique continued : 
 
 "As the youngest of us four rulers, it is my duty to speak 
 first my opinion ; then last of all our venerable Xicotencatl, be- 
 loved of the gods, will give us the weight of his experience, the 
 fruit of his five-score years. Had we ever seen these myste- 
 rious strangrs who ask this of us, it would be easier to frame 
 our reply. When one has looked into a man's face one knows 
 whether he is strong or weak, and oftentimes whether he is 
 honourable or a scoundrel. But we must judge with no knowl- 
 edge of what kind of men be these who come to us or . . . even 
 if they be men and not gods !" 
 
 [93]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 At last he had voiced the thought of many a heart in the 
 assembly. All of them knew of the prophecy of the return 
 of Quetzalcoatl, or of his people he had promised to send 
 back from his magic isle. Could men be men who differed 
 as did these strangers from all that was known of human 
 ways? 
 
 "We know not even if they be mortal," continued Maxixcat- 
 zin. "No one has seen one of them die, and 'tis said that their 
 leaders do not even walk as men do but sit upon some creat- 
 ures that resemble no beasts our land hath ever bred. If they 
 be not gods they must be at least magicians, and we should 
 welcome them into Tlascala, since surely gods will recompense 
 kindness or punish revolt against them." 
 
 The next eldest Cacique rose and began to speak: 
 
 "If they were gods would they insult the statues and tem- 
 ples of gods as we learn they have done on their march hither? 
 If we let them pass through our borders shall our temples be 
 safe? And if they be not gods but men, why should Tlascala, 
 that has ever stood proud and victorious against all her enemies, 
 admit an army which may be that of a foe? We have not for- 
 gotten how to defend our borders." 
 
 The soldiers applauded this opinion, as the more thoughtful 
 men in the council hall, those whose imaginations and supersti- 
 tions were moved by the prophecy of the bearded white men, 
 had applauded the opinion of Maxixcatzin. 
 
 The third Cacique, a warrior who bore the scars of many a 
 battle with the Aztecs, whose son had been captured by them 
 and sacrificed on the Great Teocalli in Tenochtitlan, now 
 sprang to his feet with a lightness and quickness of movement 
 
 [94]
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH 
 
 that would not have been expected of his seventy years. He 
 spoke quickly also: 
 
 "Yes, we can defend our borders, but let us see that it is 
 against foes and not friends that our wall is manned. These 
 strangers seek Moritezuma ; they march against his capital 
 whither every soul in Tlascala would march if there were but 
 enough of us. They ask of us to be their allies. Lo! I say 
 to all of you that the gods themselves have sent these allies 
 men, not gods. At last our day has come, the day for which 
 every Tlascalan knight or noble makes ready, himself and his 
 son, when we shall go forth against the Aztecs to conquer those 
 who would have conquered us, the foe whose name is bitterer 
 in our mouths than aloes. Let us bid these strangers welcome ; 
 let us hasten towards them with thanksgiving and feasting, and 
 greet them as friends." 
 
 The deep hatred of the Aztecs and the thought that with the 
 aid of the strangers it might be possible for Tlascala to right 
 her ancient wrongs, swayed the Council more strongly than 
 the words that had gone before. It remained now for the 
 venerable Xicotencatl to speak. If he were of a like mind 
 then not a minute would be lost in sending couriers to meet the 
 strangers and conduct them to the city. 
 
 "It is indeed true," he began in a voice that was so low that 
 the ears of all were strained not to miss its message, "that we 
 would eagerly welcome a warlike ally against the Aztecs. I 
 have lived many years in the hopes of seeing the power of our 
 enemies weakened, but my eyes" and he pointed a shaking 
 finger towards his sightless eyes "grew weary waiting for 
 such a sight. If these white strangers are in truth foes of the 
 
 [95]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Aztecs let us join them; but would foes of Montezuma accept 
 presents from Montezuma as these men have done?" 
 
 The point he made was recognized by the Council and men 
 shook their heads or looked grave. The blind chief turned his 
 head from side to side as if he were trying to discover what his 
 listeners were thinking. Then he continued: 
 
 "We know not why these men have come from afar, but we 
 do know the enmity of Montezuma to our land and folk. Who 
 shall say that he has not sought out this new way of invading 
 the land of Tlascala? Shall we let these men set foot on our 
 sacred soil when our young warriors are eager for battle ? My 
 son, as ye know, is at the head of his troops. Let us send 
 word swiftly and secretly to him to fall upon these strangers. 
 If he be victorious then shall we all rejoice; if he is worsted 
 then let us say that he acted without orders from us." 
 
 A cheer rose from the Council. The ancient Cacique who 
 had lived for more than a century was revered as one possessing 
 almost superhuman wisdom, and those who had argued for 
 another course were almost all convinced by his arguments. 
 So a messenger was bidden to seek young Xicotencatl and 
 convey to him the command of the Republic. 
 
 It had been a long and arduous journey for the Spaniards 
 from the hot plains of the seacoast up into the mountains where 
 they suffered at night bitterly from the cold. The population 
 of the towns and villages through which they passed were too 
 curious, too awed or too politic to begin hostilities. But Cortes 
 allowed no relaxation of discipline. There was no straggling, 
 no laying aside of arms, even at night they must sleep in full 
 armour. It was better to be a horse, some of the men grum- 
 
 [96]
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH 
 
 bled, since they were unsaddled and allowed to roll about at 
 freedom when evening came. But there was no real discon- 
 tent with their captain's stern measures. His men had already 
 caught the contagion of Cortes's enthusiasm and were willing 
 to submit to the restraints he considered necessary. 
 
 "Yet," declared Sandoval as their horses climbed slowly up 
 the mountain which must be crossed before they reached the 
 borders of Tlascala, "I would that we might have some of the 
 excitement of soldiers, since we suffer all the hardships of a 
 soldier's life. Now I long for a sharp little contest with a foe. 
 My blood is chilled in this hilly region, and needs a stirring." 
 
 "Perchance you will not have long to wait," Cortes consoled 
 him. "As an old sailor feels the coming storm in his bones, 
 so I feel an approaching conflict but I prophesy not how 
 soon." 
 
 A moment later Cortes and his lieutenants who rode in the 
 van gave a sudden cry of astonishment. Their way was 
 blocked before them not by an army, as those in the rear 
 imagined when the whole line before them halted suddenly 
 but by an enormous wall. It stretched away on either side 
 farther than the eye could reach. It was nine feet high and 
 twenty feet thick, so that its summit was a very fortress for 
 defenders. There was only one opening, as Cortes made sure, 
 sending men to either side who testified that they could find 
 no other, and that the wall seemed to have no end. This en- 
 trance was most curiously contrived so that those who at- 
 tempted to pass through the semi-circular passage would be at 
 the mercy of whoever held the gate. 
 
 "Now I understand," exclaimed Cortes, "what the Cempoal- 
 
 [97]
 
 lans told me of the barrier the Tlascalans built to keep out their 
 enemies. 'Tis no race of fools who fashioned such a rampart. 
 But now let us be on the lookout whether there may not be 
 some way of passing it. We have not travelled so far to be 
 halted here." 
 
 With the greatest caution, muskets and crossbows ready, 
 Cortes approached the entrance. There was no foe to be 
 seen, no warder to call out to them; but this only roused his 
 prudence the more. A hidden enemy if the Tlascalans were 
 indeed enemies was more dangerous than two whose presence 
 he would observe. 
 
 But there was no stir as Cortes advanced into the gateway. 
 No Tlascalan came forward to welcome or to forbid their 
 passage. And to their great astonishment, the Spaniards 
 found themselves unopposed upon the soil of the Republic of 
 Tlascala. 
 
 "I would I knew what this means," Cortes said to himself, 
 who could not know of the deliberations of the Tlascalan coun- 
 cil to make no show of force which they could not later dis- 
 avow, "but we must go farther before the riddle can be solved." 
 
 Then he gave orders that the infantiy should follow at a 
 good pace while with his little troop of horsemen he rode ahead 
 to reconnoitre. About two leagues from the wall he caught 
 sight of a small body of Indian warriors. 
 
 "Call to them, Gonsalvo," he commanded, "that we may 
 learn what the temper of this folk is towards us." 
 
 Sandoval called out and waved to them, but the Tlascalans, 
 after a glance at the astonishing spectacle of mounted men, 
 turned and ran. 
 
 [98]
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH 
 
 "After them, Senors," cried Cortes, and the sixteen horse- 
 men dashed in pursuit. 
 
 To their amazement the swift Tlascalans found that they 
 were being overtaken. They had trusted to their speed, know- 
 ing that no human legs could outrun them. But the beasts 
 which bore the white men flew over the ground with a terrify- 
 ing swiftness, and like wild animals at bay, the Indians turned 
 face to the foe they could not escape. 
 
 But they did not wait for the Spaniards' advance. They 
 themselves sprang forward and with their notched swords gave 
 many a terrific blow on horse and man. 
 
 "Now you have a taste of the fighting you craved," called 
 out Cortes to Sandoval even as he leaned down from his saddle 
 to run his own blade into the back of an Indian below him. 
 
 The fight, however sharp, could not last long, for the Span- 
 iards, few as they were, outnumbered the Tlascalans. Al- 
 ready two Indians lay dead and three more were wounded. 
 Then, suddenly, the Spaniards heard wild cries in front of 
 them and beheld a large body of Indians rushing to the aid 
 of their countrymen. 
 
 "Saint James!" called out Cortes, " 'tis not a taste of fight- 
 ing, Gonsalvo, but a banquet that awaits us. There must be 
 a thousand or more of them." 
 
 His own adventurous blood was stirred by the danger; his 
 blows were falling to right and left and he was laughing with 
 excitement. But the prudence of the commander gained over 
 the valor of the cavalier. There must be help, he knew, and 
 that quickly. 
 
 "Ride, Fernando," he commanded; "ride back and bid our 
 
 [99]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 brothers hasten to our aid. Till then we can keep these 
 heathen busy." 
 
 But in truth that was a boast that might soon be a vain 
 one. The Tlascalans fought as Cortes had never seen Indians 
 fight. These were no gentle Cubans, half conquered already 
 by awe of the Spaniards; not even the Tabascans who had 
 fought fiercely when Cortes landed on the Isthmus a few 
 months earlier. These warriors were as brave as Spaniards 
 themselves, well drilled, too, Cortes, observed, though their 
 tactics were so different from his own. 
 
 His trained soldier's eye took in the details of their arms and 
 armour. Even while he warded off a blow of an obsidian 
 sword, Cortes wondered how it had been possible to fashion so 
 hard a substance into so effective a weapon. And the copper 
 spears were as deadly instruments of war as any that hung in 
 European armouries. 
 
 Yet while he noticed this and the presence of the man he 
 knew must be their leader, whose yellow pennant floated first 
 in one part of the field and then in the other, Cortes was call- 
 ing out orders, bidding his little troop close up and if possible 
 form a square against the foe. But it was too late now for 
 this. The Tlascalans, who had been so terrified at the sight 
 of the horses, now seemed determined to revenge themselves 
 on the beasts for their terror. The Spaniards protected their 
 chargers even at the expense of wounds to their own bodies. 
 But Cortes saw with dismay that two of the poor animals had 
 sunk to the earth, their necks severed each by a single blow. 
 One of the horsemen too was severely wounded, but much as 
 Cortes regretted this, his chief concern was for the loss of the 
 
 [100]
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH 
 
 horses. If only his infantry would arrive, he thought. Then 
 there flashed through his mind the words of the old ballads of 
 Roland fighting the Moors at Roncesvalles, and how he blew 
 his horn in vain to summon Charlemagne to his aid. 
 
 And always in the thick of the fighting the yellow pennant 
 waved, and Cortes caught glimpses of the strong body and 
 the keen eyes of the young leader. He was shouting words 
 the Spaniard could not comprehend, but he knew by the tone 
 that they signified "victory." 
 
 Just then, above all the din of swords, shrieks of the 
 wounded and terrified neighing of the horses, Cortes caught 
 another sound. It was the tramp of men and the rumbling 
 of cannon. 
 
 "Hold on bravely, men," he called out. "Our brothers will 
 be here ere we take a long breath." 
 
 The Tlascalan leader heard and saw the approaching Span- 
 ish reinforcements, but he did not fear them. He and his 
 troops were fighting to preserve their sacred country against 
 invaders, and the gods were giving them the victory. 
 
 Cortes cried out swift orders ; a horseman, hacking away the 
 Indians who endeavored to stay him, flew back with them. 
 The advancing force spread out on either side of the cavalry 
 and the engaging foe, and then hastening forward, fired a 
 volley of musket shots and cannon balls. 
 
 The result was instantaneous. Almost before those wounded 
 by this volley had dropped to the ground, the Tlascalans ceased 
 their attack. They stood motionless for a moment, then as if 
 with one impulse, turned and fled. 
 
 The Spaniards waited and after a few moments saw that 
 
 [101]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 their enemy had had enough and that they need not fear an- 
 other attack. 
 
 "If the man who invented gunpowder had only let us know 
 his name," declared Alvarado, taking off his helmet and wip- 
 ing a bloodstained cheek, "I'd have masses said to hasten his 
 soul to the highest part of Heaven. But for our artillery none 
 of us would have lived to see Spain again." 
 
 Cortes had assured himself of the damage his little troop 
 had sustained. He sent Fernando to bring Marina from the 
 rear, and when she arrived he bade her ask one of the wounded 
 Tlascalans whom they had taken prisoners the name of their 
 young leader. 
 
 "He says, my Lord," the girl answered, "that it is Prince 
 Xicotencatl, son of one of the four Caciques, rulers of Tlas- 
 cala." 
 
 [102] 
 
 V
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOB SPAIN! 
 
 THOUGH his men were weary, Cortes allowed them lit- 
 tle time for rest. Night would soon fall, and before 
 that he must find a safer spot for an encampment. 
 He gave orders to move forward and, with Fernando at his 
 side, he let his little army march in front of him that he might 
 judge of its exact condition. 
 
 In addition to the Spaniards, there were about three thou- 
 sand Indian allies, drawn from Cempoalla or from other towns 
 and villages through which they had passed. Between these 
 troops and the Spanish rear guard came a few Indian women 
 whose duty it was to cook and to help prepare the camps. 
 
 Cortes signalled to Marina. The girl gazed at the Spanish 
 leader in awe. For the first time she had seen him as he was 
 indeed, the great commander. Her eyes had followed him 
 that day as he dashed from one part of the field to the other, 
 and her heart had beat with anxiety lest he be wounded. 
 
 "Tell me, Marina," he asked, "why is it that the Indian war- 
 riors so often fail to give the final blow to an almost conquered 
 enemy? Oft times this day did I believe that the last moment 
 
 [103]
 
 for some one of my soldiers had come, and then the blow failed 
 to fall, and he was saved.'* 
 
 "It is because an Indian warrior values more than a dead 
 foe one whom he can deliver alive as a sacrifice to the gods," an- 
 swered the girl, wiping with her scarf the blood that came from 
 a slight flesh cut on Cortes's hand which he had not noticed. 
 
 "So that is why so many of us escaped, Senor," cried Fer- 
 nando. "Methought at one time even Alvarado had been 
 slain. 'Tis a pity though we lost the two beasts." 
 
 "I would indeed it had not happened," exclaimed Cortes. 
 "Now the Indians have learned that our steeds can die, they 
 will have lost some awe of them." 
 
 "They did not see them die," suggested Marina, "though 
 they saw them fall. Perchance they will think they rose on 
 their feet again." 
 
 "Not when they behold their corpses yonder," and Cortes 
 pointed mournfully. 
 
 "Let us bury them, Senor," cried Fernando. 
 
 " 'Tis an idea almost too big for that small head of yours," 
 said Cortes, giving a kindly glance at the lad. Then he turned 
 to command that a trench be hastily dug and the horses buried 
 in it. When this was finished he rode on ahead until he saw a 
 level spot near a stream that was suitable for a camp. 
 
 Here were no hospitable or curious natives bearing food as 
 a gift or to barter, though deserted huts told of a population 
 which could not be far away. For the first time since the 
 Spaniards had landed at Vera Cruz they had to depend upon 
 foraging for provisions. And since Cortes forbade their wan- 
 dering more than a few feet from the encampment, they had 
 
 [104]
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN! 
 
 [105]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 to content themselves with a light supper. And sleep too was 
 curtailed, for this was no time, their commander realized, to 
 trust to a handful of sentinels; so he placed guards of a hun- 
 dred men at various points, and their comrades, wiping the 
 sleep out of their eyes, and only a little less weary for their 
 short rest, relieved them at midnight. He did not know that 
 night attacks were contrary to the customs of the natives. 
 
 It was just at dawn when Cortes awoke. He had slept but 
 little as he lay in full armour, with only the saddle-cloth of his 
 horse between him and the ground and his own cloak as a 
 protection from the sharp mountain air. He bade Fernando 
 rouse the troop by touching each captain on the arm. He had 
 no desire to announce by trumpet-call their movements to any 
 who might be within earshot. 
 
 The world was grey and dreary at that early hour, and the 
 Spaniards felt their hearts heavy within them, while a fear of 
 the dangers that might be lurking behind the dense white mist 
 encircling them made them shiver at every sound. It was not 
 until they listened, kneeling, to the familiar Latin words of 
 the mass and looked upon the calm face of Father Olmedo 
 that the sense of the every-day world and their courage welled 
 back into them. 
 
 The horsemen rode first, their steeds half hidden in the mist 
 to the infantry which followed. Cortes's orders for the day 
 were that the entire force should keep in as close a formation as 
 if marching in parade. They had JAce but a short distance 
 when the sun rose and the grey worm now glowed all yellow 
 and red, and the armour of the troops glistened like the dew 
 upon the maguey leaves. 
 
 [106]
 
 HE WAS NOT SPARED
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN! 
 
 There before them they beheld the foe a thousand or more, 
 yelling in defiance and shaking their spears and arrows. 
 Cortes sent forward interpreters, bidding them inform the 
 Tlascalans that his advance was not hostile ; that all he desired 
 was a passage through their land to the kingdom of Monte- 
 zuma. But the Tlascalans cut short the interpreters' speech 
 with cries of derision and sent a shower of arrows against the 
 Spanish ranks. 
 
 "Since they will not have peace," cried Cortes, "Then let 
 them take war. On, Alvarado, St. James! and close up for 
 Spain!" 
 
 The horsemen urged forward and the infantry followed at 
 their heels. The plain narrowed to a defile through which a 
 stream meandered and the ground was soggy, so that the 
 horses sank to their fetlocks in mud. The guns too could 
 scarcely move and now, while the Spaniards were pushing, 
 pulling, crying out orders and counter-orders, the Indians kept 
 up a continuous rain of missiles upon them. 
 
 At last, with patience, force and the help of their Indian 
 allies, the Spanish troops moved forward at a better pace and 
 turned a corner of the defile around which the Tlascalans had 
 disappeared. The defile opened out into a wide plain and 
 there Cortes beheld a vast army spread out thirty or more 
 thousands of Tlascalans. 
 
 There was no need of parleying, of asking what their in- 
 tentions were. The terrible war drum, the beats of which 
 could be heard for miles away, was all the herald needed. 
 And as if they were children answering their father's call, the 
 Tlascalans rushed straight on their foe. 
 
 [107]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Cortes drew his horsemen close together, and rode to meet 
 them, the horses trampling down Indian after Indian. But 
 the fallen left no gaps, their comrades swarmed in over their 
 bodies. Again Cortes beheld the yellow and white striped 
 pennants and the yellow and white painted naked bodies that 
 marked the contingent of Xicotencatl. And above them 
 floated the banner of his house, a Heron on a Rock. Still 
 hemmed in by the defile, the Spaniards could not bring either 
 their infantry or their guns into effective play. Once again 
 they must rely upon their small force of cavalry. 
 
 This, the Tlascalans realized, was their chief foe, and Xico- 
 tencatl directed his fiercest attack upon it. With arrows and 
 spiked clubs the Indians fell upon the vanguard. One of the 
 horsemen, Moran, whose horse had carried him a few feet be- 
 yond his comrades, was surrounded and pulled down from his 
 horse. At his agonized cry for help the Spaniards renewed 
 their struggles. They fought hand to hand ; they stabbed and 
 slashed; they drove their pikes into the ranks ahead of them, 
 and at last succeeded in gaining possession of Moran's body, 
 so covered with wounds that he died that night. All of his 
 rescuers were themselves badly wounded, and Moran's horse 
 was killed. 
 
 The Cempoallan allies of the Spaniards fought desperately, 
 but though there was no doubt about their bravery, they lost 
 heart, and one of the Caciques called out to Marina, who would 
 not remain in the rear with the other women: 
 
 "I see nothing but death for us; we can never get through 
 this pass alive." 
 
 But Marina had already caught the dauntless spirit of the 
 
 [108]
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN! 
 
 Spaniards as well as their language. She called back to 
 him: 
 
 "The God of the Christians is with us, and He will carry us 
 safely through." 
 
 And now it became apparent that the struggle to regain 
 Moran had not been in vain. The Tlascalans had been 
 driven back from the mouth of the defile and, as on the day 
 before, the artillery was able to finish what the cavalry had 
 begun. Slowly, in perfect order, the Tlascalans began to fall 
 back, unable to stand against this dreaded new weapon. 
 
 "That chieftain is a warrior indeed," said Alvarado to San- 
 doval after they felt they could afford to waste breath for 
 words. "That is no terrorstricken savage, but a commander 
 who wisely determines upon retreat because the odds are 
 against him." 
 
 It was evening again when Cortes made camp. This night 
 there was no lack of food, as provisions in plenty were found 
 in cottages from which the inhabitants had hastily fled. 
 When the guards had been placed and the wounded had been 
 cared for, Cortes had time to think of resting his own weary 
 body. He sat down by himself on the steps of the tower that 
 crowned the hill, and laying aside his helmet, rested his chin 
 in his hands. 
 
 He knew now that his real work had only just begun, and 
 that his task was to be harder than it had seemed when the 
 Cempoallans and the other tribes welcomed them as a foe to 
 the hated Aztecs. Now these Tlascalans, whose bravery and 
 soldierly qualities would have made them the most valuable 
 allies, had chosen to oppose the Spaniards, and time and lives 
 
 [109]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 must be spent in order to subdue them. If he did not conquer 
 them soon or win them over, the prestige of the white men 
 would be lost, and it was likely that the other Indians would 
 then desert them. For a few moments Cortes experienced a 
 weight of discouragement that he could not throw off. If he 
 must hack his way through foes to Tenochtitlan, what would 
 there be left of his army by the time he reached Montezuma's 
 city? And lest he show a sign of this discouragement to 
 others, Cortes pretended to be asleep upon the steps, though 
 long after Alvarado, who had sought to have a word with him, 
 was sleeping on the ground, Cortes's thoughts were busied 
 with his problem. 
 
 The next day he was again the fearless, purposeful leader. 
 As his sentinels reported that there was no hostile force nearby, 
 he determined to rest his men for a day or more. He sent 
 an embassy to the capital of the Tlascalans, repeating his mes- 
 sage of goodwill and his desire to make friends. While they 
 were gone he exercised the more venturesome of his troops in 
 exploring the country about. There were several skirmishes 
 with small bodies of Indians, and Cortes brought back a number 
 of prisoners. 
 
 The envoys returned and told him that they had met Xico- 
 tencatl on the way, and that when the warrior had listened to 
 their message he bade them turn and take back his answer: 
 
 "You Spaniards may pass on as soon as you choose to Tlas- 
 cala. And when you reach it your flesh will be hewn from 
 your bones for sacrifice to the gods. If you prefer to remain 
 where you are then I will visit you there on the morrow." 
 
 "I would we were back in Cuba," sighed Fernando to Ber- 
 
 [110]
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN! 
 
 nal Diaz, who was standing as sentinel before the hut in which 
 Cortes was resting. "I think there's no one who would call 
 me a coward," continued the boy, "who has seen the odds 
 against which I fought the other day. The Captain himself 
 said that once I warded off a blow from his head and praised 
 me for it. But these paynims and their devil gods and their 
 living sacrifices make my heart sick." 
 
 "You are weary with too much fighting and with lack of 
 sleep," added the older man sympathetically. "In truth, I 
 mind not admitting that mine own spirit grows a bit faint 
 when I think of the hosts against us. I would I had a good 
 flagon of canary to hearten it. But hark, lad, wfe'll fight 
 none the worse on the morrow for our fear this even. I'll 
 wager there's not a soldier alive who hath not felt fear some 
 time in his life. Yet we will feel ready for heaven, if we are 
 destined for it soon, after we have confessed to Father Olmedo 
 and got his absolution. Be off first, Fernando, and I will fol- 
 low as soon as I am relieved from duty." 
 
 So for half the night good Father Olmedo was kept lis- 
 tening to confessions and shriving the soldiers. 
 
 Meanwhile Cortes, knowing that a battle was inevitable, 
 thought how he might make the best of conditions. He de- 
 termined that he could deploy the troops more advantageously 
 on the more level ground, and therefore that it were wiser to 
 advance towards the Tlascal rather than to await their coming. 
 He had not far to go. A plain six miles in length opened out 
 before him, and there stood arrayed such a sight as no Euro- 
 pean eyes had ever beheld an army of Indians so vast that 
 it could not be counted. 
 
 [in]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 The Spaniards gazed in wonder. Even those among them 
 who had fought the Moors before Granada had never seen 
 such brilliant banners and panoplies. 
 
 "Behold," said Alvarado, his quick eye missing no detail, 
 "how their banners are borne in the rear instead of in the 
 midst of their ranks. Yon is the Heron again, the sign of 
 their leader, and the Eagle with outspread wings must be 
 the banner of the Republic itself." 
 
 "It costs little to clothe a man in the ranks," commented 
 Sandoval as they rode forward; "naught but a loin cloth and 
 a few painted stripes about his body." 
 
 "But the chieftains' armour is costly enough," replied Al- 
 varado as he returned from bearing Cortes's message to the 
 artillery to hasten forward. "That quilted cotton armour 
 must be hard to get here where they raise no cotton, and those 
 feathered mantles mean many a day's work for those that 
 snare the birds and those that fit the plumage together." 
 
 'Tis their arms that interest me the most," said Sandoval; 
 "those staves with murderous blades set along their sides 
 might be the end of us if gunpowder had ne'er been discov- 
 ered, and . . ." 
 
 His sentence was interrupted by an arrow which struck his 
 helmet and glanced off its steel ridge. This was the first rain- 
 drop of the storm that followed: arrows, javelins, even stones; 
 ,and like thunder were the cries of defiance that rolled from 
 rank to rank of the brave Tlascalans. Many of the missiles 
 made their way into unprotected bits of Spanish flesh; but 
 Cortes continued to advance until he had reached the distance 
 he had set himself. Then he formed his troops, pushing for- 
 
 [112]
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN! 
 
 ward the artillery, and the cannon balls were hurled into the 
 compact mass of the Indians. 
 
 Howls of terror, of agony and rage went up from every 
 part of the field. There was a short period of immobility 
 and then like the ninth wave of an army of breakers the 
 Tlascalans fell upon the foe. There were so many and the 
 Spaniards so few that perhaps for a moment no man in either 
 army believed that the white men could resist this onslaught. 
 But Spanish swords and Spanish guns accounted for far more 
 than an equal number of their foes. The Tlascalans were 
 checked for a moment only, then once more they dashed for- 
 ward. Again and again was this rush and its check repeated, 
 but this could not continue. Cortes saw his men falling about 
 him and knew that there were none to replace the fallen, while 
 there were hundreds of Indians behind every comrade that 
 fell. 
 
 "Only St. James himself can save us," said Father Olmedo 
 as he went from one fallen soldier to another, binding up 
 the wounds quickly and offering ghostly consolation. But 
 while matters were indeed desperate for the Spaniards dis- 
 sension arose in the ranks of their foes. Xicotencatl, burn- 
 ing with patriotism and the passion of a warrior, had spared 
 neither himself nor his troops. But one Cacique, older than 
 he, and jealous of the authority given to his junior, disputed 
 an order of Xicotencatl's and refused to advance. 
 
 "I had not believed that Tlascalan earth could breed a cow- 
 ard," taunted Xicotencatl. The enraged Cacique, oblivious 
 to all else but his personal wrongs, challenged his commander 
 to single combat. 
 
 [113]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "It is no time for that," replied the young leader hotly, 
 "now when the feet of foes are upon our sacred soil." 
 
 He turned and rushed forward against the Spaniards again, 
 not doubting that his countrymen would sink his personal in- 
 jury for the moment to follow him against their common foe. 
 But the disgruntled Cacique had been too deeply wounded in 
 his pride, and while Xicotencatl advanced he withdrew from 
 the field with all his force, amounting to ten thousand men. 
 
 Thus was Cortes saved; for though Xicotencatl and his di- 
 minished army fought with redoubled fury, the Spaniards, 
 cheered by the knowledge that their forces were now more 
 even, found new courage and strength to continue. Xico- 
 tencatl with sad heart beheld his men no longer able to resist 
 the gunfire of their foes, and gradually retreated, fighting each 
 step of the way. 
 
 Cortes could scarcely realize that the day was his, that the 
 huge host which had opposed him that morning was now 
 melting away. He was content to let them go without at- 
 tempting to follow. His wounded and his dead claimed his 
 attention. There was no oil for binding up the wounds, so, as 
 one of the conquerors related long afterwards, they used the 
 grease from the bodies of dead Indians for that purpose. 
 
 In the meantime Xicotencatl was burning to retrieve his 
 defeat. On the following day when Cortes sent an envoy to 
 the capital again to demand a passage through the country, 
 the young Cacique argued heatedly that they try another blow 
 against the invaders. He called the priests to his aid, and 
 the priests answered saying: 
 
 "These Teules are not gods indeed, but they are the children 
 
 [114]
 
 ST. JAMES! AND CLOSE UP FOR SPAIN! 
 
 of the Sun. While the Sun shines great is their strength and 
 the strength of their strange weapons. But when the Sun 
 has gone to rest their strength declines. Therefore, oh Xi- 
 cotencatl, though it be against the custom of our warriors, 
 you and your host must fall upon them in the darkness and 
 overcome them." 
 
 The Spaniards slept as the silent Indian army, ten thou- 
 sand in number, crept upon them. Only the eyes of one sen- 
 tinel beheld by the faint moonlight the advancing dark mass. 
 As silently as his foes advanced, he gave the alarm. Then the 
 Tlascalans were astounded by the loud battle cry of the white 
 men and a terrible fire of musketry. They fled, firing arrows 
 backward as they ran, and Cortes's men rode through the semi- 
 darkness, killing till they were weary. 
 
 [115]
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE SPY 
 
 AHUITZOTL, Montezuma's chief page, no longer 
 yearned for the mountains and the trail of the ocelot. 
 One day, not long after he had returned to his regular 
 duties, Montezuma spoke to him. 
 
 "The blood of the warrior stirs in you, Ahuitzotl," he said, 
 and the page bent low. "I read in your eyes the longing to 
 strengthen your arm and to perfect yourself in all that a war- 
 rior must know. Such a desire is one that a ruler of Anahuac 
 must welcome. In truth the land has need of warriors, and 
 perchance. . . ." 
 
 The Emperor did not finish the sentence, but sat lost in 
 thought for many minutes while Ahuitzotl fanned him slowly 
 with a fan of tortoise-shell and turkey feathers. 
 
 "So," continued the monarch, rousing himself: "it is well 
 that you should be prepared and instructed in all the duties of 
 a Cacique. Speak without fear and tell me who is there 
 among all the nobles of my court whom men call the best and 
 bravest warrior." 
 
 [116]
 
 THE SPY 
 
 "After you, Lord Montezuma," answered the boy, "it is 
 Prince Guatemozin whom all men honour." 
 
 "That is well," said Montezuma thoughtfully. "Take then 
 this signet-ring to him," and the monarch handed to Ahuitzotl 
 a ring engraved with the sign which stood for his royal name, 
 "and say to him that Montezuma bids him instruct you in all 
 the knowledge of a warrior." 
 
 Guatemozin received the boy gladly. He found teaching 
 him no hardship. He had noted the strong and supple body 
 of the page when he played tennis; and the story of his 
 truancy and the skin of the ocelot he had killed proved that 
 he had unusual daring and courage. It was a pleasure to 
 train one who already showed such promise. Ahuitzotl's 
 gratitude to Emperor and Prince was unbounded. 
 
 Not only was he instructed in the use of bow and arrows, 
 javelins, spears and shields, but Guatemozin explained to him 
 all the banners and devices borne by the great Caciques of the 
 Empire, until they were as familiar to him as the plumage of 
 the different birds of the forest. He taught him also the 
 laws which governed warriors in the field. Death was the 
 punishment for disobedience, and death too was the penalty for 
 the soldier, no matter how high his rank, who should endeavor 
 to win personal fame by attacking the enemy before the gen- 
 eral signal was given. Princess Tecuichpo, who was some- 
 times present at these lessons, related the instance of a king 
 of Tezcuco who put two of his own sons to death for disobe- 
 dience in the field. 
 
 And Guatemozin, assured that a man fights the better for 
 his country if he is familiar with the glorious deeds of her
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 sons, taught Ahuitzotl the history of the coming of the Aztecs 
 from the northwest to the land of Anahuac. 
 
 "Two hundred years ago," he said, "on the spot where this 
 great city of Tenochtitlan stands, our ancestors halted by 
 the borders of the lake. All was wild and lonely and no sign 
 of man's habitation. They had wandered long through plains 
 and over mountains, seeking a spot to settle in and to build 
 their city. The gods surely, they said, would send them some 
 message, some sign by which they could decide when they had 
 reached the appointed place. Suddenly one of them pointed 
 to a great rock which rose from the water. There grew a gi- 
 gantic cactus plant and on it, with outstretched wings, perched 
 a royal eagle, holding a serpent in his claws. Here, the seers 
 declared, was the omen from the gods. So upon the borders 
 of the lake they built this our city, and called it Tenochtitlan, 
 from tunal, a cactus on a stone." 
 
 Guatemozin was stern in his discipline with Ahuitzotl. A 
 warrior, he said, must be able to stand fatigue of all kinds; 
 and during the hours of drill he was merciless in his exactions. 
 No matter how wearied the boy's arms might be, he was not 
 spared in the bending of the toughest bow or the throwing of 
 javelin. It was the duty of Ahuitzotl, who was still the Em- 
 peror's page, to sleep at the foot of Montezuma's couch. But 
 many a night, by order of Guatemozin, he stood motionless on 
 his feet, that he might accustom himself to a sentinel's watch. 
 Fasting too was part of his training, and often when he was 
 holding golden plates and cups before Montezuma, the boy 
 had not tasted so much as a sip of water for two days and 
 nights. 
 
 [118]
 
 THE SPY 
 
 However, Ahuitzotl had no complaint to make of Guate- 
 mozin's methods. He knew that he was being hardened by 
 sternness as the soldiers often hardened wooden spearheads 
 in the fire. He felt the affection behind the sternness, and he 
 rejoiced at a single word of praise from his master. 
 
 When Cacama, his father, returned as one of the envoys 
 from the visit to the Spaniards, Ahuitzotl listened with greedy 
 ears to the accounts he gave his royal master of the appear- 
 ance of the Teules. Later, when Cacama had looked on 
 proudly at a lesson given his son by Guatemozin, he went in 
 from the noon sunshine into the cool dark hall of the palace, 
 and answered the boy's questions. 
 
 "Yes, the Teules must be men," he remarked, "even as we 
 are, since the features of their chief are my features. So great 
 is the resemblance, son, that there was none present at the 
 meeting that did not observe it and marvel." 
 
 "Tell me of their arms, father," begged the young warrior; 
 "of what shape and what material are they?" 
 
 "I can not tell you much. They wore at their sides weapons, 
 but they were encased in coverings of metal. I heard strange 
 tales of some terrible magic they possess by which they kill 
 their enemies, but I saw it not. The strange beasts on which 
 they sit, those I beheld. You have seen the picture-writ- 
 ings of them, but you can not imagine how wondrous they 
 are." 
 
 "Whence come the strangers, father?" inquired the boy, 
 "and what will they of us?" 
 
 "In this matter you are as wise as the wisest Cacique, Ahuit- 
 <zotl. There is none in Anahuac who longs not to answer this 
 
 [119]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 question. And all of us long to know" here he leaned for- 
 ward and whispered "what Montezuma will do if they per- 
 sist in their determination to come hither." 
 
 "It may mean war then?" whispered Ahuitzotl back. 
 
 "Only the gods know," answered Cacama. 
 
 Their talk was brought to an end by a slave who summoned 
 the page to Montezuma's presence. 
 
 "You wear fine garments and dwell in splendor, my son," 
 commented his father as he took leave of him; "but there is 
 no fear now, thanks to Prince Guatemozin, that you will be 
 harmed by soft living." 
 
 Ahuitzotl found Montezuma in a small chamber where he 
 was accustomed to hold his most private audiences. Stand- 
 ing before the monarch were Guatemozin and the High Priest. 
 The boy waited motionless at the entrance of the room while 
 the three talked in tones so low that he could not catch a 
 word. At last, after half an hour perhaps, Montezuma beck- 
 oned to him to come forward. 
 
 The High Priest spoke: "You have heard, boy, since you 
 quitted the teocalli the news of the strangers who have come to 
 the land?" 
 
 Ahuitzotl answered: "I have heard." 
 
 "You know, perchance," continued the priest, "that they 
 have sent messages to our Lord Montezuma, saying they pur- 
 posed visiting him, and that he has sent envoys in return to 
 the strangers that the way to Tenochtitlan is too long?" 
 
 "My father has told me of all this," replied the boy. 
 
 "Prince Guatemozin says that he has trained you in all that 
 a warrior should know," the priest went on. "Therefore you 
 
 [120]
 
 THE SPY 
 
 have learned that caution and cunning are as valuable as cour- 
 age. What do you say?" 
 
 "So has he taught me," answered Ahuitzotl. 
 
 "You are young to be present at a secret council, boy," 
 said the priest frowning, "and it may be that we do wrong to 
 admit you; but the times are strange ones. Nevertheless 
 harken. It is needful that we have further information about 
 these Teules before our Lord will decide how he will deal with 
 them. They must be spied upon in secret, by eyes that can 
 see much." 
 
 Ahuitzotl's heart began to beat loudly. He did not dare 
 ask himself what the priest could mean. 
 
 The priest continued: "We have learned that the strangers 
 have crossed the borders of the Republic of Tlascala, and that 
 there have been battles between them and our ancient foes. 
 He who would spy them out must risk much. He would have 
 to go into an enemy's land and hide both from the Teules and 
 from the Tlascalans. He must be brave, quick and cautious." 
 
 There was a pause and Ahuitzotl, though his gaze was upon 
 the ground, as was proper when in the presence of his sover- 
 eign felt three pairs of eyes fixed upon his face. Then the 
 priest spoke again: 
 
 "Ahuitzotl, do you know one fitted for this task?" 
 
 The boy could not answer. His longing was so great that 
 it rendered him speechless. Could it be he, he wondered, 
 whom they had chosen? 
 
 Then Montezuma spoke: 
 
 "Ahuitzotl, it must not be a man who goes forth on this er- 
 rand. He must be small that he may hide the better. But 
 
 [121]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 he must have, if not the size, the courage of a man. Guate- 
 mozin has chosen for me. Go!" 
 
 Ahuitzotl now found words in which to tell of his gratitude 
 for their faith in him. After he had been given directions as 
 to the road he was to follow, he set forth for the hut near the 
 Tlascalan border where he would find the garments of a 
 hunter, that would be his best disguise in either country. 
 
 As he went along the highway he was recognized as the 
 page of Montezuma by many whose business took them to 
 Tenochtitlan, and men questioned him about his journeying, 
 wondering if his presence away from the capital betokened 
 anything of importance. 
 
 "I go a-hunting," Ahuitzotl would answer, and this satis- 
 fied their curiosity. 
 
 As he climbed the heights Ahuitzotl noted gladly how his 
 strength had grown under his military training, that there was 
 a great difference in his endurance even since the day he killed 
 the ocelot. Along the way were rest-houses, placed at inter- 
 vals for the couriers, and here he forced himself, impatient as 
 he was, to stay and eat the food provided for travellers, as he 
 did not wish to excite attention by hurrying on as he would 
 have liked to do. 
 
 At the borders of the Tlascalan Republic he found an old 
 soldier in charge of a troop of men who guarded the frontier. 
 The old warrior led the boy inside, looking carefully around 
 to make sure that there was no one near enough to overhear 
 him. 
 
 "Here," he said, handing over a bundle containing the 
 roughest kind of sandals and a single short robe of nequen 
 
 [122]
 
 THE SPY 
 
 and a strong but unpolished bow and arrows and a huntsman's 
 knife, "are what were left with me for you. This garb is 
 neither so soft nor so fair to see as what you now are wearing, 
 young traveller, but if I may hazard a guess, 'tis an honour 
 for you to wear it. He who gave it to me showed a signet of 
 the Highest and bade me keep you here over night and during 
 that time to train your tongue to speak words in the Tlascalan 
 fashion. I have lived many years here on the border and if 
 need were, I could pass among our foes as one of them." 
 
 He asked no questions of Ahuitzotl, but all the while he was 
 going about the hut, hiding the telltale garments of the page 
 and laying food before him, he made the boy pronounce words 
 after him until he was satisfied with the sound of them. Dur- 
 ing the night he continued the lesson until two hours before 
 dawn, when he led him to a mat and bade him lie down and 
 rest until day. 
 
 At dawn he woke Ahuitzotl, gave him food to eat and to put 
 in his wallet. Then he pointed to an almost overgrown path 
 through the forest. 
 
 "Yonder lies your way, farewell," he said. 
 
 Ahuitzotl tramped all day in the direction the soldier had 
 advised as the most likely to lead him to the Spaniards. He 
 avoided the villages and hid in the thicket whenever a farmer 
 or herdsman approached. When there was no place to hide 
 he sauntered along, speaking if spoken to to arouse no sus- 
 picion. He slept for a few hours in the middle of the day, 
 so that he would be able to keep on well into the night. It 
 was night when he heard the sound of many voices which he 
 judged must belong to a party of warriors. 
 
 [123]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 He crept close in the dark and listened. He was rejoiced 
 to hear that they were talking of the Teules, of how they had 
 entered Tlascala and how Xicotencatl had faced them bravely, 
 even though the terrible weapons had forced his army to re- 
 tire. Ahuitzotl heard them boasting that they would yet de- 
 stroy the strangers before they advanced much farther into 
 the land; and from their talk he was able to learn about how 
 far off, and in what direction, the Spaniards were to be 
 met. 
 
 He wasted no further time in listening now to what would 
 at another time have been the most absorbing subject, of how 
 the Tlascalans had fought and how many they had slain. He 
 had no difficulty in finding his way in the dark through the 
 forest. From the time he could walk Cacama had taught him 
 woodcraft, and he had not forgotten it during his years in 
 Tenochtitlan. He did not stop for sleep nor to shoot bird or 
 beast for food. As he went he ate from the contents of his 
 wallet. It was not until the following night, when he knew 
 that he must be near the approaching strangers, that he lay 
 down to sleep. There was little use in going on farther, he 
 thought, for if his calculations were correct, their next advance 
 would bring them to where he now rested. 
 
 He was so overcome with sleep that no cry of any animal 
 in the forest made any impression upon his brain. Even 
 another sound which, had he been awake, would have roused 
 all his caution, did not stir him. Men were moving along the 
 path, men who obeyed orders whispered in silence. 
 
 Suddenly the feet of one of the Tlascalans hit against some 
 soft obstacle, and Ahuitzotl, awakened by the unexpected 
 
 [124]
 
 THE SPY 
 
 blow, sprang to his knees. The Tlascalan leaned down and 
 felt in the darkness the boy's head and coarse robe. 
 
 " 'Tis only a slave or a hunter," he whispered to those about 
 him. "It is lucky for him that he made no outcry to betray our 
 presence, or I should kill him. Sleep again, slave, if you 
 will," he said scornfully, "sleep, while warriors go forth in 
 the service of your country." 
 
 Ahuitzotl moved quietly to one side and let the host of men 
 pass. He was thoroughly roused now, and he realized what 
 a narrow escape he had had. He felt sure that some event of 
 great importance was about to take place. He waited until 
 all the troops had passed, then followed a short distance in the 
 rear. From the few words which had come to his ear he knew 
 that this was a night attack upon the Teules. He had caught 
 too the name of Xicotencatl, and he remembered that he was 
 the young Cacique who had made his escape from the teocalli 
 and from the city so mysteriously on the day of Princess 
 Tecuichpo's wedding festival. 
 
 Keeping as far in the rear as necessary, he climbed the hill 
 after the Tlascalans, but ran to one side instead of going 
 straight ahead with them. He surmounted a small summit 
 from which he could just distinguish a shapeless dark mass ad- 
 vancing towards what he knew must be the camp of the white 
 men below. Then he beheld a sudden flaring of numerous 
 small lights, and then ... he fell to the ground at the terrible 
 sound which burst from the camp. He saw and heard the 
 terrified Tlascalans beat a retreat. What else was there for 
 them to do, he thought? How could men face such forces as 
 these Teules controlled? On his hillock he was safe from the 
 
 [125]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 pursuit which was driving the Indians back with terrible 
 slaughter. And there, trembling as he had never thought a 
 warrior could tremble, Ahuitzotl spent the rest of the night, 
 dozing at times and waking again and again in terror of the 
 guns. 
 
 In the daylight he was himself again. Looking down into 
 the level space below, he could see among the dead that lay 
 there some clothed in strange clothes. It gave him courage 
 to know that Teules could be slain by arrows, and he clasped 
 his bow gratefully. When he had carefully reconnoitred, he 
 descended nearer the camp until he was close enough to dis- 
 tinguish one figure from another. Almost all the morning he 
 spent in a tree, his keen eyes missing no detail of armour or 
 equipment. He had no trouble in picking out their leader 
 he might in truth have been his father had his color and clothes 
 been the same. He watched how he went among the troops 
 and could imagine that he was lavish with words of praise and 
 cheer. 
 
 Later in the day he beheld three Tlascalans and a woman in 
 Aztec dress talking to them. His father had told him of Ma- 
 rina, whose tongue was able to turn the speech of the white men 
 into that of the Indians. Ahuitzotl slipped down from the 
 tree and wormed himself along the ground until he was able to 
 approach through the thicket within a few feet of Marina. He 
 heard her say to the messengers the words put into her mouth 
 by the Spanish leader who stood beside her and was thus trans- 
 mitting his message to the Council at Tlascala. 
 
 "Tell them," she said, "that if they will now welcome us in 
 their city that we may pass through to Anahuac, we will for- 
 
 [126]
 
 THE SPY 
 
 get how they have received us and will be their friends. But 
 if they still oppose us, I will enter their city as a conqueror 
 and will not leave one house nor one man." 
 
 And Ahuitzotl saw that the Spaniard handed to the envoys 
 the arrow he held in one hand and the letter which he held in 
 the other. He needed no explanation to tell him that these 
 were the symbols of war and of peace, between which Tlascala 
 must choose. 
 
 He watched the messengers depart, and found it hard to de- 
 cide whether he ought to follow them and learn what choice the 
 Republic would make, or to stay and observe all he could of 
 the Teules. 
 
 He stayed where he was and so could not know that the 
 councillors in Tlascala regretfully decided that there was no 
 use in bringing greater fury upon themselves. They had 
 fought, they said, as bravely as men could fight; but these 
 strangers might not be beaten by day or by night. Nor could 
 Ahuitzotl know that the envoys returning towards the Span- 
 iards with excuses for the past and promises of friendship, 
 stopped at the camp of Xicotencatl, according to their orders, 
 to bid him, in the name of the Republic, cease his attacks on 
 the Teules, nor that this young chief refused to disband his 
 army or to send food to the men he had fought so bitterly. He 
 kept the envoys with him by force. So the Spaniards failed 
 to learn what the rulers of Tlascala had chosen. 
 
 [127]
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 AHUITZOTL too awaited the return of the envoys. 
 He did not wish to go back to Tenochtitlan until he 
 was ready to report to Montezuma whether the Span- 
 iards and the Tlascalans were to be friends or foes. There 
 was no minute in the days which followed that was not filled 
 with interest for the Aztec boy. From the branches of the 
 thick oaktree, his observation point, he could command the 
 camp, could watch the daily routine of the soldiers, could see 
 them changing guard, drilling and resting. Even more than 
 the men, the horses excited his curiosity. He saw where they 
 were tethered, and it would have been easy for him to creep 
 near enough to them at night to touch them; but he did not 
 feel sure that they might not possess some power unknown 
 to beasts of his own land by which they could call out to their 
 masters and betray his presence. 
 
 At night and at early dawn Ahuizotl would hunt for his 
 dinner in the forest, well away from the camp. Even there 
 he was cautious for fear of falling in with Tlascalans. His 
 
 [128]
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 bow would bring down small game that could be cooked and 
 eaten quickly, and fruit was always plentiful. Sometimes too 
 he scouted on the outskirts of a village, and discovering a hut 
 left empty for a moment, would enter and help himself to cakes 
 of maize baked by the women. In the enemy's land this was his 
 right, he said to himself. 
 
 He liked to think that he was already a warrior, penned be- 
 tween two enemies, spying upon both of them. The leader 
 of the Teules, he found, was not content to stay quietly in one 
 place. Ahuitzotl watched him set forth with a small troop of 
 men to scour the country round about. He tried to follow 
 them; but though he had been the fastest runner of all his 
 companions in the palace, he discovered that he could not even 
 keep them in sight when they were mounted. So he returned 
 to his tree. 
 
 He heard the Cempoallan allies, talking among themselves, 
 use the word "Malinche" when speaking of Cortes. This, he 
 knew, was the Aztec name of Marina, his interpreter; and 
 the Indians, ignorant of the Spaniard's name or unable to 
 pronounce it, were accustomed to speak of him as Ma- 
 linche. 
 
 Ahuitzotl's eyes had soon discovered Fernando, Cortes's 
 page. He saw that they were nearly the same age, though 
 the white lad was slighter and less well developed. He no- 
 ticed that his services were similar to those he himself rendered 
 to Montezuma. For a moment he forgot that he liked to think 
 of himself as already a warrior, and wished that they too had a 
 common language that they might talk to each other and com- 
 pare notes boy fashion. 
 
 [129]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Ahuitzotl witnessed Cortes's return and saw him make a 
 speech to his men, though of course he could not know what 
 it was about, nor that the Spanish leader had found great dis- 
 satisfaction among his troops. Many of the former adher- 
 ents of Velasquez were again looking backward over their 
 shoulder to the easy life on their Cuban estates. This time 
 they did not conspire in secret, but came frankly forward to 
 Cortes and asked him to return to Vera Cruz where, though 
 they had only one ship, they could entrench themselves and 
 wait until this vessel sought aid from Cuba. If, they cried, 
 they had encountered such resistance from a minor country like 
 Tlascala, what had they not to expect when they should meet 
 the armies Montezuma would send against them? The idea 
 of their ever reaching the city of Tenochtitlan was, they told 
 him, "treated as a jest by the whole army." Not one of them, 
 they said, but had received some hurt and many were like St. 
 Sebastian in the altar paintings, dotted with wounds. There 
 was no rest day nor night, they declared; it was more than 
 human bodies could endure. 
 
 Cortes listened patiently until they had finished. He saw 
 that this was not the complaint of a small number of his 
 troops, that though the Velasquez faction were the spokesmen, 
 their sentiment was shared by many who had been loyal until 
 then. It was no conspiracy this time, he realized, but a gen- 
 uine outburst of dissatisfaction caused by fatigue and the con- 
 tagious fear that had worked through the whole camp. While 
 the men were speaking, although his glance did not seem to 
 move from the faces directly before him, he did not lose the 
 expression of a single man. Even his trusted officers, he saw, 
 
 [130]
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 were disturbed. However, he knew that it was no fear of 
 Indians, of wounds or even death, which brought frowns to 
 the brows of Alvarado, Sandoval and de Olid; it was the 
 dread of what would happen if they, the leaders, should be left 
 without an army to lead to victory. 
 
 "Men," cried Cortes in a ringing voice, so firm that it 
 brought to Ahuitzotl in his tree a stronger conviction of the 
 strangers' might than the sight of all their arms or their 
 horses so, he thought, could speak only the greatest leaders 
 of men "Soldiers and fellow comrades, much of what you say 
 is indeed the truth. Your wounds cry out the story of your 
 valor; such deeds of glory have you wrought as would put to 
 shame the heroes of Greece and Rome. My heart has 
 throbbed with pride when I have beheld you surrounded by 
 the heathen, like boarhounds keeping the tusked swine away. 
 There are no other men in all the world, living or dead, who 
 could do what ye have done. Yet let us not boast too much 
 in our own might, since it is the right hand of God which up- 
 holds us. For the Cross we have fought, and as He hath 
 strengthened us so far, so will He continue to strengthen us in 
 coming years. Would you ask of Him to let you go scathe- 
 less in battle? Are you not men enough to pay with bodily 
 pains for glory here and the reward which Heaven shall bestow 
 in the world to come on those who bring the truth to the 
 heathen?" 
 
 He paused a moment. A few faces, he noticed, had light- 
 ened, but the mass was still sullen. 
 
 "Truly," he continued, "we have encountered great dangers 
 and unheard of hardships, but did you come to this land in 
 
 [131]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 search of soft living? If I have asked much of you, have I re- 
 quired less of myself? Have I slept upon cushions while you 
 lay upon hard earth; have I moistened my throat with wine 
 while yours went dry, or witnessed from afar your desperate 
 battles? Though we have suffered greatly, men of Spain, 
 have we not been victorious everywhere? By my conscience! 
 (Cortes's favorite oath) have we not conquered the Tlascalans 
 who will sue shortly for peace? Then will they be our allies, 
 and their courage and their hosts which have cost us so dearly 
 will be on our side when we meet the Aztec. And if," he 
 asked in a scornful tone, "if I should listen to these cowardly 
 counsels of yours and should consent to turn our backs upon 
 this glorious enterprise and retreat to the coast, what think 
 you would happen? Not a man or a woman Aztec, Tlascalan, 
 Otomie or Cempoallan, between us and Vera Cruz but would 
 rise and fall upon us. Know then, there is but one course 
 for us we must advance. 
 
 Still the men were not convinced. They cried out : 
 
 "What use to us are victories, since we lose as many in a 
 victory as in a defeat? If we advance it is only to be slaught- 
 ered in Montezuma's city." 
 
 Cortes now lost patience. Since he could not touch their 
 reason, he must appeal to their emotions. 
 
 "And by all the saints," he cried, "if we die there, is it not 
 better to die than to live in dishonour?" 
 
 These brave words acted like magic. The chivalry of the 
 Spanish spirit rose to the call, and everywhere, except from 
 the small Velasquez faction, the men cried out, echoing this 
 sentiment and singing the words of the old ballad which Cortes 
 
 [132]
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 had quoted to his purpose. The ringleaders, seeing that the 
 majority had been won over, crept away cursing. 
 
 The next morning Ahuitzotl, on his return from a hunt for 
 his breakfast, discovered a small party of Tlascalans bound 
 towards the camp. They wore white badges, betokening 
 peace, and they bore a supply of provisions. Crouching low, 
 he crept through the underbrush by the side of the path, and 
 from their talk he learned that in spite of their peaceful ap- 
 pearance, they were in reality spies sent by Xicotencatl. 
 They were to look about and then inform the young Cacique 
 how and when he could best make the attack he was even now 
 planning. 
 
 Ahuitzotl praised to himself this cunning on the part of his 
 foe. As he had been taught, it was the duty of a leader to 
 use every method he could to outwit an enemy. He could not 
 decide, however, which side he would wish to see win, his an- 
 cient adversaries or the powerful Teules. 
 
 The Spaniards had no suspicion of the peace heralds whom 
 they welcomed as a sign that the troubles with the Tlascalans 
 were over and as purveyors of the food they so much needed. 
 
 But Marina had been worried ever since the arrival of the 
 heralds. She could judge from a glance or the intonation of 
 a word, or the raising of an eyebrow, while to Cortes and his 
 officers, not yet familiar with the language or characteristics of 
 the Tlascalans, there was no sign to warn them. As soon as 
 she had more than mere intuition to go on, she sought Cor- 
 tes. 
 
 "Master," she said, "these men are not heralds, but spies. 
 Would it not be well for you to question them?" 
 
 [133]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 " 'Tis wisely spoken, Marina," he answered, his brow dark- 
 ening. 
 
 So with the aid of Marina he put questions to the supposed 
 envoys singly, until by means of the truths, half-truths and 
 the lies they told, each unaware of what his companions might 
 have revealed, Cortes gained the facts that they had been sent 
 by Xicotencatl to spy out the weaknesses of the Spanish camp 
 in order that he might know how best to attack it. 
 
 When he was certain of this, Cortes determined upon an act 
 which would prove to the Tlascalans and to Xicotencatl in 
 particular, that they had no more chance of outwitting him by 
 cunning than of conquering him by force. 
 
 From the top of his tree Ahuitzotl could see that something 
 important was about to take place. He had no means of 
 knowing whether the purpose of the Tlascalans had been dis- 
 covered. He watched Fernando, who came from the Cap- 
 tain's tent to a spot almost beneath the tree in which he 
 crouched, while he arranged by means of saddles, bags and 
 mats covered with cloaks a kind of official dais and seat, which 
 he knew must be destined for the use of Malinche. Ahuitzotl, 
 moved by a sudden childish impulse, broke off a bit of twig 
 and threw it down direct upon Fernando's head. When the 
 Spanish boy glanced up into the thick foliage, the Aztec swung 
 himself with agility around to the other side of the trunk. 
 
 "It must have been a monkey," said Fernando aloud to him- 
 self as he continued his setting of the stage for the ceremony. 
 
 A bugle called the camp together. The Indian allies were 
 ordered to one side, the Spaniards to the other. The Tlas- 
 calans, Ahuitzotl could see, were under the weight of some un- 
 
 [134]
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 usual feeling, fear doubtless, he thought, in spite of their effort 
 to appear unmoved. They had been discovered, he felt sure, 
 and now the white leader was about to have them killed for their 
 treachery; and the Aztec boy was all curiosity to see by what 
 manner their punishment would come to them. 
 
 Fernando had just in that moment learned that the Tlas- 
 calans had entered the camp under false pretences. Diaz, the 
 Castilian soldier, had told him all that he knew himself. 
 
 "They would have succeeded in getting away," he said to 
 the boy as he helped him worm through the crowd to a hillock 
 behind Cortes, where they could see all that would happen; 
 "but the saints sent Marina, who nosed out their plots as a 
 hound noses truffles. Their mothers and wives, though they 
 be redder than Spanish women, can weep as well as any white 
 Castilian dame, I warrant, and they'll shed many a tear, be- 
 shrew me, for this day's work." 
 
 "What will be done to them?" asked Fernando, "do you 
 know, Bernal?" But his companion bade him to be quiet and 
 listen to what Cortes was saying. 
 
 Cortes spoke in Spanish, and Marina translated his words 
 into the Aztec tongue. If the angry phrases were somewhat 
 softened by her woman's heart and voice, the Tlascalans felt 
 the real import of the speech when they looked into the stern 
 face of Malinche. They heard that he had discovered them 
 and their plot, and they realized that there was no escape for 
 them from his vengeance. 
 
 Ahuitzotl, leaning low from his branch, saw the white Cacique 
 give an order, then one by one, each Tlascalan was made to 
 kneel and place his hands on a stone before him. He saw a 
 
 [135]
 
 soldier lift his sword and bring it down, severing the hands at 
 the wrists. 
 
 "And he might have killed them?" exclaimed the Aztec boy 
 under his breath, in amazement at this mild punishment ; while 
 the Spanish youth was overcome with horror. 
 
 "O! Bernal," cried Fernando, his voice trembling, "how 
 could the Captain give orders for such a fearful punishment? 
 In the battles we have fought I have not flinched at wounds 
 and blood, but this is different." 
 
 "I am no friend of undue cruelty," said Diaz, "and Her- 
 nando Cortes is not one either. I would he had left the men 
 their hands to fight us with ; yet perhaps he has figured it out 
 that it was necessary. Harken to his words." 
 
 "Go!" cried Cortes to the wretched men before him. 
 "Hasten back to him who sent you. Show him and his friends 
 the news your arms bear, and tell him that come as he may, 
 by day or night, whenever it be, he shall find the Spaniards 
 waiting." 
 
 When the gathering had dispersed and the normal life of 
 the camp had begun again, Ahuitzotl knew that the time had 
 come for him to be on his way back to Tenochtitlan to report 
 to Montezuma. There was no longer a doubt that the Tlas- 
 calans were beaten, and now the Aztec statesmen could delay 
 no longer in deciding what steps they would take against the 
 alliance between the Teules and their ancient foes. But the 
 boy had made up his mind that he would not return empty- 
 handed. He would carry to his royal master some trophy of 
 his stay in the camp of Malinche, a trophy that would make 
 him the envy of every Aztec warrior. 
 
 [136]
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 There was little time left to get this whatever it was to 
 be. The sun had set and the short tropic twilight was almost 
 at an end, and with the darkness Ahuitzotl must be on his 
 way. 
 
 While he was wondering what he could secure, he saw Fer- 
 nando bearing a sword which he knew belonged to Cortes. 
 Then the page went into a tent and shortly after came out 
 again with it, and sitting down where he could enjoy the cool 
 evening air, began to rub and polish it with loving care. 
 Ahuitzotl decided. What trophy could bring such fame to 
 him as this weapon of the great Teule leader? Moreover, it 
 would give him the chance he had been longing for to test 
 his strength against the strength of the Spanish boy. 
 
 He looked carefully about. Cortes and his officers were 
 eating their supper together at the side of the camp farthest 
 away from the spot where Fernando sat. Groups of soldiers 
 dotted the space in between, but there were none between the 
 tent and the stream that formed the left boundary of the camp 
 except the sentinels who made the rounds of all its limits. The 
 tree in which he perched was at the extreme right of the camp, 
 so that he must encircle it all to reach the tent. 
 
 As soon as it was a little darker he slid to the ground, and 
 running swiftly and silently, putting a wide distance between 
 himself and the circle of sentinels, he reached the stream. As 
 quietly as a beaver he slipped into the water at the point where 
 two sentinels had met, waiting until they turned to go, each his 
 return beat. In a few more paces he had reached the tent 
 but the boy and the sword were no longer there! 
 
 He listened intently, for the darkness was so dense that his 
 
 [137]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 ears, more than his eyes, must serve him ; and then he heard a 
 slight noise from within the tent. A moment later the boy 
 passed by him, on his way towards one of the camp fires on 
 the right, almost brushing him as he went. 
 
 Now Ahuitzotl crept into the dark tent, and after satisfying 
 himself that no one was inside, he began to feel with quick 
 fingers along every inch of its side and of the ground for the 
 sword. He touched soft cushions, the sharp points of spurs, 
 the leaves of a book, the rim of a pewter goblet, the pommel 
 of a saddle, and his feet tangled themselves in a cloak on the 
 ground. He did not stop to wonder what purpose these ob- 
 jects, most of them unfamiliar to him, could serve; he knew 
 only that they were not the sword. 
 
 At last he felt it, hanging to a nail. He jerked it down, 
 ran to the entrance of the tent, and there, a few paces away, 
 in a glow of light from the torch he had gone to fetch, came 
 the Spanish boy. In the same moment Fernando saw the 
 Aztec and in his hand the sword of Cortes. But before he 
 could call out, the Aztec had leaped upon him, and the torch 
 fell spluttering to the earth as the two boys rolled over and 
 over together, Ahuitzotl still grasping the sword, but his arm 
 not free to draw it. Fernando's one idea was to get the 
 weapon back at any cost, just as Ahuitzotl's was to keep it. 
 
 With his left hand the Aztec felt for his antagonist's throat. 
 He was sure that he was the stronger of the two and, when he 
 pressed it, he realized joyfully that he could now throttle him. 
 Fernando also was aware of this, and just as the iron fingers 
 were closing on his windpipe he gave a desperate cry for help. 
 
 Bernal Diaz, sitting at the nearest camp fire, had idly 
 
 [138]
 
 THE SWORD OF CORTES 
 
 watched Fernando's torch as it fell, but he thought that the 
 boy had tripped and would be up again in a moment. His at- 
 tention had been diverted by a jest of one of his companions 
 and he had turned his head away. Then came the boy's cry 
 for help, and he sprang up first of all who responded to it and 
 ran, guided by the glow of the expiring torch. 
 
 Ahuitzotl heard him running and knew that he must make 
 his escape at once. With one tug, into which he put all his 
 strength, he wrenched the sword from Fernando's fingers that 
 had closed on it, hit him across the head with its heavy hilt, 
 and dashed towards the stream. But Bernal Diaz was now 
 between him and it, and behind the soldier a crowd of shout- 
 ing men; and the sentinels, hearing the commotion, were has- 
 tening to the very point where he meant to cross. 
 
 The boy thought quickly. He knew that with the sword 
 he could not swim under water, which was his only chance 
 of escaping. So he threw it down clattering on the rocks and 
 dived into the stream. 
 
 The torches flared upon the water; the sentinels fired in all 
 directions in the hope that a stray bullet might hit the hidden 
 thief, but without result. Fernando, who had regained con- 
 sciousness after the blow, answered as best he could the ques- 
 tions put to him, and parties of men were posted at all points 
 in case another attack on the camp were planned. 
 
 And Ahuitzotl, before the second night was over, had 
 crossed the frontier back into his own country. 
 
 [139]
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 WELCOMED TO TLASCALA 
 
 FERNANDO was helping Cortes buckle on the sword 
 which it had cost him so much to save. His bruised 
 throat and shoulders kept him from forgetting the 
 Aztec boy whose features he had seen for a second only before 
 the torch fell from his hands. 
 
 News had come that more Tlascalan envoys were on the 
 way to offer, this time humbly and openly, the submission of 
 the Republic ; and Cortes was preparing to receive them. His 
 face was bright with satisfaction and he hummed the tune of a 
 ballad of The Cid, that other great conqueror of Spain's pagan 
 enemies. Fernando knew that at such times his master would 
 not object to answer questions which he would not dare dis- 
 turb him with when his thoughts were grave. 
 
 "Senor," he asked, "shall we not now break camp and 
 march directly on the great city of Montezuma, now that we 
 have conquered the Tlascalans?" 
 
 Cortes looked at the boy and smiled as one smiles at a child 
 who has spoken foolishly. 
 
 [140]
 
 WELCOMED TO TLASCALA 
 
 "You have much to learn, lad," he said, "before you can 
 call yourself a soldier, or at least if you have the ambition to 
 be one of those who lead men and not one of those who are 
 content to follow always other men's leading. One of the 
 first things to know is that a commander must never leave the 
 rear of his army in danger." 
 
 Cortes was in the mood for talking. The heavy weight had 
 been lifted from his heart and he had need of speech. Fer- 
 nando had shown several signs since the march began of the 
 makings of a brave man and a capable soldier, and he was glad 
 to help him to his future career by sharing with him his knowl- 
 edge and experience. While Fernando knelt to fasten on his 
 spurs, he continued: 
 
 "Do you think that a conquered foe, still sore at his de- 
 feat, is a safe defense behind one? I have conquered the Tlas- 
 calans ; I have filled their hearts with terror ; but they will bind 
 up their wounds and it may be, though I scarce believe it 
 likely, even forget their crippled envoys. What then ought I 
 to do, Fernando?" 
 
 "I know not, Master," he answered. 
 
 "There is one thing that holds countries and armies to- 
 gether, which is greater than fear, which makes friends of men 
 who have been foes. What is it, Fernando?" 
 
 "I cannot tell, Captain," replied the boy, shaking his head. 
 "I am not wise enough to guess." 
 
 "If you would polish your wits as you polish my sword," 
 said Cortes smiling, "you would not need to have me tell you. 
 'Tis mutual interest, boy, that holds us Christians here to- 
 gether in the midst of the heathen. If we stand together we 
 
 [141]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 shall conquer. I believe even the friends of Velasquez yonder;., 
 have learned that lesson at last. 'Tis mutual interest that 
 keeps the Cempoallans our allies, and 'tis mutual interest which 
 will make the Tlascalans our firm friends instead of our fierce 
 foes. We have given them vinegar to drink; now we shall 
 offer them honey. We must so deal with them that when we 
 march on Tenochtitlan we shall have behind us those who will 
 rejoice at our victories because they will be their victories also." 
 
 A bugle call told them that the Tlascalans were in sight. 
 Fernando hurried out to bring up Cortes's horse, which the 
 Captain General mounted. Down the road they could see a 
 host advancing, but with measured steps, not the quick trot of 
 the soldiers they had fought a few days before. Loud shouts 
 went up as the Spaniards caught sight of the white and yellow 
 liveries and pennants that had marked the thickest fighting on 
 the batlefield. 
 
 "It is their Cacique Xicotencatl," cried Alvarado to Cortes, 
 "the young warrior who fought us so bravely. If he be con- 
 quered, then in truth we have no more to fear from his country- 
 men." 
 
 It was a bitter moment for the brave Cacique when he ad- 
 vanced towards his former foes, not with spear or bow, but 
 as the conquered before his victor. When he saluted Cortes, 
 touching the ground with one hand and bringing the other to 
 his forehead, his slaves cast sweet incense into a brazier and 
 swung it around them both. Then Xicotencatl spoke and 
 Marina quickly interpreted: 
 
 "Great Cacique of the white men, I am come to acknowl- 
 edge that your weapons are greater than mine, that you have 
 
 [142]
 
 WELCOMED TO TLASCALA 
 
 conquered. Long before this day did the Council of the Re- 
 public agree to welcome you, but I would neither listen to their 
 message nor obey them. It is I, and I alone, who must bear 
 the weight of your displeasure for the battles I waged against 
 you. Great Lord, Tlascala is dear to me. I said to myself; 
 no stranger shall cross her boundary and live, and so I fought 
 you by day and by night, by might and by cunning, until I 
 saw that the gods had decreed victory to you. It may be, as 
 some say, that you have been sent by the gods themselves ac- 
 cording to the ancient prophecies. However it be, I pray 
 that you will deal gently with the land which lies at your feet. 
 For myself I ask nothing of you." 
 
 There was no one of the Spaniards who listened to this 
 speech who was not moved by the brave words of a brave 
 man. They knew that there was no more courageous fighter 
 among themselves, and that, if they had not the advantage of 
 artillery the issue of the battles would have been his victory. 
 Cortes moved forward in chivalrous intent to embrace his gal- 
 lant foe ; then he suddenly halted, remembering that it was his 
 policy to appear implacable, for a time at least. 
 
 "Had you believed in our words, Chieftain," he said, "there 
 had been no need of fighting between us. Tlascala was in no 
 danger from us, and you had not lost many hundred good 
 men. Yet the past is gone, and a new day has come for your 
 land. Let us forget our battles. You are now, as we are, 
 subjects of our great Emperor Charles; and if you prove true, 
 Spanish arms and Spanish guns will ever stand between you 
 and your enemies. But" here he raised his voice and his 
 tone grew threatening "if you prove false, we will take a 
 
 [143]
 
 vengeance on your land and people more terrible than you 
 have ever dreamed of." 
 
 Fernando had been listening intently in order that he might 
 learn the method by which Cortes would proceed to make 
 friends of the men he had humbled. The words to which he 
 had listened did not seem to him calculated to please the Tlas- 
 calans. Still he knew that Cortes must have had his reason 
 for saying them. "Perhaps," he thought, "he wishes first to 
 frighten them." 
 
 Xicotencatl made no answer, but saluted once again and or- 
 dered his slaves to bring the gifts, small ornaments of gold 
 and mantles of feather-work. 
 
 "We Tlascalans are a poor folk," he said; "we have little 
 gold or cotton. Montezuma's soldiers have surrounded our 
 borders and have left us naught save our freedom and our 
 weapons. But what we offer is merely as a token of our good- 
 will." 
 
 Cortes answered in a tone so gentle, so different from the 
 one of a few minutes before, that Fernando could hardly be- 
 lieve both could come from the same mouth. 
 
 "Brave Tlascalan," he said, "I accept your gifts as you give 
 them. They are more welcome, as the present of brave and 
 gallant warriors, than a house of gold from other hands. I 
 have seen the courage of Tlascala's hosts and the skill and 
 valor of their leader. They shine as does this gold and are of 
 more worth to the land than mines of riches." 
 
 Now Fernando beheld an expression of gratification steal 
 over Xicotencatl's features, and the boy realized that from now 
 
 [144]
 
 WELCOMED TO TLASCALA 
 
 now on Cortes would use kindness in all his dealings with 
 Tlascala. 
 
 It did not take long for the report of the Spaniards' friendly 
 attitude to reach the capital city. All along the way the Span- 
 iards were greeted as allies by folk from the villages and small 
 towns. When they neared the city itself the entire popula- 
 tion came out to welcome them. Men and women bore great 
 bunches of roses and other flowers which they thrust into the 
 hands of officers and soldiers; others carried large wreaths of 
 flowers that they wound about the necks of the horses who, as 
 if understanding that they were now being admired instead of 
 feared, paced gently along and seemed pleased to feel the soft 
 brown Indian hands caressing their flanks. Priests in their 
 long robes shook out incense from finely wrought pottery ves- 
 sels before the Spaniards, and children danced and sang their 
 welcome. 
 
 "Did you note the brow of our Captain," asked Alvarado, 
 "when yon high priest bade him welcome in the name of the 
 gods? I'll wager the time is at hand when he will no longer 
 be content to leave the heathen to their cursed rites." 
 
 "There is no man amongst us," objected Sandoval, "who 
 is not ready to fight for our blessed Faith. Yet I hold that it 
 is wiser to proceed slowly, since the devils which abide in their 
 idols will not let themselves be driven out at one blow. But it 
 has been hard to bridle our Captain's religious fervor until 
 
 now." 
 
 The joy of the Tlascalans increased as the Spaniards en- 
 tered the city streets. Now that their leaders had made peace 
 
 [145]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 with the Teules, the folk looked upon them as future allies 
 against the Aztecs. The horses were now their horses too, who 
 would terrorize the troops of Montezuma; the muskets and 
 the wondrous cannon that rolled over the flower-strewn streets, 
 were their weapons which should win forever their freedom 
 from Aztec aggression. This allegiance which their leaders 
 had sworn to an emperor beyond the seas meant nothing to 
 them. 
 
 Tlascala was larger than any Indian city the Spaniards had 
 yet seen, and the narrow streets were closely built up with 
 houses of stone or sundried brick. There were baths, the Span- 
 iards noted with astonishment, a crowded market place, and 
 signs everywhere of a population which was familiar with la- 
 bor rather than with luxury. The city was divided into quar- 
 ters, each one of which was ruled over by one of the four great 
 Caciques who governed the Republic. 
 
 At the suggestion of Xicotencatl, Cortes was conducted be- 
 fore the mansion of his venerable father. The ancient chief- 
 tain stood in the gateway, and Cortes sprang from his horse 
 and embraced him, allowing the blind Cacique to pass his ques- 
 tioning fingers over his face and garments that he might sat- 
 isfy his curiosity in regard to the appearance of the man who 
 had been victorious over his gallant son. Then he invited the 
 Spaniards into a large hall in his palace and entertained them 
 with a feast. Later that night they were conducted to the 
 buildings and gardens near the great teocalli which had been 
 made ready for them. 
 
 During the days that followed there was feast after feast, 
 until there was no Spanish soldier who could complain that his 
 
 [146]
 
 WELCOMED TO TLASCALA 
 
 stomach had not had its fill. Cortes kept strict discipline, but 
 food did not need a countersign to pass his sentries. He was 
 pleased that his army should he well nourished and rested be- 
 fore he had need of it again. 
 
 The Tlascalans now proposed another way of binding their 
 new allies to them. The chiefs offered their daughters as 
 wives to Cortes and his officers. Now at last Cortes found 
 the excuse for which he had been impatiently waiting to urge 
 the Indians to give up their pagan beliefs and to listen to the 
 teachings of Christianity. 
 
 "We can not mate with heathen," he said to them. "Our 
 faith does not permit it. Listen while Father Olmedo ex- 
 plains the truths of our blessed religion." 
 
 The Indians listened gravely while the priest spoke to them 
 of God, of the life and death of Jesus, of the saints, and of 
 heaven and hell. He spoke eloquently, and the hearts of his 
 own flock were stirred by the recital of the mysteries of their 
 faith. While he recited the Creed, they chanted the Latin 
 words after him, their hand upon the hilt of the sword, in 
 token of their willingness to defend their belief with their lives. 
 And the voice of Cortes was the firmest, his eyes the brightest. 
 
 There was little in the homily of the priest which the Tlas- 
 calans could grasp. But they could understand that what he 
 preached was very near to the hearts of their new friends. 
 When he had finished the Caciques spoke together and then 
 bade the High Priest answer for them. 
 
 "Beyond a doubt," he said, "the god of the Christians of 
 whom we have just heard is a great god and very powerful. 
 We are glad to have listened to the words of his servant and 
 
 [147]
 
 are eager to do honour to him. Tlascala has also many and 
 great gods who are mightily to be feared and honoured. But 
 they will not be jealous when we tell them that the god of the 
 white men asks to come among them and to have prayers of- 
 fered him from their teocallis." 
 
 "Nay," interrupted Cortes, " 'tis not that which is required 
 of you. The God of the Christians will be served and wor- 
 shipped alone. He bids you forget the idols ye have wor- 
 shipped until now and to give yourselves to His pure faith." 
 
 The High Priest answered in a tone which rose from ear- 
 nestness to anger: "Shall a nation forsake the gods who have 
 watched over it for ages; shall it leave cold the altars their 
 fathers for generations have kept aglow? Behold, the white 
 men honour their god; shall not we honour the gods which have 
 led us to the Land of Bread and which have sustained us here ? 
 If we desert them for a new god they will pour out ven- 
 geance upon us. And not only the gods should we fear, but 
 our own folk. From every village of the land a host of war- 
 riors would pour forth who would spill the blood of all those 
 who would attempt to pull down the images of their ancient 
 deities." 
 
 While he was speaking Alvarado glanced about him at the 
 faces of the Tlascalans. He saw that their eyes were as aglow 
 with fervor when the priest recited the sonorous names of their 
 gods as the Christians had been during the chanting of the 
 Creed. He realized that this people had been beaten on the 
 battle field, but that every man, woman and child would indeed 
 rise against their victors if the Spaniards were guilty of dis- 
 
 [148]
 
 BEHOLD THE STATUE OF THE GOD !
 
 WELCOMED TO TLASCALA 
 
 honour to their gods. He saw too that the religious zeal of 
 Cortes had blinded him to the danger of what would happen 
 if he insisted upon the conversion of the Indians. He pushed 
 nearer to him and laid his hand on the Captain's arm just as 
 he was opening his lips to make an angry rejoinder to the 
 High Priest. 
 
 "Wait, Cortes," he begged; "listen to Father Olmedo. We 
 have no fear of martyrdom, as you well know; but is it not 
 better to wait for it at least until we have converted the 
 heathen?" 
 
 Cortes turned impatiently, but Olmedo's smile soon dis- 
 armed his anger. 
 
 "Listen, my son," he said, "doubt not that the Lord has 
 given the heathen to be your inheritance, that He has reserved 
 to us the blessed task of teaching them His holy gospel. But 
 His day is not as our day. It was not by one miracle that 
 Christ gained His disciples ; and do you think to convert these 
 people in one hour? Moses had ten wonders to perform be- 
 fore the heart of Pharaoh was softened. If we overturn the 
 idols from their altars, what shall it avail if the idol be still 
 enshrined in their hearts? And if the seed be planted one day, 
 does the harvest come up on the morrow? The weapons of 
 the Lord are not only zeal and courage, but patience and love. 
 Let us make use of these and prepare the ground for the seed 
 of faith." 
 
 Father Olmedo was not the only priest in the army, and 
 his advice was not that of the others. Fiery, zealous, fanati- 
 cal, they urged Cortes not to listen to his mild words, but to 
 
 [149]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 make no concession to those who worshipped devils. But at 
 last the combined efforts of Alvarado and Olmedo prevailed, 
 and Cortes agreed to bide his time. 
 
 "Yet one thing shall be done at once," he declared. "Be- 
 fore we sleep the prisons filled with captives waiting to be 
 sacrificed to their gods must be emptied." 
 
 The Tlascalans consented it was an easy matter to let out 
 at night those who could be recaptured the next morning, and 
 in all ways possible they were eager to please their allies. 
 They also looked on with interest and awe when the Span- 
 iards placed a large cross in one of the public squares where 
 they celebrated mass every morning. In a few days the daugh- 
 ter of one of the Caciques was baptized and given the name 
 of Dona Louisa and was married to Alvarado. The Indians 
 called him Tonatiuh, the Sun, on account of his fair hair and 
 his bright manner. 
 
 For six weeks the Spaniards rested in Tlascala, and each day 
 the friendship between the hosts and their guests increased. 
 Fernando found endless amusement in going about the dark 
 narrow streets, and dallying in the crowded market place, and 
 in picking up the words of the Tlascalan tongue. 
 
 [150]
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 IT was against the advice of the Tlascalans that Cortes, on 
 his way to Montezuma's capital, chose the route which 
 led through Cholula. The Cholulans, they told him, were 
 a false folk whose words could not be trusted, men noted for 
 cunning treachery rather than for the more warlike qualities 
 of other Aztec tribes. But Cortes had decided, for reasons 
 which he did not make public, to pass through the sacred city 
 of the Aztecs and to behold the famous temple to Quetzal- 
 coatl, revered by the Mexicans as their most ancient and im- 
 portant shrine. Moreover, he had already announced to the 
 Cholulans his intention of visiting them, and it would have 
 gone against his policy to leave unfulfilled any plan already 
 given out. So the Spanish army, together with their Indian 
 allies, increased by the six thousand Tlascalans whom Cortes 
 had chosen from the hosts of those who volunteered to ac- 
 company him, set out for Cholula. 
 
 The city lay six leagues south of Tlaseala, and the two coun- 
 
 [151]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 tries, always jealous of each other, were separated by moun- 
 tains. These were crossed and the army descended into the 
 wide fertile plain, watered by little canals which nourished the 
 fields of maize and other crops raised by the industrious and 
 wealthy Cholulans. 
 
 That evening Cortes encamped by a small stream and the 
 next day made his entry into the city. Here he was welcomed 
 by the inhabitants, who came to meet the Spaniards, bearing 
 flowers and incense, and the visitors were installed in a pal- 
 ace composed of numerous buildings surrounded by a court 
 and wall. The Spaniards observed the difference between 
 Cholula and Tlascala. The former city was far more richly 
 built, with wide, clean streets; the people wore richer gar- 
 ments and more ornaments, and the houses were larger, hand- 
 somer and the furnishings more ample and of finer materials. 
 But it seemed to them that this folk of the plains or rather 
 tableland, since the city lay six thousand feet above the level 
 of the sea were less muscular, less active, less fit for war 
 than the poorer mountain-bred Tlascalans. 
 
 The Spaniards could find no fault with their reception, and 
 they thought the reputation given the Cholulans by their Tlas- 
 calan allies had been colored by jealousy. While Cortes kept 
 the same strict discipline and careful guard over the guns and 
 the horses, he allowed the officers and soldiers to wander about 
 the city during the daytime. 
 
 Fernando took full advantage of this permission and, to- 
 gether with Bernal Diaz, went from street to street, stopping 
 to glance into the houses where dark-eyed children stared back 
 at him, fascinated by his white skin and light hair; bartering 
 
 [152]
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 with beads for fruit in the market-place, and standing aside 
 to watch the numerous processions of priests and pilgrims, 
 footsore but rejoicing at having reached the holy city to which 
 they had travelled from their faroff towns. There were tem- 
 ples everywhere, and everywhere the smoke of incense rose into 
 the clear autumn air, while the fragrance of blossoms, grown 
 especially for the altars of the gods, filled the city. 
 
 "It is the Indian Jerusalem or Rome or Mecca, lad," com- 
 mented Diaz. " 'Tis a pity to think of so many prayers and 
 so many pilgrimages wasted by the heathen who seek to please 
 their idols. We are blessed indeed to have been born in a 
 Christian land." 
 
 It was owing to one of these processions that Fernando 
 and Diaz became separated, borne apart by the pressing of 
 the crowd. The boy, though very fond of the older soldier, 
 was not sorry to have the chance to wander about for a while 
 alone. His knowledge of the Indians' language had increased 
 so much during his stay in Tlascala that he enjoyed stopping 
 often to talk with those of all classes. 
 
 Before him rose the Great Teocalli, the temple which had 
 been in sight for miles before they reached the city. He 
 knew that it was the Holy of Holies of Anahuac, the far- 
 famed shrine of Quetzalcoatl. The temple covered so much 
 ground and rose to such a height that it did not seem possible 
 to him that it could have been erected by human hands. He 
 was almost inclined to believe what some of the town folk had 
 told him, that the god himself had laid its foundations and up- 
 raised the mighty pyramid in the dim legendary past. White 
 smoke curled from thousands of altars and brasiers, from fires 
 
 [153]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 that had not gone out, night or day for hundreds of years, 
 Marina had told him. 
 
 Fernando was eager to climb to the summit and to see for 
 himself the wonderful statue of the God of the Air about 
 which every Cholulan boasted. If he went with Cortes or 
 other officers, he knew that he would find no chance of asking 
 all the questions he wanted answered. Tales of enchanters, of 
 giants, of Prester John and his kingdom, of the Antipodes, 
 had been his daily food since the day he left his orphaned 
 Spanish home to come to Cuba with an older brother, who 
 had since died there of fever. In Mexico the boy's imagina- 
 tion was stimulated by marvels, but his appetite for them and 
 curiosity about them grew stronger all the time. And on 
 every side, from Cempoalla, from Tlascala and Cholula, he 
 had heard of the size and sanctity of this wondrous temple. 
 
 As he mounted the steps which wound around the pyramid, 
 the pilgrims stared at him and moved aside to let him pass. 
 He caught an occasional word "white as Quetzalcoatl from 
 the East," and he knew that they were speaking of the legend 
 of the god and of his departure for the unknown East. As he 
 climbed higher the fragrance of flowers grew stronger until 
 it made his head giddy and the incense was so thick that the 
 upper terraces were hidden in a white cloud. Suddenly a sen- 
 sation of strangeness overwhelmed him, and he grew keenly 
 aware of being cut off from everything to which he belonged. 
 The surroundings, the people, the language were such as no 
 imagination could have conjured up. He felt as if it all 
 must be a dream, and that he would awake in Spain or Cuba. 
 For a moment he thought of turning back. He longed to hear 
 
 [154]
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 the sturdy voice of Bernal Diaz ring out in good Castilian. 
 Then the sensation of vague terror passed as suddenly as it had 
 come, and he climbed on eagerly. 
 
 News of the approach of one of the Teules had been brought 
 to the priests on the summit, and when Fernando reached the 
 upmost level on which were the different altars and shrines, a 
 priest with wreaths of flowers about his neck and descending 
 to the hem of his white robe met him with words of welcome. 
 The boy answered in the Aztec tongue. 
 
 "You are come to see the temple of Quetzalcoatl," said the 
 old priest, whose hair was as white as his robe, "or perchance 
 you bring a message from the god, sent to me from his east- 
 ern isle whither the savor of our sweet sacrifices has been 
 wafted pleasantly unto his nostrils." 
 
 "Kay, Teoa," said another priest, much younger than the 
 first. "This is no divine messenger from Quetzalcoatl, but 
 one of the strangers who visit now our land." 
 
 Over the mild features of Teoa passed a puzzled expression. 
 Then he put out his hand to Fernando, saying: 
 
 "Come, whoever you are, and behold the statue of the god." 
 
 He led him into the largest of the shrines. The polished 
 wood of its walls was carved with minute images and sym- 
 bols. It was darkened by the smoke of innumerable years. 
 In the centre, upon a great carved stone pedestal, stood the 
 sacred image of Quetzalcoatl, God of the Air. [Upon his head 
 was a mitre waving with sculptured plumes of fire, rays to 
 imitate the winds; a collar of gold was about his neck; ear- 
 rings of turquoise hung from his ears. In one hand he bore 
 a jewelled sceptre and in his other a shield. 
 
 [155]
 
 
 WITH CORTES TKfc ,CONQUEROR 
 
 
 Fernando gazed curiously fit tb* shrine and statue of which 
 
 he had heard so much. He and leoa were alone, though other 
 priests stood at the doorway. Teoa had prostrated himself 
 on the ground in front of the statue and was chanting what 
 Fernando knew must be prayers. Then he rose and, taking 
 the wreaths from his neck, laid them at the feet of the god. 
 
 Fernando, remembering his horror at the different kind of 
 offerings he had shuddered at in the teocallis he had entered 
 on the march, and having feared that here he might witness 
 the same, was greatly relieved. The kind eyes of the aged 
 priest, the gentle voice and this offering of flowers showed 
 him a new side of the Aztec religion. Above the head of the 
 statue the roof of the temple was open and the blue sky shone 
 through, reassuringly familiar in these strange surround- 
 ings. 
 
 "It is a pure worship, this of our mighty God of the Air," 
 said Teoa, and Fernando could see that the priests' words were 
 directed only partly to him, and were spoken in a kind of 
 mystic absorption. Then, becoming conscious again of his 
 companion, he said: 
 
 "You shall tell me now of the message the god has de- 
 livered to you for me, his servant and son of his servants, who 
 from father to son, have served him as priests in this shrine 
 since it was built so many cycles ago that no man can number 
 them. He knows in truth how my spirit has longed for this 
 word." 
 
 Fernando was at a loss what to answer, when the younger 
 priest came and said something to Teoa, who turned to Fer- 
 nando and spoke: 
 
 [156]
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 "I must leave you, Messenger, but you will come again soon 
 at this hour to bless mine ears with the divine words," 
 
 When Fernando followed Teoa outside he intended to enter 
 some of the smaller shrines, but he saw that the sun was near 
 the horizon, and the aspect of the other priests seemed to him 
 suddenly sinister. Above the fragrance of flowers came the 
 odor of some burning substance which offended his senses 
 strangely. He hurried down the steps of the teocalli as rap- 
 idly as he could without jostling the worshippers who were 
 still climbing them. He drew a long breath of relief when he 
 was once again on the level and saw some of his countrymen 
 a few feet away. 
 
 For several days the Cholulans entertained the Spaniards 
 lavishly, supplying their table with food of all kinds. But 
 after the evening when Marina informed them that messen- 
 gers from Montezuma had come to the Caciques of the city 
 there was a notable change. The supply of provisions was 
 lessened; the Caciques no longer came to their quarters, and 
 when they walked through the city they were not greeted as 
 on the first days. Men looked at them and turned away 
 quickly. 
 
 Cortes was disturbed by these symptoms of unfriendliness 
 and wondered if it might not have been wiser to have followed 
 the Tlascalans' advice and chosen another route. The Indian 
 allies, only a few of whom he had allowed to accompany him 
 into the city, added to his anxiety by telling him that they had 
 observed barricades recently thrown up in the streets, and had 
 seen upon the flat roofs of a number of houses large piles of 
 stones that would be effective weapons in case of street fight- 
 
 [157]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 ing. They informed him too that a stream of women and 
 children had passed out of the city gates. 
 
 "What do you think of all this, Alvarado?" asked Cortes. 
 
 "Little indeed, Senor," answered Alvarado, smiling. "Our 
 allies love not the folk here and would doubtless enjoy noth- 
 ing better than to see a skirmish. Streets torn up that 
 new houses may be built belike, and stones for building them 
 stored close by out of this they would manufacture cause for 
 fear." 
 
 "But our straitened food supply?" suggested Cortes. 
 
 "We are no longer a new thing to them," Alvarado said as 
 he walked idly up and down the chamber ; "and so why weary 
 themselves by bringing us enough meat and fruit to feed the 
 court of the Emperor at Toledo? We are not likely to starve 
 yet with our present rations." 
 
 Cortes let himself be partly reassured by Alvarado's rea- 
 soning, but he determined to leave Cholula, and with or with- 
 out permission from Montezuma, to march upon Tenochtitlan 
 without further delay. 
 
 Since their arrival in the city Marina had been much sought 
 after by the wives of certain of the higher Caciques. They 
 had been most eager to learn from her about the wonderful 
 Malinche and his people, and she in turn had enjoyed chat- 
 ting once more with those of her own race. The same day on 
 which Cortes and Alvarado had talked together one of these 
 women met Marina in the market place whither she had gone 
 to buy a veil and scarf. She begged her to come home with 
 her, and when they were seated and had been served by a slave 
 with sweet cakes and chocolate, the woman said: 
 
 [158]
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 "Stay with me here tonight, Marina; it will be better for 
 you than if you should return to the palace of the Teules." 
 
 "Nay, but there is nothing lacking in the palace of the white 
 men," answered Marina. 
 
 "Naught perchance save safety," added the woman half un- 
 der her breath. "Yet it matters not," she continued, "why I 
 desire your company, only promise me that you will abide 
 here with me who have learned to love you so." 
 
 Marina's wits were quick and keen. She was convinced 
 that the woman was in possession of certain information which 
 she determined to get from her. It did not take a minute to 
 lay her plans. 
 
 "Will you in truth let me hide here until the hated strangers 
 are gone?" she asked. "For weeks have I looked for a chance 
 to escape from them who have kept me prisoner." 
 
 "Since that is so," replied the Cholulan woman, moving her 
 chair closer to Marina, "I can tell you what will give 
 you pleasure. Tomorrow, by the desire of Montezuma, who 
 has sent presents to all our chief Caciques, the Teules 
 will be set upon as they march out of the city, and in the 
 crowded streets our warriors say they will have no chance to 
 make use of their strange beasts and fire-breathing weapons. 
 Beyond the city lie thousands of Aztecs ready to aid our men 
 if it should be necessary." 
 
 "And when the white men are overcome what will be done 
 with them?" asked Marina eagerly. "I would be sure that 
 they could never again get hold of me. You know not the 
 strange power they wield with the words of their devil tongue 
 and the magic of their god." 
 
 [159]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 She shivered, and her fear seemed so genuine that her host- 
 ess tried to comfort her. 
 
 "Fear not, Marina. They will never trouble you more. 
 The captives will be sacrificed in the temples. It is already 
 planned that many will be offered in the shrines here, but 
 Malinche will be taken to the teocalli in Tenochtitlan." 
 
 "That is good news," said Marina rising. "In truth you 
 are my friend. I will hasten back to put together a few gar- 
 ments and then steal to you here within an hour." 
 
 Once outside the house, Marina walked as rapidly as she 
 could without attracting attention. She met Fernando and 
 asked if Cortes were within the palace. In her excitement she 
 failed to notice that the boy himself was leaving the garden in 
 which the Captain General's quarters were set. She hurried 
 to Cortes's apartments and entered without ceremony. 
 
 "Senor," she cried, breathing hard with excitement and 
 haste, "I have brought you evil tidings." 
 
 "What is it, Marina?" asked Cortes. "If you are warning 
 us once again before it has happened then is half the evil gone. 
 The saints bless you, Marina; but tell me what is planned. I 
 have known that there was something plotted against us." 
 
 Then Marina repeated word for word what the Cacique's 
 wife had revealed to her, while Cortes paced the floor, the vein 
 in his forehead swelling as always when he was greatly moved. 
 He realized that he was caught, that his situation was the 
 gravest he had been in since he had set foot in Mexico. By 
 allowing himself to be cooped up in a city with enemies in 
 every street and others just beyond the gates, he had neg- 
 lected, he knew, the precautions he should have scolded one of 
 
 [160]
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 his lieutenants for not taking. He had been too easily de- 
 ceived by the Cholulans' apparent friendliness. However, no 
 matter how much he might blame himself, he lost no time in 
 useless words. 
 
 He sent messengers hurriedly to certain priests of a temple 
 some leagues away whom he had seen on his march to Cholula, 
 and who, he had learned, were credited with great wisdom and 
 authority. The messengers were bidden to be secret and to 
 promise valuable presents to the priests if they would come 
 at once. When they arrived Cortes, by aid of Marina's di- 
 plomacy, made them understand that if they would give him 
 the information he desired he would double the valuable gifts 
 he put into their hands. They told him that Montezuma had 
 at first sent word to the Cholulans to welcome the Spaniards ; 
 then, when the Aztec priests had consulted the oracles and 
 declared that the gods had decreed that the Teules should per- 
 ish in Cholula, he had reversed his commands and ordered the 
 revolt which was about to break out. 
 
 Cortes sent for the ambassadors from Montezuma and told 
 them that he had discovered a plot to destroy him and his 
 army. The Aztecs protested that their sovereign knew noth- 
 ing of this, that the Cholulans alone were to blame. Cortes 
 pretended to believe this, as he was anxious to avoid an open 
 break with Montezuma. 
 
 The night was an anxious one for all the Spanish army. 
 Cortes commanded his officers to be prepared for any rising in 
 the city and to hold everything in readiness to march as soon 
 as dawn would make it possible for them to find their way 
 through the streets. So anxious a time was it for Cortes him- 
 
 [161]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 self, who was planning and giving orders on every side, that 
 he did not notice the absence of Fernando. 
 
 When Marina had stopped Fernando to question him about 
 Cortes's whereabouts, the boy was on his way to the great 
 teocalli. He had been there several times since his first visit. 
 Teoa and the shrine exerted over him a strange kind of attrac- 
 tion. At times the venerable priest understood clearly that 
 the boy was one of the Teules whose coming had so' disturbed 
 the city; at other times he would greet Fernando with rever- 
 ence as the veritable messenger of Quetzalcoatl. He liked to 
 talk to him and always about the teocalli and his long service 
 there. He told him that the god himself had ordained the 
 pure worship of flowers, incense, song and prayer. The hu- 
 man sacrifices offered the other gods were practices, he ex- 
 plained, which had been introduced by the Aztecs, who were 
 late comers to the land compared to his own ancestors, the 
 Mayas. He told such interesting stories of Quetzalcoatl that 
 Fernando was never tired of listening. The wonderful view 
 from the top of the great pyramid, with the snow-covered vol- 
 canoes of Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl, the sensation that 
 there was no one else, Spaniard or Cholulan, who was admitted 
 as he was freely to the inner shrine of the god, and the gentle 
 manner of the priest all these combined drew Fernando to 
 the teocalli whenever his duties left him free for an hour or 
 so. 
 
 This evening he intended to bid farewell to Teoa, as he knew 
 that Cortes had given orders to march on the morrow. When 
 he reached the summit, the younger, fierce looking priest who, 
 
 [162]
 
 THE TEOCALLI AT CHOLULA 
 
 he had learned, was called Chimalpopoca, came forward and 
 peering into his face, asked: 
 
 "Wherefore do you come here, Teule?" 
 
 "To talk with Teoa, the High Priest," answered the boy, 
 who tried not to show the feeling of repugnance Chimalpopoca 
 always excited in him. 
 
 "He is yonder," pointed the priest. "Enter and behold him 
 offering his pure sacrifice to the god. Shall Quetzalcoatl be 
 content with naught but the perfume of flowers?" he asked 
 scornfully. 
 
 Fernando turned with relief into the shrine, and when Teoa 
 had finished his prayers he made a low reverence before the 
 boy. Fernando could see that the old priest had grown older 
 even since his last visit, and that his gentle wits were even less 
 in his keeping than before. 
 
 "Hail, blessed messenger," he cried. "What word sends 
 the God of the Air by you to his faithful servant? For four- 
 score years have I served him, have brought to his altar the 
 offerings he delights in. Soon shall I journey to him; but be- 
 fore I close mine eyes for the last time I fain would know that 
 I have found favor with him. Answer, Messenger, is it so?" 
 
 And Fernando, the Christian, who could not bear to dis- 
 appoint the longing of the heathen's heart, answered: 
 
 "Yes, you have found favor with him, Teoa." 
 
 He knew that it was no use while the priest was in this state 
 of mystic absorption to explain that he had come to bid him 
 farewell. But he laid his hand on the head of the kneeling 
 priest as if to emphasize Quetzalcoatl's favor; and then, lift- 
 
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 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 ing the curtain at the entrance of the shrine, started out to 
 descend to the second terrace. As he reached the corner by 
 the steps, he felt himself seized from behind. A scarf was 
 twisted over his mouth and eyes; he was lifted up by strong 
 arms and borne rapidly into some enclosed space, and thrown 
 with such force to the ground that he lost consciousness.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE SACEIFICIAL STONE 
 
 IN the dark cell where Fernando came to consciousness all 
 was as silent as if he were hidden in the bowels of the earth. 
 For a moment he could not tell where he was nor remem- 
 ber what had happened to him. It must be time, he thought, 
 to light the torches and serve Cortes's supper; then he won- 
 dered whether his master had missed him. His mind now 
 picked up the thread of the afternoon's events. He recalled 
 the anxious face of Marina as she had hurried past him, the 
 ascent of the teocalli, his feeling of repugnance as Chimalpo- 
 poca bent over him, his farewell to Teoa, and then the unex- 
 pected assault from behind. He had not seen his assailant, but 
 he was certain that it was none other than Chimalpopoca, and 
 that his dread of him had been justified. 
 
 He could not tell how long he had lain unconscious. Still 
 suffering from bruises, he got to his feet and began to feel about 
 the walls of his prison. It was not more than ten by eight 
 feet, he judged, and was covered as far as he could reach with 
 intricate carvings. He felt it over, inch by inch, in the hope of 
 
 [165]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 finding an opening; but the opening, wherever it was, was so 
 cunningly concealed that he was unable to discover it. There 
 were, he knew, several small rooms on the summit of the teo- 
 calli, in addition to the innumerable apartments at its base, 
 which served for storing away the sacrificial robes and utensils, 
 or as rest rooms for the priests. At least, this was the purpose 
 Fernando had ascribed to the rooms he had never been allowed 
 to enter. 
 
 He wondered whether Teoa knew where he was and whether 
 his kindness to him had been but the playing of a part, the bet- 
 ter to deceive him. Yet he did not believe this possible. Even 
 if the High Priest had not looked upon him as sent by Quet- 
 zalcoatl, his gentle nature, the boy felt sure, abhorred all vio- 
 lence. He had seen him shudder when he spoke of the human 
 sacrifices offered in other temples throughout Anahuac to the 
 God of War. Doubtless those who had brought him where he 
 was had acted without Teoa's knowledge, and whatever they 
 planned to do to him they meant to keep from his friend. 
 
 Fernando shivered. The terror which seized him was as 
 sharp as physical pain. All the vague feelings of oppression 
 and fear that he had experienced when he first mounted the 
 steps of the teocalli and had seen the eyes of Chimalpopoca 
 fixed upon him, now merged together and were multiplied a 
 thousandfold. If he could only have a light, he thought, he 
 would be braver. He felt as if he were not alone in the cell, 
 yet when he moved to make sure he found no one. He longed 
 for someone to come and tell him what fate awaited him, so he 
 cried out as loud and as long as he could, but no one came. 
 
 He was sure that days must have gone by and that it was 
 
 [166]
 
 THE SACRIFICIAL STONE 
 
 intended to starve him to death. But in fact his imprisonment 
 had lasted only eight hours when he felt himself lifted from 
 the ground on which he had crouched. He shrieked with sur- 
 prise and terror. He had heard no one, no sound of the open- 
 ing wall, no footstep behind him. A scarf was bound about his 
 mouth and he was carried out into the open air. He caught 
 sight of brilliant stars in the black sky above and the flames 
 of several ever-burning altars. Then he was borne into what 
 he knew must be one of the smaller shrines, and by the light 
 of a torch stuck in one corner, he beheld a statue of Quetzal- 
 coatl, similar in design to the famous idol, only smaller and 
 darkened by the smoke of years. 
 
 He saw too that it was indeed Chimalpopoca who had bound 
 and carried him. The priest lighted the other torches, the 
 glow of which illumined the shrine. In place of walls were 
 heavy curtains of cotton on which were painted scenes from 
 the history of the god. There were no flowers before the 
 statue, but hanging on poles about it and from the beams which 
 formed a roof with an opening in it to let out the smoke, there 
 were innumerable small dark objects. Fernando gazed at 
 these in horror, for he had heard from Marina that the hearts of 
 human sacrifices were thus preserved in the teocallis. 
 
 "But surely," he said to himself, while Chimalpopoca was 
 busy in making preparations for some deed he dared not let his 
 imagination dwell on, "surely this is the shrine of Quetzalcoatl, 
 the god who taught the Aztecs all that is highest in their 
 civilization, whose altars are pure of the awful sacrifices offered 
 to the God of War." Yet in his heart he knew that Teoa's 
 words had not told the truth. From his first visit to the teocalli 
 
 [167]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the faces of the other priests, the strange odor of burning flesh 
 should have warned him of what went on in the shrines. Now 
 he knew! 
 
 He watched with terrified eyes the preparations Chimalpo- 
 poca was making. At a signal from him slaves staggered in 
 with a huge stone block and laid it before the statue. Now 
 at another signal they approached him. He tried to cry out, 
 but the scarf muffled every sound. He kicked out wildly and 
 beat his arms like flails in their faces, but his blows were as 
 ineffectual as drops of rain on a rock. They lifted him from 
 the ground, slipped off his jerkin, hose and under garments, 
 and, carrying him naked to the stone, they laid him on it. It 
 was slightly curved so that his head and legs hung down. The 
 slaves then fastened his wrists and ankles into grooves cut out 
 of the polished stone for this purpose. Then slaves and Chi- 
 malpopoca lifted up the curtain and left him alone. 
 
 Fernando's heart beat as if it were eager to put into these 
 few last moments the beats of a lifetime. His mind no longer 
 had to face dread possibilities but the dire certain fate that 
 awaited him. He wondered again if Teoa could have lied to 
 him with his words, his smiles, his apparent gentleness. 
 Through the opening in the roof he could see that the stars 
 were paling. Doubtless the sacrifice would be offered at dawn, 
 the sacrifice that was now so full of life ! He looked up at the 
 idol before him and shuddered as he imagined he saw it leer 
 back at him. Then he began to pray, fervent prayers to Christ 
 and all the saints, to save him, or if that might not be, to bear 
 his soul to the Christian heaven. 
 
 He saw the curtain being slowly lifted, and priests filed 
 
 [168]
 
 THE SACRIFICIAL STONE 
 
 in until the shrine was full. Chimalpopoca, clothed in a blood- 
 red robe, came the last, and the light of the torches flashed 
 back from the polished black stone knife he bore in his hand. 
 Slaves swung incense and the priests chanted a hymn to the 
 great God of the Air, that he would be pleased to accept this 
 rare offering, and in token of his pleasure, ward from his own 
 city of Cholula the dangers which threatened it. The slaves 
 rolled up the curtains, that had been flapping gently in the 
 faint breeze which announced the dawn, and Chimalpopoca 
 approached the stone. 
 
 Fernando closed his eyes. Boy though he was, he had not 
 shrunk from death on the battlefield, but this awful death he 
 could not face. He felt the hand of Chimalpopoca at his 
 breast. In another second the knife would have done its work. 
 
 Then he felt Chimalpopoca start, and he heard the voice of 
 Teoa, but firm and stern and angry as he had never heard it 
 before : 
 
 "What means this profanation? Truly did the god awaken 
 me from my slumbers before the accustomed hour, that I might 
 save his altar from this horror. Is he Huitzilopotchli, that ye 
 offer him quivering human flesh instead of fruit and flowers? 
 Loosen at once the youth and leave this sanctuary, all ye faith- 
 less servants, that I may cleanse it and escape the wrath of 
 Quetzalcoatl!" 
 
 The dreamy look in the High Priest's eyes had vanished; 
 now perhaps for the first time in many years he was fully 
 aware of what went on about him. Chimalpopoca, seeing 
 this, knew that the time had come for him to explain. 
 
 "Fear not, Teoa," he said scornfully, though he made the 
 
 [169]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 customary humble obeisance to the High Priest, "that the god 
 will be angry because we offer him this sacrifice. Long ago he 
 wearied of your flowers and for years now he has delighted in 
 the flavor of human hearts. Though you are the High Priest 
 and the son of high priests, you have not known what went on 
 in this temple. Your nostrils were too full of the fragrance 
 of flowers to smell the smoke of the burnt offerings ; your eyes 
 were holden by age that you should not behold the captives 
 who awaited the moment of sacrifice. And in the night when 
 you were asleep I, the chief priest next to you, did perform 
 the duties of mine office." 
 
 Chimalpopoca ceased for a moment to listen to a sound 
 which came from the street far below, and Teoa, like one 
 awakening from a dream, turned to the other priests and 
 asked : 
 
 "Has he spoken the truth?" 
 
 In token of his truth-telling, Chimalpopoca lifted down a 
 string of dark dried objects and would have placed it in Teoa's 
 hand had he not drawn back shuddering. 
 
 "The hearts of Quetzalcoatl's offering," said the younger 
 priest simply. 
 
 The noise below had increased to such an extent that even 
 to the high shrine came, though veiled, the cries of those in the 
 streets. Chimalpopoca smiled as if pleased. 
 
 "Let us hasten," he said, "that Quetzalcoatl may be glad of 
 this offerings and grant success to what is planned." 
 
 But Teoa had taken his stand beside the altar. At the 
 nearer sight of the white body of the sacrifice he had started 
 
 back. 
 
 [170]
 
 THE SACRIFICIAL STONE 
 
 "Oh ! horrors of horrors I" he cried. "Not only have you pro- 
 faned the shrine of the god who came to teach men gentleness 
 and the culture of the fields, hut you dare to slay his very mes- 
 senger. Loose him before Quetzalcoatl smites you before his 
 own altar." 
 
 No one stirred. The outward respect they had always 
 shown to the High Priest had for years covered in many of the 
 priests a scorn for the gentleness which was so contrary to their 
 own natures. Yet even now some of them trembled a little, 
 retaining the superstitious awe of the miraculous powers which 
 were supposed to be hereditary in Teoa's family. 
 
 Not so Chimalpopoca. He had not even listened to the 
 older priest's words but had been barkening to the uproar 
 which increased each moment. Added to the cries was a dull 
 roar which seemed to come from all parts of the city. Now 
 he turned and, laying his hand on Teoa, shoved him aside. 
 
 "There is no time now to be lost," he cried. "Dawn is past 
 and day is here. The god waits above and the Caciques below 
 for the signal that they may expect the divine blessing. Hear 
 you not how the folk have risen against the Teules? Monte- 
 zuma and our leaders have planned that neither Malinche nor 
 his army shall see this day's sunset." 
 
 Again he drew his black knife and touched the boy's breast 
 with its sharp edge, as if to feel out the best spot. Then came 
 a mighty roar from the streets which stayed his hand. 
 
 "An earthquake!" cried the priests. 
 
 "The angry voice of Quetzalcoatl," murmured Teoa. 
 
 "The guns!" thought Fernando. 
 
 Terrific shrieks followed, and the temple slaves hurried into 
 
 [171] 

 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the shrine, crying out "Help! Help! There is fighting and 
 terrible death all about us." 
 
 Chimalpopoca rushed to the steps, followed by all except 
 Teoa, who knelt down before the shrine and prayed fervently. 
 
 Fernando dared not open his eyes for a moment. He felt 
 that he should see the horrible face of Chimalpopoca above 
 him. When he did open them he saw that he was alone except 
 for the kneeling High Priest. He called to him, for the scarf 
 had been removed when he was laid on the altar ; but Teoa was 
 once again lost to the outside world. Fernando listened and 
 could hear that feet were flying down the stairs of the teocalli, 
 and he knew that for a few moments he was safe. He tried 
 to imagine what was happening in the city. He made a guess 
 that Cortes had discovered the plot against him and that he 
 had attacked first or had been ready to beat back the Cholulans 
 when they attacked him. The guns told him that the Span- 
 iards were clearing the streets. He believed they would be 
 able to force their way through whatever host was opposed to 
 them; he had seen the panic among the Tlascalans when the 
 guns mowed down their comrades. They would force their 
 way out of the city, but it would not save him. He would be 
 dead before Cortes's work that day was done, and doubtless 
 Cortes would never know the fate of his page, but would think 
 he had fallen fighting. 
 
 "O blessed saints, what a sweet death were that!" cried out 
 the boy in an agony of dread. 
 
 Again he tried to make Teoa hear him. If the priest could 
 loosen him might he not escape by some secret passage known 
 to the High Priest? But Teoa's ears, which had not heard his 
 
 [172]
 
 THE SACRIFICIAL STONE 
 
 call, now caught the shrieks from below. He seemed to 
 awaken once more from the sleep of years and to realize that 
 hostile feet were attempting to gain a footing on the steps of 
 his beloved temple. He rushed out beyond the shrine, calling : 
 
 "Arm yourselves, arm yourselves, you priests, and defend 
 the house of the god. Here, Chimalpopoca, to my side. 
 Quetzalcoatl bids me fight for him." 
 
 By turning his head to one side, Fernando was able to see 
 a portion of the terrace and the head of the stairs. He could 
 see Teoa in his trailing white robe and Chimalpopoca with a 
 breastplate over his red robe which he had looped up with his 
 girdle, leaving his legs bare and free, a spear in one hand and 
 a shield in the other, followed by fifty young priests, all hastily 
 armed with whatever they could find, knives, spears, and even 
 heavy objects of temple furniture to hurl down on the foe be- 
 low, already engaged by an army of priests and slaves on the 
 lower terraces. They rushed to the parapet and down the 
 stairs and, judging by the sound of their footsteps as he could 
 hear them going round each descending terrace, Fernando 
 knew that they must have reached the level of the street. 
 
 There was a slight lull, then again he heard the reverbera- 
 tion of the cannon, the rattle of musquetry and the shrieks of 
 the Cholulans. His ears distinguished the battle-cry of his 
 countrymen, "St. James! St. James!" He caught the sound 
 of blows on metal, of weapon on weapon at the foot of the 
 temple, and heard ascending steps, so he concluded that the 
 priests had been driven to the second level. 
 
 He could not see anything that was going on; only above 
 him the brilliant sky up which the sun had already climbed far, 
 
 [173]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 and the white summit of one of the great volcanoes. There 
 was no human being left in the shrine. The thousands of 
 priests were all below. Fernando pulled in desperation, try- 
 ing to free his arms, but with no avail. The braziers on which 
 incense had been thrown sent forth their heavy clouds of fra- 
 grant smoke which almost stifled him. 
 
 He could not tell what hopes there might be for a Spanish 
 victory. He did not know that Cortes, after learning from 
 Marina the plot of the Cholulans, had summoned their prin- 
 cipal Caciques and taxed them with what he called their 
 treachery. Then he had turned the cannon upon them, 
 slaughtering them by the hundreds, and the fighting had spread 
 through all the city streets. Fernando knew that Cortes had 
 left the Tlascalan allies outside the city, in order that the pres- 
 ence of their hereditary foes might not offend the Cholulans. 
 If these had been able to come to the rescue of the Spaniards 
 he believed they would not be so hopelessly outnumbered. 
 
 Then suddenly below him he caught the battle-cry of the 
 Tlascalans, the cry of Xicotencatl's retainers. Only a few 
 weeks ago those who uttered it had done their utmost to kill 
 the white men ; now they were fighting side by side with them. 
 He listened more intently than ever. As the noise grew 
 stronger he knew that the priests had again been driven to the 
 level above. But there they made a firm stand, reinforced by 
 the slaves who had been stationed there ; and the sun was almost 
 directly over his head before he heard this platform abandoned 
 and the priests again retreat. He listened to Chimalpopoca 
 calling out his commands, and he shrank at the sound of this 
 voice and the thought that even though the Spaniards and 
 
 [174]
 
 THE SACRIFICIAL STONE 
 
 Tlascalans should win in the end, there would be time before 
 their coming for the priest to finish the sacrifice he had begun. 
 
 Another half hour and the remaining terraces had been lost 
 by the defenders. So close below him was the fighting now 
 that Fernando could easily distinguish the voices and cries of 
 the Cholulans and of the Tlascalans. He knew that there were 
 no Spaniards amongst the assailants, but the cries and shots 
 from the streets told him they were busy elsewhere. He could 
 even hear the bodies as they fell and struck the third terrace in 
 their fall. Then there came a great rush and he saw the priests 
 swarming over the parapet. Some rushed to the statue of the 
 god, some to hide in the dark cells like the one in which he had 
 been imprisoned, while the majority massed to dispute the 
 parapet to the last. 
 
 He beheld Teoa, his white robe almost as red now as that of 
 Chimalpopoca's, his eyes dazed, turn as one who had lost his 
 way, searching for the shrine which he had so faithfully served 
 all his life. But instead of finding it, he entered the one where 
 the boy lay. The sight of him brought back to the ancient 
 priest the horror of his discovery that he had been so duped and 
 the god's shrine so desecrated. He stood still a moment be- 
 fore the bloodstained altar, then cried in a voice of anguish: 
 
 "Quetzalcoatl! Blessed god! Forgive your servant who 
 could not preserve your altar from profanation and from the 
 hands of the enemy." 
 
 Then Fernando saw him rush to the parapet with the light- 
 ness of a boy, and with horror beheld him leap out into the air, 
 to fall to the ground far below. 
 
 Even as he had done this the Tlascalans swarmed up over the 
 
 [175]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 steps; against their superior numbers and trained force even 
 the fierceness of Chimalpopoca and his followers was of no 
 avail. They fought as bravely as men can fight, but the Tlas- 
 calans were victorious and soon had bound together all who 
 were still alive. 
 
 Cries of astonishment told Fernando that he had been dis- 
 covered. He looked up into the face of the young Cacique 
 Xicotencatl. Then he fainted, and when he came to himself 
 he was lying on the ground unbound, a warrior's cape over him. 
 But he managed to answer Xicotencatl's questions as to how 
 he came there and to pour out hurried words of thanks for his 
 rescue. 
 
 The young Cacique gave his orders. His soldiers loosened 
 for a moment the cord which bound the prisoners together, 
 and took out Chimalpopoca. They stripped him of his robe 
 and then threw him upon the sacrificial stone. And before 
 Fernando, who had not yet completely recovered his wits, could 
 protest, a Tlascalan priest had cut open his breast, pulled out 
 his heart and cast it into the fire which was to have received the 
 heart of Fernando. All the Tlascalans cried out loud words 
 of triumph and praise to the gods for victory. 
 
 [176]
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 
 IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 
 
 IT was with real joy that Cortes greeted his page again 
 when Xicotencatl brought Fernando to the palace, 
 whither the Cacique went to report to his ally that the 
 Great Teocalli, the heart of the city, was captured. The Cap- 
 tain General, even in the hours of his anxiety, had had time to 
 worry over the absence of the boy, and had sent Bernal Diaz 
 with five soldiers in search of him through such portions of the 
 city as were held by the Spaniards. Now when he saw Fer- 
 nando in his strange costume and had listened to the boy's ex- 
 cited account of his danger and his rescue, Cortes stepped to- 
 wards the Cacique with that smile that endeared him to so many 
 and said: 
 
 "You have indeed made of me your debtor this day, O 
 Chief. Xot only have you conquered the temple by your valor, 
 but you have given back to me the life of this, my page." 
 4 " 'Tis a valiant young warrior," replied the Cacique shortly, 
 and strode away. 
 
 Fernando, strengthened by food and drink, was present at 
 the Council which now took place. Sandoval, Alvarado, de 
 
 [177]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Avila and all of Cortes's officers related their stories of what 
 they had seen and done in their parts of the contest. Fer- 
 nando wished that it might not have been considered necessary 
 to massacre the Cholulans drawn up in the square; but the 
 Spanish leaders justified themselves by saying that only by a 
 sudden blow of this kind had they got the upper hand. Each 
 officer had a different tale to tell of being cornered in narrow 
 streets, where javelins and stones rained on them from the 
 roofs; of the quick terror that seized the Cholulans when the 
 cannon and muskets sent forth the mysterious death into their 
 ranks, and of the relief they felt when the Tlascalans, with 
 wreaths of sedge about their heads, to distinguish them from 
 the Cholulans, appeared to join their strength to their own. 
 
 But there was no one whose recital excited as much atten- 
 tion as Fernando's. Father Olmedo listened eagerly when 
 the boy explained the difference between the older and the 
 later worship of Quetzalcoatl. 
 
 "I would I might have talked with that Teoa," he said re- 
 gretfully. "It seems to me that it had not been difficult to 
 have proved to such a man the truths of our blessed faith." 
 
 "Waste not your desire for talk with the dead, Father," 
 interrupted Cortes. "Rather let us make haste to convert the 
 living. The day has at last dawned when we shall drive the 
 devils out of this land and bring this pagan folk into the fold of 
 the Church." 
 
 The eyes of the Captain General blazed with religious fire, 
 and all present, with two exceptions, shared his belief that the 
 conversion of the heathen was about to be accomplished. 
 
 "But". . . exclaimed Fernando; and then suddenly con- 
 
 [178]
 
 IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 
 
 scious that the word had been uttered aloud, he tried to hide 
 behind Alvarado's broad back. 
 
 "But what, boy?" asked Cortes, beckoning to him. 
 
 Fernando, all shamefaced, answered: 
 
 "I crave your pardon, Senor; I was but thinking that men 
 who could fight for their gods as I saw them fight on 
 the teocalli would not change their belief even if threatened by 
 death." 
 
 Cortes frowned, and while he was weighing his reply, Father 
 Olmedo spoke: 
 
 "The lad says wisely, Captain. Men can not be convinced 
 in a minute. Even our gracious sovereigns, Ferdinand and 
 Isabella, respected the faith of the Moors when they con- 
 quered their kingdom. In truth, you can not doubt that the 
 wish nearest to my heart is to baptize the Indians, but let us 
 give time for the blessed seed of faith to ripen." 
 
 "The father is right," said Sandoval. "Moreover, should we 
 use force here to make Christians of the Cholulans we would 
 leave behind us an enemy in every one of the thousands of 
 priests who swarm here." 
 
 Again against his will Cortes was forced to postpone con- 
 version; but he entered eagerly into the suggestion of Father 
 Olmedo's to plant a huge Cross on the summit of the teocalli. 
 It was rapidly built of stone and plaster and erected on the 
 very spot where Fernando had lain bound. The priest, 
 through Marina, explained to the gaping Cholulans the mean- 
 ing of this symbol. It stood high above the shrines, many of 
 which had been destroyed during the combat, and could be seen 
 from all parts of the city. 
 
 [179]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Cortes was not content with this effort and determined to 
 prevent any further human sacrifices. He had learned from 
 Fernando that all the prisoners captured by the Tlascalans 
 were destined to this fate. He sent for the principal Caciques, 
 and forced them, against their will, to surrender their captives. 
 Xicotencatl alone among them refused. 
 
 "I have already sent those whom my arms won for me to our 
 gods in Tlascala," he answered haughtily, "and Xicotencatl 
 will never ask back from the gods what he has given them." 
 
 The young Tlascalan in truth showed little inclination to 
 play the part of the humbled conquered towards the captor; 
 and Cortes, sure that for the time at least his desire to fight 
 the Aztecs would keep the Cacique their ally, if not their friend, 
 did not resent this proud attitude. 
 
 The only Spaniard to whom Xicotencatl showed courtesy 
 was Fernando. He would ask questions of him- regarding the 
 discipline and drill of the troops, and in turn would explain the 
 simpler evolutions of his mountain forces. On the march to- 
 wards Tenochtitlan, which now had really begun, he would call 
 Fernando to his side, and as they walked along, his yellow and 
 white plumes waving about his shoulders and his rough cloak 
 of hare's fur woven with cotton thrown back during the heat 
 of the day, the boy could not help thinking that, different as 
 he looked, he was as fine a figure of a soldier as Alvarado him- 
 self. 
 
 The Cacique was oftener silent than not, yet at times he 
 would relate stirring tales of Tlascalan history. And one day 
 he told Fernando of the gallant enemy he hoped to find again 
 
 [180]
 
 IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 
 
 in Tenochtitlan the son-in-law of Montezuma, and of how 
 they had sworn to fight each other. 
 
 "You did not know, little White Warrior," he said almost 
 affectionately, "that I too had nearly been sacrificed on a 
 strange altar from which I too escaped?" 
 
 "And yet," replied Fernando puzzled, "you have sent many 
 Cholulans to die the same death in Tlascala." 
 
 'Tis the fortune of war," explained the Cacique. "And 
 had I been old as some of them were I had not sought to es- 
 cape. It is a quick road to the gods. But I am young, and 
 the blood beats too strongly in my veins to be stilled yet." 
 
 Now that Cholula lay conquered behind them, Cortes felt 
 that the last part of the journey to Montezuma's capital had 
 begun in earnest. Before leaving the city he had received other 
 envoys from the Aztec monarch and he had pretended to be- 
 lieve that Montezuma regretted the Cholulan outburst against 
 the Spaniards. 
 
 He did not need the warning of his allies to know that it 
 would not be wise to trust to the fair words of the Aztecs. At 
 one part of the march he came to two roads, one of which had 
 been blocked by trunks of recently felled trees. When he 
 inquired of the Mexicans why this had been done they told 
 him that it was by order of Montezuma, to prevent the Span- 
 iards taking a road which would be impassable for their horses 
 and their guns. Nevertheless Cortes determined to go by this 
 way, as it was the most direct road to Tenochtitlan, and also 
 just because it was the road which Montezuma would not ex- 
 pect him to take. He set the soldiers to removing the trees, 
 
 [181]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 and soon had the road clear. It led them always up into the 
 mountains, and the air grew colder and colder. 
 
 "It is worse than the Pyrenees," exclaimed Alvarado, draw- 
 ing his mantle closer about him. 
 
 "Look, yonder, what sight is that?" cried Cortes, letting the 
 reins fall on his horse's neck as he pointed ahead. 
 
 A huge white peak rose between them and the sky, its white 
 slopes spreading across many miles. From its summit a cloud 
 of thinner white, a vapor shot through with red flames, curled 
 against the blue sky. 
 
 "It is snow," cried Cortes in amazement, "and there are 
 flames upon it. Saw man ever such a marvel? What is it 
 called, Marina?" 
 
 "It is the great volcano, Senor," the girl answered, "Popo- 
 catepetl, ' the hill that smokes' as men call it. There is fire 
 in its heart that is never quenched. 'Tis said that those em- 
 perors and caciques who on earth have ruled cruelly are im- 
 prisoned therein, and that the horrid sounds and awesome rum- 
 bles that can be heard afar off come from their outcries in their 
 torments. And there yonder is the 'White Woman,' Iztacci- 
 huatl, the wife of Popocatepetl. There are no men brave 
 enough to venture up the slopes of either for fear of the wrath 
 of the gods." 
 
 "Indians may fear them," cried one of the captains, Diego 
 Ordaz, "but a Spaniard knows no such fear. Will you give 
 me and my men permission, Senor, to make closer acquaintance 
 with yon smoking mountain?" 
 
 "Gladty, Ordaz," answered Cortes. "It pleases me ever to 
 
 [182]
 
 IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 
 
 give proof to our allies of what stuff Spaniards are made. Go, 
 and we will await you here." 
 
 Fernando begged to be one of the party, but Cortes refused. 
 He knew that the expedition would test severely the strength 
 of grown men. While the army rested in its temporary camp, 
 Ordaz, nine soldiers and a few Tlascalans cut their way through 
 the heavy undergrowth of the forest at the foot of the slope. 
 Loud rumblings from the interior of the mountain were soon 
 heard and proved too much for the bravery of the Indians, who 
 returned to camp. The Spaniards pushed on laboriously over 
 lava beds to where the snow line began. With great difficulty 
 they climbed step by step over icy fields till they almost reached 
 the summit. Then wide streams of molten lava and choking 
 fumes checked them, and much to their disappointment, they 
 were forced to descend just a little before the highest point. 
 
 "What token is it you bring back?" cried out Cortes as the 
 little party limped wearily but proudly back to camp. 
 
 "An icicle, Captain," replied Ordaz, "which I plucked from 
 the path of the burning torrent." 
 
 Later, when Cortes's report of his expedition had come into 
 the hands of the Emperor, Charles V. gave unto Diego de 
 Ordaz the right for himself and for his family to bear a burn- 
 ing mountain as his coat of arms. 
 
 Each day the march of the army was more arduous, and 
 many of the troops suffered severely from the intense cold and 
 the rarified air of the altitude. 
 
 "Old Montezuma must dwell in heaven itself, if a heathen 
 may," growled Bernal Diaz, "and we shall never climb up there 
 in this life." 
 
 [183]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 But Cortes, whose impatience to get to the end of his jour- 
 ney, scarcely allowed him to sleep, urged the men on to further 
 efforts. 
 
 On the following day the road became a narrow defile en- 
 closed by high stone walls which left no outlet for the sight but 
 the sky. 
 
 "So is sorrow," said Father Olmedo to Cortes, "which turns 
 our eyes from earthly distractions towards heaven." 
 
 But Cortes paid little heed to the words of the priest. He 
 had caught sight of Fernando running towards him, his eyes 
 glowing. 
 
 "Master!" he cried out, "hasten and see the sight beyond. 
 There lies Montezuma's kingdom. I went ahead while all of 
 you were resting, and when I turned that corner of the road I 
 beheld the wonder of it all." 
 
 Cortes ordered the march to be resumed at once, and in a 
 quarter of an hour they had passed through the defile and stood 
 on the side of the cliffs where they could see below them 
 spread out all the Valley of Tenochtitlan. It was like a giant's 
 flower garden, with dark patches of forests and gayly colored 
 fields and farm lands. The two great lakes glistened in the 
 sunlight which was reflected back from the stones of palaces 
 and temples. And around the entire valley rose the ring of 
 snow-tipped mountains. 
 
 All stood for a moment silently gazing ; then the soldiers be- 
 gan to murmur. The sight of all the wealth and signs of or- 
 dered civilization before them impressed them with the power 
 of Montezuma and the people he reigned over. They cried out 
 that it was foolhardy to think of conquering this land with their 
 
 [184]
 
 IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 
 
 handful of troops. Again Cortes appealed to them, begging 
 them not to turn their backs on the glory and the riches that 
 awaited them ; and at last he and his captains succeeded in per- 
 suading them to go on. 
 
 They descended into the valley and passed through numerous 
 villages, in some of which the inhabitants welcomed them with 
 gifts of flowers, and in others the folk stared at them in silence. 
 
 Another embassy from Montezuma was seen approaching. 
 They bore gifts of gold and furs and feather robes, and their 
 spokesman repeated the message of their Emperor, that he 
 would bestow great quantities of gold upon Cortes and his men 
 if they would come no farther. 
 
 While they were speaking Fernando had caught sight of a 
 boy of about his own age among the envoys. The boy 
 Ahuitzotl had eyes for Fernando only. They gazed fixedly 
 at each other, apprising as boys have always done, the strength 
 and resistance of the other. One of the Caciques held out a 
 small shield ornamented with feathers to Ahuitzotl and gave 
 him some command. Ahuitzotl looked as if he disliked obey- 
 ing, nevertheless he took the shield and walked slowly towards 
 Fernando. 
 
 " 'Tis a gift to you, white boy," he said. 
 
 "My thanks to him who sent it," answered Fernando. 
 
 "Do you speak our tongue?" asked the Aztec in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 "Somewhat," replied Fernando. 
 
 He examined the shield eagerly. The Aztec showed him 
 how it should be held, and Fernando in return showed him his 
 dagger which he wore in his belt, on which he had noticed 
 
 [185]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Ahuitzotl's eyes fastened. His hands happened to touch those 
 of the Indian as he pulled the Toledo knife from its leathern 
 sheath, and he experienced a sudden feeling that their touch 
 was familiar to him, though he hunted through his memory in 
 vain for a clue. Then all at once he seemed to see once again 
 a figure struggling in a dim light and he felt again the iron 
 grip of fingers about his throat. 
 
 "It was you then?" he exclaimed. But the Aztec's features 
 gave no sign of understanding. Still Fernando was now cer- 
 tain that it had indeed been this boy who had so nearly suc- 
 ceeded in stealing Cortes's sword and who had got the better 
 of himself in the struggle. He measured his opponent with 
 his eye and wondered whether if he had not been taken by sur- 
 prise he might not have held his own. 
 
 "What is your name?" he asked, looking fixedly at him. "I 
 would see more of thee some day." 
 
 "Ahuitzotl," replied the Aztec, who had no doubt for what 
 purpose the Spanish boy wished to meet him again. "And how 
 do they call you?" he asked in turn. 
 
 "Fer-nan-do, Fer-nan-do," repeated the other slowly, to let 
 the unaccustomed sound sink into his ear and brain. 
 
 Xicotencatl, the Tlascalan, had been standing some distance 
 away, observing the two boys. Now he came towards them and 
 put an end to the meeting, which he knew would not have pro- 
 gressed so peacefully had they been free of witnesses. 
 
 "Are you from the court of Montezuma?" he asked Ahuit- 
 zotl. 
 
 "I am the chief page of our great Emperor," replied the boy, 
 drawing himself up proudly. 
 
 [186]
 
 IN SIGHT OF THE GOAL 
 
 " Then you must know Prince Guatemozin?" questioned the 
 Cacique again. 
 
 "He is my master in the training of a warrior," and Ahuit- 
 zotl as he answered looked almost prouder of this honour than 
 of his close relation to his sovereign. 
 
 "Will you bear to him this message? Say to him that the 
 Tlascalan whom he knows waits eagerly to match once more 
 with him the strength of his arm, and that the day is not far 
 distant when he will meet him in a place fitter for a combat that 
 the women's quarters. Will you tell him this?" 
 
 "Yea, I will bear your message, Tlascalan," agreed Ahuit- 
 zotl; "but it will behoove thee to have a strong arm indeed be- 
 fore you can hope to bear his down." He did not recognize 
 in the Tlascalan chieftain the fugitive he had pursued a few 
 days before. 
 
 Then he walked off slowly and rejoined the envoys who were 
 departing without the concession from Cortes they had hoped 
 to bear to Montezuma. The Spanish leader had given them 
 honied words for honied words of theirs, and he had told them 
 to say to their Emperor that he could not forego the pleasure 
 of seeing for himself the wonders of his city. 
 
 When Ahuitzotl entered the royal chamber he found Mon- 
 tezuma much disturbed. The knowledge that the Spaniards 
 were now almost at his gate, and that neither bribes nor plots 
 had sufficed to halt them, made him pace the floor with anxiety. 
 Some parrots chained to golden perches turned their brilliant 
 heads to watch him, as if amazed at his unusual restless- 
 ness. 
 
 "If 1 could but know what is in their hearts, wherefore they 
 
 [187]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 come here and what they will of me!" exclaimed Montezuma, 
 speaking aloud. 
 
 There was no one else but Ahuitzotl in the chamber. He 
 alone was the witness of these rare moments when the dread 
 sovereign showed signs of common human weakness. 
 
 "Sire, may I speak?" he asked. 
 
 "Speak!" commanded Montezuma, though he looked an- 
 noyed at the interruption to his thoughts. 
 
 "I believe, Lord," said the page, "that while Malinche tarries 
 on the way, one of the Teules could be brought before you whom 
 you might question fully, and learn what is in their hearts." 
 
 "Even were that impossible thing possible, boy," said the 
 Emperor, his tone showing how foolish Ahuitzotl's suggestion 
 seemed to him, "how could one speak to a Teule in his strange 
 tongue?" 
 
 Then Ahuitzotl knelt at Montezuma's feet, and in low words, 
 though there were none to overhear, told of the plan he had 
 rapidly thought out. Gradually Montezuma's indifference 
 changed to interest. Calling a slave, he sent him to summon 
 Cacama to his presence. While they were waiting he asked 
 Ahuitzotl many questions, and discovered how closely his page 
 had studied the ways of the white men during the days he had 
 spied on their camp. He took from his arm a bracelet of 
 tortoise shell and gold and slipped it on Ahuitzotl's wrist. 
 
 "Let this remind you," he said, "that Montezuma will re- 
 ward you for your services to him." 
 
 Then Cacama was announced. 
 
 "Your son has conceived a strange plan, Cacique," he said. 
 "Listen, that you may help in bringing to pass what he dreams 
 
 Of." [188]
 
 p-g.g? 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 
 
 MONTEZTJMA ASKS QUESTIONS 
 
 DURING the months since he had left Cuba Fernando 
 had grown from a child into a youth not far from man- 
 hood. His body had become like tempered steel; his 
 wits had sharpened and his bravery had already been remarked 
 among men none of whom were cowards. Yet, unlike Ahuit- 
 zotl, there was one thing he had to learn before he could have 
 the right to call himself a warrior- absolute obedience. He did 
 not intend to disobey, but some sudden keen impulse would lead 
 him to disregard the ordinances of the camp. And Cortes, 
 who knew so well how to hold his men in strict discipline, would 
 content himself with imposing a scolding or some slight punish- 
 ment upon his page in consideration of his youth. 
 
 Since the day of his escape from the teocalli, Fernando had 
 given heed to the warning not to wander away, in camp or on 
 the march. But at sunset of the day when he had recognized 
 Ahuitzotl he climbed a small hillock to gain a nearer view of 
 the city which lay only a few miles beyond. The soldiers had 
 bivouacked just at the foot of the hill, so that he was scarcely 
 out of bounds; and when tired of gazing and of eating the 
 
 [189]
 
 fruit which grew all about him, he had no fear of sitting down- 
 to rest where he was. The darkness was falling, and in an- 
 other minute he said to himself he would descend to the fires 
 the soldiers were lighting for warmth and for preparing their 
 evening meal. 
 
 It had been a long day for Fernando, so his head nodded 
 and drooped with weariness. One leg stretched out to a com- 
 fortable position and then the other, and soon the boy lay fast 
 asleep flat on the ground. 
 
 A ray of moonlight striking his face awoke him. He sat up 
 and tried to recall where he was. He knew, from the height of 
 the moon dimmed by heavy clouds, that he must have slept for 
 hours. The fires in the camp below had gone out and the 
 world was deathly still. His heart beat quickly from his sud- 
 den awakening and the loneliness of his surroundings. He 
 glanced apprehensively about him to reassure himself that 
 there was nothing to be afraid of. But what were those tall 
 white figures in front, too dimly seen in the semi-darkness for 
 him to be sure? He seemed to see plumes waving, though they 
 did not advance. Was the whiteness that of quilted armour? 
 His hand clasped his dagger. He was frightened, yet it was 
 not the same kind of fear which he had experienced on the sacri- 
 ficial stone. Now if death were in front of him he knew he 
 could die fighting. Then he thought of Cortes and his com- 
 rades below. Was this another night attack of which he could 
 warn them? He must know. So with a prayer in his heart he 
 stepped bravely forward. 
 
 A moonbeam lighted up for a second the row of white ob- 
 jects, and he almost laughed with relief they were the tall 
 
 [190]
 
 MONTEZUMA ASKS QUESTIONS 
 
 white stalks massed thickly together of the yucca plant, known 
 later as "Spanish Bayonets." 
 
 He was about to run down the hill when he heard his name 
 spoken softly, and he saw ahead of him the figure of a man. 
 The voice was so low that he could scarcely have recognized its 
 owner, but even in the obscurity he could see that the features 
 were those of Cortes. There was no gleam of armour ; he was 
 wrapped in a long Aztec cloak of wool such as he sometimes 
 threw about him to protect him from the sharp night air. 
 
 "Fernando," called the low voice, and the figure laid his 
 fingers to his lips to counsel silence. "Fernando" came the 
 call again. 
 
 Fernando started forward, in the direction away from the 
 camp. He bent his head in shamefacedness at the thought 
 that once more he must be chided for disobeying orders and 
 that his absence had forced his master to break his rest to come 
 himself in search of him. He started to speak, but again there 
 was the signal for silence. Walk as rapidly as he would, he 
 could not keep up with the long stride ahead. 
 
 Then the idea came to him that it was not merely to hunt 
 out his page that Cortes was there. His silence and the direc- 
 tion they were taking were proof that he had some important 
 matter on hand. 
 
 Fernando's heart grew lighter and he lifted his head again : 
 he was to be allowed to assist in whatever it might be ; he had 
 been chosen instead of Alvarado or Sandoval or other captains, 
 he thought proudly. He felt so grateful for this proof of con- 
 fidence that he swore to himself never again would he disobey 
 in the slightest degree any command of Cortes. 
 
 [191]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 He followed on after the beckoning silent figure, down the 
 other side of the hillock and on to the plain below, by a path 
 that bordered fields of tall maize. Now surely, he said to him- 
 self, that they were out of earshot of the camp, his master 
 would let him catch up with him and would explain. He 
 quickened his steps, but still could not shorten the distance be- 
 tween them. 
 
 Suddenly there came to him a doubt which made him shiver, 
 but the figure turned to him the well known features and 
 again called "Fernando." How could he fear when he was 
 with Cortes? Still the sinister quiet of the wide plain en- 
 veloped him like a stifling vapor he must call out and put an 
 end to it. 
 
 "Master!" he cried, "wait for me a moment. I am afraid." 
 
 Now the figure halted, and when Fernando had caught up 
 with him, he threw aside the mantle and disclosed the garb of 
 an Aztec Cacique, and the terrified boy, looking up into the 
 whitened face, saw that it belonged to Cacama, the chief at 
 whose strange resemblance to Cortes all the Spaniards had mar- 
 velled. 
 
 Now he knew that his fright had been justified. At a low 
 call from the Cacique two slaves crawled out from the stalks of 
 the maize, and bound Fernando's arms, legs and mouth firmly 
 but gently, with soft scarfs that did not hurt him. One lifted 
 him to his back and started off on a quick trot, the other run- 
 ning by his side. Every now and then they shifted the burden 
 to the other's shoulders, so as to prevent either from growing 
 weary and having to decrease his speed, which was little less 
 than that of a trotting horse. They covered the ground so 
 
 [192]
 
 MONTEZUMA ASKS QUESTIONS 
 
 rapidly that soon they had arrived at the lake on the borders 
 of which lay the great city of Tenochtitlan. Now they bound 
 another scarf over the boy's eyes, and shortly after he felt him- 
 self laid gently in a boat and knew that it was being rapidly 
 rowed across the lake. Once more he was lifted to the slave's 
 back, and soon the dulled footsteps, the heavy perfumed air, 
 told him that he was within the walls of some large building. 
 Was it another temple, he wondered? Were the gods this time 
 destined to enjoy the sacrifice which had escaped them be- 
 fore? 
 
 He was set down on the ground, his feet sinking into a soft 
 mat ; the scarfs were undone and taken away, and he saw that 
 he was in a large hall with heavily carved cedar beams and 
 walls, hung with the richest feather hangings as gorgeous as a 
 flock of parrots. In front of him, on a raised seat inlaid with 
 gold, sat a man with a crown on his head, and wearing gar- 
 ments studded with turquoises. He knew without a doubt 
 that this was Montezuma. Standing about him were a few 
 courtiers only, the Emperor's chosen councilors. Fernando's 
 eyes blazed with anger when he caught sight of Ahuitzotl fan- 
 ning Montezuma with a turkey-feather fan. There was a look 
 in the Aztec boy's face which said as plainly as words that it 
 was he who was responsible for bringing him hither. Fernando 
 bowed low to the Emperor and waited what was to come. 
 
 "Fear not, stranger," began Montezuma after a moment's 
 'eager scrutiny of the strange aspect of the first European he 
 had ever beheld. "No harm shall be done you. We have 
 brought you hither because we understand that you speak our 
 tongue and because there are certain questions we would ask 
 
 [193]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 of you concerning Malinche. We trust that you have not suf- 
 fered any pain on thy way to our palace." 
 
 Montezuma was the first monarch Fernando had ever be- 
 held, so that he had no standard by which to measure him. 
 Nevertheless, he doubted whether Charles the Fifth, King of 
 Spain, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Lord of all New 
 Spain of the Ocean Sea, as Cortes called Mexico, was a more 
 awe-inspiring figure than this Indian king. He bowed low 
 again as he replied. 
 
 "I have suffered no harm, Sire." 
 
 Montezuma showed his pleasure at discovering that he could 
 comprehend the stranger's words. It was almost as if he had 
 heard human speech in the mouth of a beast. 
 
 "My page here," and he motioned to Ahuitzotl, "has told me 
 the truth about you then. Doubtless what he has related to 
 me of Malinche and his warriors is true also. But sharp as are 
 Ahuitzotl's eyes and ears, he could not see nor hear what is 
 planned and said in the white men's hearts. For this reason 
 I sent for you that I might learn the truth." 
 
 The gentleness of Montezuma's words and voice told Fer- 
 nando that his life was in no danger. Therefore he was able 
 to give full attention to the strangeness of the present scene. 
 So it was as he had thought, that the Aztec boy had been sent to 
 spy upon the camp ! 
 
 Montezuma continued : 
 
 "Tell me, are you men or gods?" 
 
 Fernando realized that, even if the Emperor might still be 
 in doubt, too many in the land were already convinced of the 
 
 [194]
 
 MONTEZUMA ASKS QUESTIONS 
 
 human nature of his countrymen for Montezuma to be long 
 deceived. 
 
 "We are only men, Sire," he answered. 
 
 "And what is it then that Malinche seeks in my kingdom?" 
 asked the Aztec. "Why has he travelled so many leagues and 
 traversed so many mountains to journey to Tenochtitlan?" 
 
 Fernando's brain worked quickly. If he told the truth how 
 could it harm the Spaniards, even though the royal anger 
 should be vented upon himself for uttering it? The sooner 
 Montezuma realized that nothing could stop Cortes's advance 
 the better it would be for all. So he spoke slowly and clearly : 
 
 "He comes to greet you, oh King, to admire the wonders of 
 your capital city and to ... claim your allegiance to our Em- 
 peror beyond the seas, the greatest monarch on earth." 
 
 Montezuma clenched his hands, and several of his councilors 
 started forwards, as if to slay the bold speaker who dared sug- 
 gest to their sovereign that there was in all the world a power 
 above his authority. But Montezuma waved them back and 
 gave an order to Ahuitzotl, who left the hall. 
 
 "I will send tribute to your Emperor," he said in a low voice 
 that spoke to those familiar with him of the utmost dejection, 
 "arid there is no need for Malinche to come hither for it. Be- 
 hold" and he pointed to the slaves who, preceded by Ahuit- 
 zotl, came in bearing baskets on their heads "this treasure 
 which I will send back by you as one hundredth part of the 
 tribute. Will not this satisfy Malinche?" 
 
 The slaves set down the baskets. All the gold and jewels 
 which Fernando had seen since leaving Cuba were as nothing 
 
 [195]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 compared to this now before him. Yet he did not hesitate to 
 answer : 
 
 "Malinche has sworn that he would greet you in Tenochtit- 
 lan, oh, King; and sooner could you stop the sun from rising 
 than bid him halt." 
 
 His manner was deferential but his words carried conviction 
 to Montezuma. For days and months he had been uncertain 
 how to deal with these strangers who had appeared from the 
 unknown. He had tried to intimidate, to bribe, to plot against 
 them, his heart always misgiving him that whatever method he 
 adopted at the moment was wrong. Now he had gained the 
 certainty he sought there was to be no stopping them and 
 his heart was filled with foreboding and great sadness. 
 
 The councilors now voiced their opinions, many of them, 
 Montezuma's own brother and others, demanding that the en- 
 tire Aztec army set out at once to slaughter the invaders before 
 they advanced another league. But Montezuma shook his 
 head and said in a sorrowful voice : 
 
 "Of what avail is resistance when the gods have declared 
 against us? Yet I mourn most for the old and infirm, the 
 women and children, too feeble to fight or to fly. For myself 
 and the brave men around me, we must bare our breasts to the 
 storm and meet it as we may." 
 
 Then he commanded that another and last embassy be sent 
 to the Spaniards at once, this time not to try to turn them back, 
 but to welcome them to Tenochtitlan in his name. Perhaps 
 the Teules would be affected by kindness and could be per- 
 suaded to depart before long for the land whence they had 
 come. Then Montezuma walked slowly from the hall. 
 
 [196]
 
 MONTEZUMA ASKS QUESTIONS 
 
 Fernando knew that the Emperor had completely forgotten 
 his presence; not so the Caciques who remained, who cast no 
 friendly glances at him. 
 
 "Let us slay him," cried Cacama who had entered the apart- 
 ment towards the end of the scene, "that he may not tell Ma- 
 linche how he has witnessed the weakness of Montezuma." 
 
 Others were of like mind except Guatemozin, who said that 
 his death would rouse the anger of Cortes against them. 
 
 "Am I permitted to speak in the council of my elders?" 
 asked Ahuitzotl, and when Guatemozin had waved his hand in 
 permission, he began: 
 
 "Malinche will never know what has befallen his page; he 
 will believe that he wandered from the camp at night and was 
 slain by wild beasts. Let us send back his garments rubbed in 
 blood and leave them on the road near the camp. But let us 
 keep the boy alive, since it may be that some time we shall have 
 need of him again. And if not, then the gods have always 
 hunger for a sacrifice." 
 
 The Caciques gave their assent. Ahuitzotl spoke with wis- 
 dom beyond his years, they declared, and since it was his plan, 
 they gave the boy to him to guard until he should be required. 
 
 Fernando realized that there was no chance of escape and 
 no wisdom in a useless struggle in a palace where slaves and 
 guards were so numerous. Therefore he submitted to chang- 
 ing his clothes for the Aztec robe and mantle brought him and 
 followed his warder as stoically as an Indian. Through many 
 halls of the palace they went, and it was not until they were 
 about to enter some court or garden that Ahuitzotl spoke. 
 
 "I must bind your eyes, Teule," he said, and Fernando let 
 
 [197]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 him do it. Then the Aztec put his hand on his prisoner's arm 
 and led him out of doors. He guided him carefully enough, 
 with no unnecessary roughness. After perhaps a quarter of 
 an hour's walk they entered another house. His captor re- 
 moved the bandage, and Fernando saw that he was in the inner 
 court of what seemed to be a private house. A small fountain 
 played in the centre of a stone basin and flowering bushes sur- 
 rounded it. Overhead was the sky and behind him dark, win- 
 dowless rooms. Ahuitzotl gave a peculiar call, and a slave 
 came forward with food and water which he laid on the rim of 
 the fountain. Then Ahuitzotl and he went out into the street 
 and left Fernando a prisoner once more. 
 
 When Cortes first missed Fernando he was exceedingly 
 angry that his page should have again disobeyed him and wan- 
 dered off. He was eager to set out on the day's march and be- 
 grudged the delay which the search would cause. He sent sol- 
 diers in every direction, and he was prepared to punish his page 
 as soon as he returned as he had never punished him before. 
 Then one of the soldiers rushed in with bits of Fernando's gar- 
 ments all bloody, and told how he had seen footprints of some 
 wild beast on the spot where he found them. Cortes was 
 horrified, and grieved as for a son, and there were few in all 
 the army who did not regret the loss of the promising young 
 warrior. Xicotencatl, when he had visited the spot where Fer- 
 nando's supposed death occurred, examined the footprints 
 carefully. 
 
 "In truth they are the track of an ocelot," he said to himself, 
 
 [198]
 
 MONTEZUMA ASKS QUESTIONS 
 
 "But one that walks not in freedom. Perchance he was 
 brought here in a cage." 
 
 However, he spoke nothing of his suspicions. The next few 
 days were so full that Cortes had little time for outward grief. 
 They came first to one town and then another in the vicinity of 
 Tenochtitlan and were amazed at the signs of the Aztec civiliza- 
 tion. The Caciques welcomed them to palaces prepared for 
 their use, and everywhere they heard of the power and mag- 
 nificence of Montezuma. 
 
 The final embassy arrived with the King of Tezcuco, Monte- 
 zuma's nephew, to greet the Spaniards in his great uncle's 
 name. The magnificence of his costume was beyond anything 
 the Spaniards had yet beheld in Mexico. 
 
 In spite of all the wonder of the cities of Amaquemecan, 
 Ajotzinco and Cuitlahuac, which at another time would have 
 claimed all Cortes's attention, he could not tarry in them long, 
 so eager was he to reach the end of the most adventurous jour- 
 ney which perhaps man ever undertook. Finally he arrived 
 at the last stopping place before Tenochtitlan, the royal town 
 of Iztapalapan, governed by a brother of Montezuma. Cortes 
 estimated that the city must contain about fifteen thousand 
 houses, fair and large dwellings, but the palace dwarfed them 
 all. Here the Emperor's brother and numerous Caciques wel- 
 comed the Spaniards in a great tapestried hall which excited 
 the admiration of the conquerors. A banquet was served them 
 of strange and rare dishes. Then they were shown into the gar- 
 dens, the finest in all Anahuac next to the royal gardens of 
 Chapultepec, the Cacique declared. There were squares of 
 every kind of flowers and an aviary containing thousands of 
 
 [199]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 bright plumaged birds. They saw also a huge stone reservoir 
 surrounded by a stone promenade wide enough for four per- 
 sons to stroll along abreast. This was filled with many kinds 
 
 
 
 of fish and was fed by canals from the lake upon which Izta- 
 palapan was built. 
 
 And Cortes, standing before this reservoir, could see in the 
 distance the sunset flaming upon his goal the City of Monte- 
 zuma. 
 
 [200]
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 
 
 > 
 
 IT was early in the morning of the eighth of November 
 that Cortes, as eager as a hunting dog, made ready for 
 his entry into Tenochtitlan. He was in the saddle half an 
 hour before he had commanded the advance, and to while away 
 the time of waiting he polished nervously the brass ornaments 
 of the bridle with the back of his leather glove. 
 
 "My steed and I miss Fernando," he explained almost 
 shamefacedly to Gonsalvo de Sandoval, who was soon mounted 
 beside him; "and it will not do for any of us to fail to shine his 
 brightest this day of days." 
 
 Now he shouted out the word to advance, and his eye 
 sparkled as he watched his little troop of cavalry pass by, fol- 
 lowed by the infantry and the artillery. The rear was closed 
 by the Tlascalan allies. Then, having reviewed his army, he 
 spurred to his place in the van. The soldiers marvelled as 
 they marched at the semi-aquatic life of the towns just outside 
 of the capital. Most of the houses were built on piles, and 
 the boats fastened to them seemed only like additional floating 
 rooms. Canoes of all sizes pressed close to the long causeway 
 over which the Spaniards were marching, and floating islands 
 
 [201]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 of greenery, covered with growing flowers and vegetables 
 the famous chinampas, were slowly propelled across the lake, 
 thus changing its contours every moment. 
 
 "This is a wonderful bit of masonry," exclaimed Cortes, as 
 the horsemen three abreast trotted across the firm causeway; 
 "but 'tis all marvel here. I can scarce believe that you are 
 Alvarado, and that this is Gonsalvo on my left, and that I am 
 Hernando Cortes, all marching here in the flesh. Is it indeed 
 real, Alvarado?" 
 
 "Yonder comes a new marvel," answered his lieutenant smil- 
 ing. "See the dragon-fly-like nobles who advance to meet us. 
 And, if I am not wrong in judging by the action of the crowd, 
 they are the advance guard of Montezuma himself." 
 
 The Spaniards halted and Cortes commanded all his officers 
 to mass in a line behind him. The Caciques, a-glitter with 
 jewels, rings in their ears, their underlips and even their noses, 
 gazed in wonder at the bright mail and tarnished jerkins of 
 the Teules, and then made their salutations. After this cere- 
 mony was over, they turned back to the city, the Spaniards 
 following them to the spot where they had been told Monte- 
 zuma would welcome them. When they reached it Cortes gave 
 the word to halt, and sat motionless like a bronze equestrian 
 statue in some wide square of a Spanish city. Yet he did not 
 miss one detail of the picture before him : the palanquin borne 
 on the shoulders of nobles and its canopy of featherwork and 
 silver carried by other Caciques, all of whom were barefoot; 
 the slaves who spread before it a cotton carpet for the imperial 
 feet, nor the long lines of brilliantly dressed folk who bent 
 down to the ground as their monarch passed them. 
 
 [202]
 
 THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 
 
 He watched the great Emperor of the western world step 
 from the palanquin and, accompanied on either side by 
 the Kings of Tezcuco and Iztapalapan, advance towards 
 him. He noted the tall lithe figure of the Aztec, the black 
 hair which hung down his back, the keenly cut features, the air 
 of youth; but he noted also a half puzzled expression in the 
 dark eyes, a lack of determination in the mouth, which signs he 
 read as a prophecy. 
 
 The Spaniards gazed with unconcealed admiration at Monte- 
 zuma's attire, at the square robe of finest cotton, at the irides- 
 cent mantle of rarest feathers that hung from his shoulders and 
 at the golden soles of his sandals. From his head floated the 
 regal plumes of green. 
 
 Cortes had dismounted and advanced towards the Aztec 
 monarch. After the formal salutations Montezuma spoke 
 words of welcome. Marina, who stood by Cortes's side dur- 
 ing the interview, gave his thanks for all the gifts sent him at 
 various times. He then flung about Montezuma's neck a 
 necklace of colored crystals, begging him to accept it as a small 
 token of his gratitude. 
 
 "Look ye!" cried Alvarado to his comrades, "the Captain 
 leans forward to embrace the Emperor. See how the Aztec 
 holds back proudly and how horrified his courtiers look. He 
 is a fine figure of a king, no matter what his color, and bears 
 himself like one." 
 
 The monarch then stepped back into his palanquin and was 
 borne away. Cortes gave the word to mount, and with his 
 great flag unfurled and to the sound of music, the Spaniards 
 entered Tenochtitlan. 
 
 [203]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "If we thought Cempoalla and Tlascala and Cholula large 
 towns," exclaimed de Olid as they rode along the wide south- 
 ern street, down which they had a long vista of the city, "we 
 knew as little as a man might know of Spain who had never seen 
 Seville." 
 
 "Are those flower gardens?" questioned Sandoval, pointing 
 to some of the azoteas, or roof terraces, where the inhabitants 
 of Tenochtitlan spent so much of their life. 
 
 "They grow flowers now," commented Cortes curtly, "but 
 we may see them sprout rocks some day." 
 
 The houses were all one-storied, those of the nobles were 
 built of red stone and those of the poorer folk of plaster cov- 
 ered with white cement. But to counteract the low line of the 
 dwellings, the teocallis lifted their peaks all over the city. 
 There were wide market spaces and gardens, and surrounding 
 all the beauty of the city was the fair valley with its lakes, 
 and in the distance the high white peaks of the sentinel 
 mountains. 
 
 "Granada itself is not more beautiful," cried Alvarado en- 
 thusiastically. 
 
 "See yon temple," cried Father Olmeda. " 'Tis the shrine 
 of their terrible War God, and horrible are the scenes which 
 are enacted there. It is a vile spot that spoils all this beauty." 
 Then as he walked he repeated to himself. "How long, oh 
 Lord, how long?" 
 
 The Caciques appointed by Montezuma conducted Cortes to 
 the palace set apart for him and his men, close to the Great 
 Teocalli. 
 
 "It is firmly constructed," commented Cortes, examining it 
 
 [204 ]
 
 THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 
 
 with a quick eye as he leapt from his horse. To his astonish- 
 ment, he saw that Montezuma was already there to welcome 
 them, and this proof of royal courtesy brought all his own to 
 the surface. It was with a genuine smile that he hurried to- 
 wards him. 
 
 From a basket of flowers held by a slave Montezuma took a 
 chain of gold in which was set the shell of a kind of crawfish 
 that was valued by the Aztecs for its rarity as much as jewels. 
 From it hung a number of little gold crawfish delicately fash- 
 ioned. He hung this around Cortes's neck (who suddenly felt 
 ashamed of the chain he had given Montezuma) and said: 
 
 "This palace belongs to you, Malinche, and to your brethren. 
 Rest after your great fatigues, for you have much need to do 
 so, and in a little while I will visit you again." 
 
 When he had left Cortes set about examining the palace 
 thoroughly. It had been built by Axayacatl, Montezuma's 
 father, and covered much ground, so that in its various rooms 
 and courts there was space enough for the entire army. Best 
 of all though, he thought, was the fact that it was well suited 
 for defence. Before he allowed any one to take the much 
 needed rest which Montezuma had counselled, he appointed 
 each man to a certain post, stationed the guns, and stabled and 
 fed the horses. Then he breathed a sigh of relief and turning 
 to Sandoval, said: 
 
 "We are here, Gonsalvo, here, housed, welcomed! After 
 how many leagues, after how many battles, wounds, fatigues 
 and despair! Whatever may follow, this at least may never 
 be taken from us. We have done what no men ever did be- 
 fore." 
 
 [205]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Then he ate and slept until he was roused by the word that 
 Montezuma was approaching for his promised visit. 
 
 The Aztec was greatly struck with the changed appearance 
 of the palace during the few hours since he left it. Marina 
 was kept busy answering questions about the white men's coun- 
 try, their sovereign and their religion. Then presents were 
 brought forward: cotton sufficient to make new garments for 
 every man in the army, and many gold chains and ornaments. 
 
 That night Cortes ordered the guns to be fired in celebration 
 of their safe arrival and doubtless also that he might astonish 
 the Aztecs. They were indeed greatly impressed and terri- 
 fied at the sound of the salvos and the sight of the flashes from 
 the mouths of the cannon. Not one inhabitant in all Tenoch- 
 titlan who did not run out from his house to learn what had 
 happened. 
 
 And Fernando, alone in the courtyard of his prison, sprang 
 to his feet in excitement. His countrymen were near, and if 
 he could only escape from the house he would manage some- 
 how to get to them. But though he examined the walls again 
 for the hundredth time he could find no possible exit. There 
 was no way to reach the roof either from within or without. 
 He had spent all his weary hours in trying to find one. The 
 only opening was by the door which was fastened on the out- 
 side, and when the slave brought him his food each night Fer- 
 nando could see by the light of a torch that a soldier waited for 
 him at the threshold. 
 
 Early the next morning Cortes, having announced his visit 
 to Montezuma, with Alvarado, Sandoval, Ordaz, and accom- 
 panied by Marina, Bernal Diaz and four other soldiers, set out 
 
 [206]
 
 THEY SAW MONTEZUMA SEATED
 
 THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 
 
 for the palace. The nobles whom the Emperor had sent to 
 wait upon them led them slowly through the streets. 
 
 "I would wager my new gold chain," declared Diaz to a com- 
 rade, "that our Spanish King has not so large a palace in 
 which to house his court. It is naught to speak of for height, 
 but it covers enough ground to make up for it." 
 
 They passed in through the marble gate, over which was 
 carved an Eagle bearing an Ocelot in its claws the arms of 
 Montezuma, they were told. The abundance of the red hue 
 of the stone walls was tiring to the eyes, but they left it soon 
 behind to enter the cool green court where a fountain was play- 
 ing, its spray falling upon the dark leaves of many varieties 
 of palms. 
 
 "Baths, says Marina!" exclaimed Diaz. "She declares that 
 the palace is filled with them, that the water flows down into 
 the city in great abundance from the hill we saw. And the 
 King, she says, bathes each day like a Moor, and gives away 
 the clothes he wears before stepping into the basin, as he will 
 not wear the same garments twice. It must save his servitors 
 much outlay!" 
 
 Their guides, the Caciques, led them from one hall to an- 
 other, all with low ceilings and carpeted with mats and hung 
 with skins or painted cotton hangings. They showed the 
 Spaniards the armoury, and Sandoval could scarcely be per- 
 suaded to leave the various weapons and uniforms which he ex- 
 amined with the eye of an expert. Scarcely less fascinated 
 was Alvarado with the menagerie, where was kept every kind 
 of wild animal to be found in Mexico, and the wonderful aviary 
 and gardens charmed them all. When they learned that three 
 
 [207]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 hundred men had charge of the birds alone they could meas- 
 ure in a way the vastness of Montezuma's luxury. 
 
 But after all it was Montezuma himself whom they had come 
 to see, who was to them not only the man but the symbol of all 
 his kingdom and this strange civilization which almost over- 
 awed them. 
 
 "Forget not that he is only a pagan," said Cortes, divining 
 their feelings, "all of whose magnificence and wealth can not 
 make him the equal of the poorest Christian soldier." 
 
 As they reached the audience hall the Spaniards looked on 
 with interest while the Caciques who conducted them laid aside 
 their sandals and put robes of coarse nequen over their bright 
 costumes. 
 
 "What does this signify, Marina?" asked Cortes. 
 
 "No man save princes of the blood may enter the presence of 
 the Emperor except barefoot and clad thus humbly," replied 
 the girl, who herself was far from at ease at the thought that 
 she was to appear before her sovereign. 
 
 They saw Montezuma seated at the end of the audience hall, 
 surrounded by some of his nobles. Marina noted that the page 
 who stood at his side was the same who had accompanied the 
 envoys. After the salutations were made Cortes could no 
 longer restrain the words that had been waiting so long to pass 
 his lips. 
 
 "King Montezuma," he said through Marina's interpreta- 
 tion, "we have come from afar that we might open to thy soul 
 the truth of God's revelation to man. The gods you and your 
 people worship are demons whose only desire is to harm man- 
 kind; but since you were ignorant of our blessed Christian 
 
 [208]
 
 THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 
 
 faith, how should you have known what other way to turn? 
 Therefore we rejoice greatly that in return for all the gifts 
 you have showered upon us, we can bestow upon you the great- 
 est of all gifts the knowledge of the life and death of our 
 glorious Saviour and the teachings of Holy Church." 
 
 Montezuma and his nobles listened while Marina sought for 
 words by which to make clear to them the doctrines of Chris- 
 tian theologians. The Aztecs wondered what the white men 
 might mean when they crossed themselves. 
 
 Cortes was exceedingly eloquent. The moment had come 
 for which he had struggled and waited; for his zeal for the 
 faith, as in many of the early explorers, was as genuine as love 
 of adventure or greed of gold. He likened himself to one of 
 the prophets in the Old Testament to whom Jehovah had given 
 a message for a heathen king; and even his comrades who 
 shared his belief were astonished at his fervor and at the ease 
 with which he put into words the mysteries of their religion. 
 He related the story of Adam and Eve, their Fall, the necessity 
 of Atonement, and he dwelt upon the eternal fires of Hell, 
 from which he now longed to snatch the souls of all the people 
 in Anahuac. Therefore he besought the Emperor to save his 
 subjects by leading them to the Cross. 
 
 "I know that your god must be a good god," answered 
 Montezuma when Cortes had finished. "Yet our gods too are 
 good and not the demons you have thought them. Perchance 
 you have heard of the Great Being, the God of the Winds, 
 Quetzalcoatl, who led my fathers into this land from the north- 
 ward many cycles ago, and when he left us promised to return 
 some day. We doubt not that you and your people, Maliiiche, 
 
 [209]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 were sent by him. At first we feared you because of the light- 
 nings with which you did destroy those who went against you, 
 but now we see you we know that you are good and that your 
 white faces proclaim you of the race of Quetzalcoatl. You 
 too have been told perhaps that I am a god and dwell in palaces 
 of gold and silver. But you see it is false. My houses, 
 though large, are of stone and wood like those of others ; and as 
 to my body you see that it is flesh and blood like yours. It is 
 true, I have a great empire, inherited from my ancestors : lands 
 and gold and silver. But your sovereign beyond the waters 
 is, I know, the rightful lord of all." 
 
 Some of the Aztec nobles, whose brows knit with displeasure 
 as Montezuma was speaking, now could scarcely avoid show- 
 ing their feelings more openly. Only the great awe which 
 their sovereign's presence imposed upon them kept them si- 
 lent. 
 
 Montezuma continued: 
 
 "I rule in his name. You, Malinche, are his ambassador; 
 you and your brethren shall share these things with me. Rest 
 now from your labors. You are here in your own dwelling 
 and everything shall be provided for your subsistence. I will 
 see that your wishes shall be obeyed in the same way as my 
 own." 
 
 Cortes, the soldier, the ambassador, could ask for no more 
 than this ; Cortes, the preacher, was disappointed that his words 
 had not caused the Aztec's immediate conversion. However, 
 he recalled how Father Olmedo had recommended patience. 
 
 Again Montezuma bestowed gifts upon his guests as they 
 were departing. His page Ahuitzotl accompanied the slaves 
 
 [210]
 
 THE GUESTS OF MONTEZUMA 
 
 who distributed them. Cortes noted the strong, lithe figure 
 of the youth and bade Marina ask his name. 
 
 "Tell him," said the Spaniard, "that I had once a page of his 
 age, but the wild beasts of the valley robbed me of him." 
 
 Ahuitzotl bowed in recognition of the great Captain's notice 
 without answering, as he went on distributing the cloths and 
 trinkets. 
 
 Bernal Diaz, like the other private soldiers, received two 
 heavy collars of gold. 
 
 "He is a generous giver," he remarked to one of his com- 
 panions. "Would you believe it, Pedro, but I felt a mite sorry 
 for him while he was talking to the Captain. I saw the tears 
 come into his eyes when he said that he ruled now only for Em- 
 peror Charles. No man gives up his right willingly." 
 
 While Cortes and his officers had been at the audience Xico- 
 tencatl, accompanied by a few of his men, had been strolling 
 through the city. It pleased him to walk boldly through the 
 very streets where a few months before his life had been in 
 danger as he ran through them, a fugitive. Everywhere he 
 went the inhabitants scowled at the sight of their hated Tlas- 
 calan enemies. They were willing to welcome the white 
 strangers now that their king and the priests bade them, but 
 it was another matter to look calmly upon those cursed moun- 
 tain folk in their midst. On several occasions a brawl was 
 averted with difficulty. Xicotencatl did not go within the 
 gates of the Great Teocalli where he had nearly been sacrificed 
 on the altar. He doubted whether any authority could pre- 
 vent the priests from falling upon him and his men. Yet he 
 kept in its vicinity, which was also that of Montezuma's palace. 
 
 [211]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 He was eager for a sight of Prince Guatemozin, and thought 
 it likely that he might pass out the palace gate after the audi- 
 ence was over. 
 
 And he was not disappointed. When the Spaniards had de- 
 parted Xicotencatl beheld a group of young nobles leave the 
 palace on the way to their own houses, and among them he had 
 no trouble in recognizing Guatemozin. He stood on the op- 
 posite side of the street, against a wall from which trailing 
 blossoms were drooping, and folding his arms, he bent his gaze 
 upon the Prince. Guatemozin could not fail to observe the 
 striking figure, whose garb proclaimed him as a Tlascalan war- 
 rior. Then he recalled the features. He called a page. 
 
 "Bear my message to Chief Xicotencatl," he commanded. 
 "Tell him that Guatemozin is no less eager to redeem his word 
 than is Xicotencatl. Yet while the Tlascalans are allies of 
 Malinche, our guest, Montezuma's nephew may not fight him. 
 Let him wait as patiently as he may, for the day will yet come 
 when we shall try our strength against each other." 
 
 Xicotencatl listened to the boy's words and with a formal 
 gesture of acknowledgment to the Prince, turned and strode 
 back to his quarters. 
 
 [212]
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 > 
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 ON the third day Fernando's loneliness was broken by 
 the coming of Ahuitzotl with food. The two boys 
 stared at each other like two dogs, ready to spring. 
 Yet a chivalrous feeling that he must not take advantage of 
 his captive kept the Aztec from coming to blows, and Fernando 
 refrained because he knew that even if he proved the stronger 
 and injured Ahuitzotl, the latter would probably leave him to 
 starve, if not worse. So they merely glared at each other. 
 
 On the following day Ahuitzotl said curtly when he had 
 placed the basket of fruit and bread on a mat : 
 
 "Of what material is your knife made? We have naught 
 like it in our land." 
 
 "Of steel," answered Fernando, showing it, "fashioned by 
 the best workmen of Toledo." 
 
 The Aztec fingered it curiously and then pulling out from 
 his girdle a blade of black obsidian, compared the edges of the 
 two. 
 
 "Yours is the sharper," he confessed; "will you feel mine?" 
 
 Fernando handled both weapons and was astonished to dis- 
 cover how sharp the stone instrument was. 
 
 [213]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 This common interest had broken the ice, and Ahuitzotl 
 asked many questions about the life of a Spanish soldier. 
 
 "I observed them on the march into Tlascala," he acknowl- 
 edged at last, "but I was not able to witness all the methods 
 by which your warriors are trained." 
 
 "I knew that it was you who sought to wrest my master's 
 sword from me," cried Fernando, clenching his fist. 
 
 "Yes, it was I," boasted the Aztec, "and if you had been 
 alone I should have carried it off." 
 
 No matter what the consequences might be, Fernando could 
 not listen to this taunt. He flung himself upon Ahuitzotl, 
 and the two rolled over and over, pummelling each other. So 
 evenly matched were they that neither could keep an advan- 
 tage he gained, and it seemed as if they might go on forever 
 rolling, first one and then the other uppermost, like two tum- 
 ble-bugs. But as Fernando was on top, a drum-beat from 
 Montezuma's palace came to their ears. It was the signal that 
 Montezuma was going in state to the teocalli, and his page 
 dared not fail to be in attendance. Ahuitzotl struggled to his 
 feet and Fernando made no resistance. They had tested each 
 other's strength now and there was no bitterness of defeat for 
 either. 
 
 Before he returned the next day Ahuitzotl had done much 
 pondering about his captive. When he took Fernando in 
 charge he had had no very clear idea of what he meant to do 
 with him, beyond the thought that it would not be wise for 
 him to be free and able to inform Malinche of the weakness he 
 had witnessed in Montezuma, and that the time would be sure 
 to come when the Spanish boy would prove a valuable hostage. 
 
 [214]
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 Finally an idea had come to him. He would have liked to 
 carry out his plan all alone, but it was necessary to discuss it 
 with his father. 
 
 When Ahuitzotl appeared in the courtyard the two boys 
 greeted each other, if not cordially, at least with a certain 
 amount of mutual respect. Ahuitzotl began at once to speak, 
 telling of all that had taken place since Fernando's imprison- 
 ment, of the entrance of the Teules and their instalment in the 
 palace. Then he said: 
 
 "You are my captive, Fernando, and in my power, is it not 
 so?" 
 
 "You speak the truth, v answered the Spaniard, too proud 
 to beg for his freedom. 
 
 "I will not slay you," continued his captor, "yet I have the 
 right to require certain things of you. Is it so with your peo- 
 ple that a warrior who is the captive of another warrior owes 
 him allegiance?" 
 
 "Only within the bounds of knigjitly custom," answered 
 Fernando. 
 
 "Then you will understand that I may command this strange 
 thing of you," said Ahuitzotl. "Listen to my desire. I am 
 eager to know how your soldiers are drilled so that "I, who shall 
 some day be a leader of many warriors, may choose that which 
 is better in your way than in ours. And I would see your 
 guns nearby and observe your horses, that I may find out the 
 limits of their power and grow used to them. In truth, Fer- 
 nando, I would change places with you for a while. I have 
 obtained from Montezuma the permission to be gone some 
 days, telling him that I would go hunting, and I promised that 
 
 [215]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the new page I would leave in my place should be as loyal and 
 have the same care for his comfort as I. It is a strange plan 
 I have thought of, yet I doubt not the gods will help us in it, 
 since it is not only for my own curiosity I undertake it, but 
 that I may better prepare a future warrior for their land of 
 Anahuac." 
 
 Fernando had listened without understanding. "I know 
 not how you can have your desire," he said. 
 
 Ahuitzotl, seating himself on the rim of the stone basin, con- 
 tinued : 
 
 "I will tell to your ear, stranger, what I would not tell to 
 any other page in the palace : many of the Caciques are angry 
 with Montezuma because he has welcomed Malinche, and they 
 plot already against his power, though I know not how they 
 may harm him. And I know too of a surety that some of these 
 Caciques have planned to kill Malinche now that Montezuma 
 will not oppose him. If I were near him I could watch over 
 him better than you, since I know from what quarter the danger 
 would come. Doubtless too there are among your people 
 those who believe that Montezuma's death would aid them." 
 Fernando blushed, for he had heard one cavalier hint at this. 
 "And so you on your side could shield the Emperor from their 
 plots. We will exchange our places and our duties. I will 
 disguise you so that your own mother would fail to recognize 
 you. You shall be to Montezuma the new page I promised, 
 and I will serve Malinche in your stead." 
 
 "Nay," cried Fernando angrily, "I will not do this thing, 
 to let you go among my comrades, whom doubtless you are 
 planning to harm. Rather would I die than betray them thus." 
 
 [216]
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 "By the gods! I seek no harm to them." 
 
 And there was such truth in Ahuitzotl's voice that Fernando 
 was startled into belief in him. He listened more calmly to 
 the Aztec's plan and to his threats. When he had heard it all 
 he considered. If he refused he knew that Ahuitzotl would 
 have him slain; moreover, if he were sure that no evil would 
 come to the Spaniards through his consenting, the laws of 
 chivalry, as well as his personal safety, bade him do his cap- 
 tor's bidding. 
 
 "You can warn Malinche to observe me closely," suggested 
 Ahuitzotl, "if you are still in doubt ; but can you not see that 
 if I desired to harm him you could in turn do likewise to my 
 Emperor? We will be hostages, one for the other's be- 
 haviour." 
 
 Finally Fernando was convinced and gave his consent. 
 Ahuitzotl then left him and soon reappeared with his own 
 slave, whose silence he could count on as his own. He handed 
 a piece of paper made from aloe leaves to Fernando, who by 
 means of a brush and paint given him, wrote the following 
 letter : 
 
 To Senor Hernando Cortes, 
 
 Captain General of the Spanish Forces in New 
 
 Spain of the Ocean Sea. 
 Revered and dearest Master: 
 
 I am not slain by wild beasts as it was made appear to you, but am 
 well, though detained in captivity. I send to you this Aztec youth, 
 whose father holds me in duress, and I pray you of your good pleasure 
 that you will do as he desires of you, since mine honour bids me ask it. 
 Clothe him in my garments ; let him serve you ( Oh ! that it were I who 
 should look on you again when you read this !) and let him be taught 
 the duties and business of a soldier, since one day he will be a great 
 
 [217]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Cacique and a leader of many men. I do believe, by the Saints above, 
 that he intends you no harm. I am his hostage and he is mine. More 
 than this I can not explain. When some day he returns to where I am 
 now held then I shall be free to come back to you, dearest Master and 
 most gallant Senor. 
 
 Your page 
 
 FERNANDO. 
 
 When this was written, greatly to the wonderment of Ahuit- 
 zotl, the slave came forward and took hold gently of Fer- 
 nando. The Spanish boy instinctively resented his touch, but 
 Ahuitzotl's stern glance was a hint to him that there would be 
 no use in resenting it. The slave removed his garments,' and 
 stained him all over with a dusky red color. Then he put 
 on him a cotton robe, sandals and the golden insignia worn by 
 Montezuma's chief page, which permitted him to pass every- 
 where. He greased the dark hair of the boy and cut it in 
 Aztec shape. 
 
 Fernando saw with dismay that Ahuitzotl did not yet con- 
 sider the disguise sufficient and that the slave was making ready 
 some sharp instrument, for what purpose he did not know. 
 With a quick motion he pierced the lobes of Fernando's ears 
 and the cartilage of his nose and inserted in them heavy rings 
 of gold and shell. This was painful, and Fernando cried out 
 angrily. The slave then rubbed some ointment to subdue the 
 swelling and ease the pain. In addition he hung another split 
 ring in his lower lip which, however, was not pierced. These 
 ornaments so distorted the boy's features that he could now 
 easily pass for an Aztec. 
 
 "You give me your promise," asked Ahuitzotl when the dis- 
 
 [218]
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 guise was finished, "the promise of a warrior, that you will 
 not leave Montezuma, nor will betray yourself to your own 
 people until I set you free?" 
 
 "I give you the word of a Spanish noble," replied Fernando 
 proudly, feeling like a knight in some old tale, bound by the 
 laws of chivalry to remain prisoner of a paynim captor until 
 his ransom was paid. 
 
 So Ahuitzotl led him to the palace and spent the rest of the 
 day in explaining his duties and making him familiar with the 
 many apartments of the Emperor. Then he set off eagerly to 
 present the magic paper to Cortes, who was indeed amazed at 
 its contents and overjoyed at the news that Fernando was still 
 alive. He had no fear that the Aztec boy could injure him, 
 therefore he granted his request, repeated by Marina; and it 
 gave him much amusement to watch how he took up his strange 
 duties as page to the Spanish Captain General. 
 
 Fernando knew that if he were discovered he would be slain 
 before there would be a chance of appealing to Cortes. He 
 was ignorant of so many of the Aztec customs, so unfamiliar 
 still with the innumerable chambers of the palace that he feared 
 to betray himself any moment. He did make many mistakes, 
 but these were attributed to the short time of his training by 
 Ahuitzotl. Cacama, whose eye was on him^onstantly, man- 
 aged frequently to give him a word of counsel. When he 
 caught sight of himself in the dark pools of the gardens he 
 shuddered at his changed features and did not wonder that no 
 one suspected him of being other than an Aztec. The interior 
 of the palace was generally darkened and even in the light no 
 
 [219]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 one saw anything foreign in his appearance, because no one's 
 imagination would ever have suggested that anyone but an 
 Aztec could be Montezuma's servitor. 
 
 When Montezuma first saw him he said in a kindly tone : 
 "Fear not, my son, but be faithful as Ahuitzotl." 
 And Fernando, in recognition of this favor, made the Aztec 
 salutation, touching his hand to the ground and then raising 
 it to his head. 
 
 Princess Tecuichpo, the King's daughter, noticed the new 
 page at once. He wondered when he saw her observing him 
 whether she had any suspicion. But she was attracted only 
 by something unfamiliar in his aspect, something she could 
 not understand. She liked the strangeness and would often 
 command him to attend her. One day she ordered him to 
 carry for her a basket of rabbits to a certain shrine in the palace 
 grounds that was dedicated to Ceuteutl, the Goddess of the 
 Fields. When they arrived there she bade the page place the 
 offerings in an enclosure on the altar from which the priests 
 would take and kill them. Fernando hesitated. He recalled 
 the stories of the early Christian martyrs who had died rather 
 than sacrifice to the Roman gods. Now was he not called 
 upon to refuse to lay an offering on the altar of this Mexican 
 she-demon? Yet how could he refuse? His mind sought for 
 a way out. With the basket in his hand he walked forwards, 
 then he stumbled deliberately, fell to his knees, and the basket 
 opening as it hit the ground, released the little prisoners, who 
 scurried off into the thick shelter of an undergrowth. 
 
 "You are awkward, page," laughed Tecuichpo, who had not 
 yet grown out of her gay girlish ways. 
 
 [220]
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 The Spaniards were eager to see the city thoroughly, and 
 Montezuma willingly gave permission. The cavaliers rode 
 and the soldiers followed on foot through the clean streets, 
 watered each day from the canals, and were amazed at the 
 signs of prosperity and orderly life. The markets attracted 
 the men the most, with their shady porticos where the venders 
 of fruits, skins and cottons, sat, and the jewelers and potters 
 sold their wares for gold dust carried in little cubes, which was 
 the currency of the country. 
 
 But Cortes longed to see from the inside the Great Teo- 
 calli which dominated the city. It was not as ancient nor as 
 venerated as the shrine at Cholula, but it served as both bar- 
 racks and temple, and thousands of soldiers or police were 
 quartered in it. Montezuma at first hesitated, then after con- 
 sulting the priests, he sent word that he would himself meet 
 Malinche there at a certain hour. 
 
 Fernando accompanied the Emperor, and tried not to show 
 the interest and terror he felt in this shrine to Huitzilopotchli, 
 the dread God of War. The huge quadrangular wall was 
 covered with figures of serpents in relief, and there were bat- 
 tlemented gates in the centre of each side. Within them were 
 numerous smaller buildings devoted to the priests, in addition 
 to the Great Teocalli itself. This temple had five stories or 
 terraces, each one smaller than the one below, with a passage- 
 way all around each terrace and steps leading to the next one 
 above. 
 
 As they waited in the courtyard, Montezuma in his palan- 
 quin and Fernando, fan in hand, by his side, the Spanish 
 trumpets blew before the gate. Fernando's heart leaped as he 
 
 [221]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 beheld again the beloved face of his master and those of Al- 
 varado, Sandoval and other cavaliers. He longed to cry out 
 to them, and instead he was forced to make the humble Aztec 
 obeisance. He felt suddenly ashamed of his disguise, of the 
 rings in his nose and lip. As he looked up again he saw that 
 Cacama's gaze was on him, and he was certain that his life 
 was in the hands of this one man who knew his secret. 
 
 He heard with pride how Cortes refused to be borne up the 
 stairs on the shoulders of the priests and Caciques whom Mon- 
 tezuma had delegated to carry him as they carried their sover- 
 eign. When Cortes had climbed to the top Montezuma said : 
 
 "You are weary, Malinche, with climbing up our great 
 temple." 
 
 "Nay, Montezuma," exclaimed Cortes, "the Spaniards are 
 never weary." 
 
 They walked about the wide paved summit, and Fernando's 
 eyes were drawn to the large jasper block in the centre whose 
 shape was the same as the one to which he had been bound in 
 Cholula. About it, at a lower level, were altars to many gods 
 before which fires were burning. Cortes begged to be shown the 
 shrines. Led by the priests, they entered a large apartment, 
 the walls of which were painted with figures of the gods, and 
 at the far end in a niche stood the gigantic idol of Huitzilo- 
 potchli, terrific of aspect, with a bow in his right hand and 
 golden arrows in his left. A serpent of precious stones wound 
 about his body, and to his left foot humming birds' wings were 
 fashioned. About his neck was a chain of gold and silver 
 hearts, symbols of the human hearts offered to him in sacri- 
 fice. The walls of this and the other shrines were darkened 
 
 [222]
 
 MOXTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 with red spots, of what nature Fernando knew only too well. 
 He found it difficult to keep his fingers from crossing himself, 
 as those of his countrymen did, at the horrible sight. 
 
 When they had gone out into the clean air once more Cortes 
 breathed deeply and said to Montezuma : 
 
 "I do not comprehend how a great and wise prince as you 
 are can put faith in such evil spirits as these idols, the repre- 
 sentatives of the Devil. If you will but permit us to erect 
 here the true Cross, you will soon see how your false gods will 
 shrink away." 
 
 Montezuma, whose kingly spirit had risen in this chief shrine 
 of his city, answered angrily : 
 
 "These are the gods who have led the Aztecs on to victory 
 since they were a nation, and who send the seed time and 
 harvest in their seasons. Had I thought you would have of- 
 fered them this outrage, I would not have admitted you into 
 their presence." 
 
 Cortes realized that his religious zeal had carried him too 
 far and that Montezuma's anger jeopardized the safety of 
 them all. He therefore tried to smooth matters over, and 
 succeeded in a degree, though the Emperor explained that he 
 would have to remain at the shrine and perform certain cere- 
 monies to placate the ire of the gods. 
 
 Fernando watched with a heavy heart the Spaniards depart 
 and waited in the courtyard until Montezuma came out from 
 the shrine, and sadly accompanied him back to the palace. 
 
 The sight of all these religious edifices made the Spaniards 
 long for one of their own. With Montezuma's permission 
 they turned one of their apartments into a chapel, and here 
 
 [223]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Ahuitzotl looked on in wonder as mass was first celebrated. 
 
 But Cortes was not satisfied. He had been a week in Ten- 
 ochtitlan and seemed no nearer to his purpose of conquest. 
 He had no intention of allowing some one else to rob him of 
 the fruits of victory. He feared that some general might be 
 sent from Spain or Cuba to supersede him, so that it behooved 
 him to act quickly. He was absorbed in thought all that day, 
 with no word to any of his officers. Ahuitzotl, who slept out- 
 side his door, heard him walking up and down all the night. 
 
 On the morrow Cortes called a council. He put before it 
 the difficulties ahead of them, the possibility of an uprising of 
 the Aztecs, a change in Montezuma's attitude towards them, 
 the probability that Velasquez in Cuba would send another 
 leader to finish the conquest they had carried so far, and the 
 danger to them all even should they be willing to retreat to 
 Vera Cruz. When each had expressed his opinion, Cortes 
 put forward the bold plan he had conceived as he paced his 
 room the night before, and after a first gasp of astonishment, 
 the Council hailed it with enthusiasm. 
 
 Ahuitzotl in the court without had listened to the murmur 
 of voices, though the only word he could understand was "Mon- 
 tezuma." Nevertheless, he was sure that some important step 
 was being considered, and he feared that the Emperor was in 
 danger. He began to regret that he had left him just now 
 when he might have been of help. He determined to hasten at 
 once to warn him, but when he approached the gate the senti- 
 nels waved him back. He had no better success at the other 
 three gates, and even when he tried to press out unnoticed 
 with Cortes, Alvarado, Sandoval, de Lujo, de Leon, de Avila 
 
 [ 224 ]
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 and the twenty-five soldiers who had been chosen for his secret 
 purpose, Cortes smilingly ordered him to go back, and making 
 gestures, explained that his new page should polish up his 
 other weapons for him. He had grown interested in the boy, 
 and valued him as the channel through which he would some 
 time obtain news of Fernando. As soon as his great plan was 
 carried out he meant to get the truth about him from Ahuit- 
 zotl. 
 
 The six cavaliers entered the palace for the audience Mon- 
 tezuma had granted at Cortes's request. At the sight of their 
 suppressed excitement and from a few words they did not 
 fear to speak aloud in Spanish, Montezuma's new page knew 
 that something was planned against the master he had sworn 
 to protect. Yet what could he do, he asked himself in des- 
 peration, thus caught between his two loyalties? 
 
 At first there were only kindly words between the monarch 
 and the Spaniards and more giving of gifts. Fernando noted 
 that every now and then three or four Spanish soldiers strolled 
 into the audience hall as if out of mere curiosity, until there 
 were twenty-five or thirty in all. Cortes too had noted their 
 arrival. He began to speak, telling of word which had come 
 of an attack upon his force left behind at Vera Cruz and of 
 the death of some of them. He said that a certain Cacique 
 Quauhpopoca was responsible for the trap into which they 
 had been led. 
 
 "If that is so," replied Montezuma, who felt that this sudden 
 accusation was serving as an excuse for some purpose he could 
 not fathom, "here is my signet-ring. The Cacique shall be 
 summoned immediately and I will judge him." 
 
 [225 ]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 But this was not sufficient for Cortes. 
 
 "I know," he said, "that you are innocent of having acted 
 through Quauhpopoca to slay my men. But it is not so easy 
 for one at a distance to read aright. Our master, Emperor 
 Charles, across the sea, may say: 'The Cacique dared not so 
 act without the will of Montezuma.' In order therefore that 
 he may have no doubt of your friendship, it would be wise, 
 oh Montezuma, if you would take up your abode in the palace 
 amongst us until this matter be settled." 
 
 At last it had come! this thunderbolt which the Aztec had 
 felt coming so long before ! Had the gods forsaken him that 
 he knew not what to do ? Then he cried proudly : 
 
 "When was it ever heard that a great prince like myself vol- 
 untarily left his own palace to become a prisoner in the hands 
 of strangers?" 
 
 "You would not be a prisoner," Cortes explained, "but a 
 monarch surrounded by your subjects and held in the greatest 
 respect by all of us. 'Tis but a change such as you are often 
 wont to from one palace to another." 
 
 "If I should consent to such a degradation," exclaimed the 
 unconvinced Aztec, "my subjects never would. If you desire a 
 hostage I will send you one of my sons and one of my daugh- 
 ters." 
 
 For a long time Spaniard and Aztec argued. Fernando, 
 who could not know the causes which had led Cortes to make 
 this demand, felt exceedingly sorry for Montezuma. He won- 
 dered why, in spite of the Spanish soldiers, he did not give the 
 signal to fall upon the intruders and put an end once and for 
 all to his humiliation at their hands. 
 
 [226]
 
 MONTEZUMA'S HUMILIATION 
 
 Then Velasquez de Leon, wearied of the delay, cried out : 
 
 "Why do we waste words on this barbarian? We have gone 
 too far to recede now. Let us seize him, and if he resists, 
 plunge our swords into his body!" 
 
 At this speech Fernando, who even if he were the Aztec he 
 was supposed to be and unable to understand the words, might 
 well have been frightened by their tone alone, flung himself in 
 front of the Emperor to protect the charge entrusted to him. 
 
 Montezuma turned to Marina and asked the meaning of 
 what he had said. 
 
 "Go with them, King Montezuma," she pleaded. "If you 
 will comply naught shall harm you, but if you refuse they 
 threaten you with death." 
 
 Montezuma's heart told him that his hour had come. The 
 prophecies of the priests, the awe of the white men as messen- 
 gers of the gods, his own weakness and vacillation, had brought 
 him to this moment. If he had acted differently, he thought, 
 if ... but now he believed it too late. If he had but died on 
 the battle field fighting against these men who asked of him 
 such an unheard of thing! Then he nodded his assent, and a 
 triumphant smile lighted up Cortes's face. He frowned it 
 back that he might not fail in courtesy to one he had just con- 
 quered. 
 
 Montezuma gave the last orders in his palace. The cour- 
 tiers could not believe their ears. Preparations were hur- 
 riedly made, and then the Emperor and a large retinue set out 
 to accompany the Teules to their quarters. All along the way 
 his dejected subjects were murmuring that their sovereign was 
 being carried off by force. A riot was starting when Monte- 
 
 227]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 zuma called to the people that he was going of his own free 
 will. 
 
 At the palace of the Spaniards Montezuma was received as 
 an honoured guest ; his apartments were soon gorgeous as those 
 he had left behind and were thronged with his wives, his chil- 
 dren, his courtiers, and even folk from the street who came 
 to convince themselves that their revered King had not been 
 harmed. 
 
 But Montezuma knew that he would rather lie upon the 
 sacrificial stone, an offering to the god, than sit in splendour 
 in the palace of Malinche. 
 
 [228]
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 > 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 WHILE the Council had been going on and before 
 Montezuma had looked for the last time on the halls 
 of his palace, Ahuitzotl was still seeking for a way 
 to elude the vigilance of the sentinels and to escape to his mas- 
 ter, to warn him of some approaching danger and to share it 
 with him. Standing in the court not far from the stables, a 
 sudden idea struck him he would mount one of the horses 
 and dash out of the gate! He had watched these strange 
 beasts for days now and had lost his first terror of them. One 
 of the soldiers had amused himself by helping him to mount 
 and sit astride a horse and had shown him how it was guided 
 by the bridle. He believed that, if his courage did not fail, 
 he could succeed in managing one of them long enough to get 
 past the sentinels. So he strolled to the spot where Cortes's 
 horse, always saddled and bridled, was tied near one of the 
 gates. He began to polish the brass ornaments on the saddle, 
 and the soldiers, knowing that this was part of the page's duty, 
 paid no attention to him. Then summoning all his courage, 
 he put one foot in the stirrup and swung himself rather awk- 
 
 [229]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 wardly on to the horse's back. But the nervous animal was 
 conscious that this was neither his master nor a horseman of any 
 kind. He reared up so quickly that even an experienced rider 
 might have lost his seat, and Ahuitzotl was landed on the 
 ground, where a kick from the horse's hoof left him uncon- 
 scious. 
 
 It was almost a day later when he returned to his senses, 
 and much had happened in the meantime of which he was ig- 
 norant. When he was able to leave his sleeping mat he heard 
 with unbelieving ears of Montezuma's presence in Axayacatl's 
 palace. His first impulse was to hasten to him at once; then 
 second thoughts persuaded him that it might be wiser to keep 
 himself free to come and go without having to ask the royal 
 permission. He determined to seek his father, Cacama, in 
 the town and to learn from him if the princes and Caciques 
 were not planning a rescue of their monarch in which he could 
 take part. He longed to retrieve the mistake he had made in 
 leaving Montezuma; he felt as if he had deserted his post in 
 battle. Now he would give his life to bring Montezuma back 
 to his own. There was no difficulty now in passing through 
 the gate amongst the many Aztecs who were allowed to visit 
 the Emperor. So he was soon outside the walls, and Cortes 
 in consequence found himself once more without a page. Fer- 
 nando, bound by his promise, served Montezuma, still un- 
 known to his countrymen, though some of them entered the 
 royal apartments every day. 
 
 In his new abode Montezuma was surrounded by the same 
 ceremony as that to which he had always been accustomed. 
 By Cortes's command, no Spaniard was to fail to give him 
 
 [230]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 every mark of respect. He set the example himself by stand- 
 ing bareheaded until Montezuma bade him be seated. Once 
 one of the guard whose presence, though disguised as a guard 
 of honour, showed the Emperor that he was indeed a prisoner, 
 was discourteous to Montezuma, and Cortes had him severely 
 punished. 
 
 Finally the Cacique Quauhpopoca arrived, accompanied by 
 other chiefs who were accused of having killed the Spaniards 
 near Vera Cruz. They were found guilty and to excuse them- 
 selves, they claimed, rightly or wrongly, that what they had 
 done had been at the command of their sovereign, Montezuma. 
 A terrible punishment was ordered by Cortes they were 
 burned alive in the courtyard! 
 
 Now at last the Conqueror had the excuse for showing Mon- 
 tezuma that his sovereignty in Anahuac was at an end, that by 
 this act of treachery, as he called it, of which Quauhpopoca had 
 accused him, Montez\ima had forfeited his right to be treated 
 as a loyal subject of the Spanish Emperor. Without asking 
 permission he strode into Montezuma's apartment, where he 
 found him reclining in the midst of the women of his house- 
 hold. They sprang up, frightened at this sudden intrusion, 
 and gazed in amazement at the stern face of Malinche and at 
 the stolid countenance of the soldier who followed bearing a 
 pair of iron fetters in his hand. 
 
 Fernando, who had grown to love Montezuma, was equally 
 troubled. He knew by looking at him that Cortes was in one 
 of his hardest moods when he would carry out what he had 
 determined, no matter at what cost. He loved him as dearly 
 as ever and longed for the day when he might return to him ; 
 
 [231]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 but he had been so steeped in the spirit and ceremonial of the 
 Aztec court that he had come to feel an almost Aztec rever- 
 ence for Montezuma's person. What could it be that Cortes 
 purposed to do, he wondered, as he took his place before the 
 Emperor. 
 
 "Montezuma," said Cortes, omitting the customary greet- 
 ing, "by your treachery you have merited death. And though 
 you are a king, yet it is not meet that you should escape pun- 
 ishment altogether. Therefore you shall feel what it is like 
 to wear the chains of a criminal." 
 
 Fernando's horror was as deep as that felt by Montezuma's 
 household. He longed to plead with Cortes not to disgrace 
 the Emperor thus, but he could not do this without breaking 
 his promise to Ahuitzotl. As the soldier approached Monte- 
 zuma to fasten the irons about the royal ankles, the boy threw 
 himself down and put his hands around them to protect them. 
 Montezuma gave him a sad smile, but the soldier shoved him 
 aside and did his work. 
 
 Until Cortes had left the apartment there was no sound; 
 then the disgraced King moaned to himself, all the proud blood 
 of his warlike ancestors beating loudly in his veins. His wives 
 ran to comfort him; his daughter Tecuichpo, who had been 
 permitted by Guatemozin to accompany her father, sat at his 
 feet and wrapped the ends of her mantle about the iron so that 
 Montezuma's flesh might be spared contact with it. Fernando 
 was scarcely less moved than the Aztecs. He had seen noth- 
 ing but good in his temporary master, and though he did not 
 waver in his loyalty to Cortes, he felt that here he had done an 
 unnecessary act. 
 
 [232]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 While Montezuma sat there, his features stony with dis- 
 tress, Ahuitzotl, clad in his own Aztec garments again, ap- 
 peared and threw himself at his feet, uttering words of de- 
 ference and devotion. The rising which he hoped to take part 
 in was not yet ripe; but when he learned how Cortes had or- 
 dered Quauhpopoca and the Caciques to be executed and that 
 he accused Montezuma of complicity with their deeds, the boy 
 could stay away no longer. Montezuma was so moved by his 
 own tragedy that he was scarcely conscious of his page's pres- 
 ence. 
 
 When the execution of the Caciques was over Cortes en- 
 tered the apartment once more. He knelt at Montezuma's 
 feet, unloosed the shackles and said : 
 
 "It has hurt me too, Montezuma, to punish you thus in the 
 name of our Emperor. Let it now be forgotten, both the 
 wrong and the punishment, and let us be friends again." 
 
 Though the fetters had been on him but a few hours, they 
 had broken the spirit of Montezuma. Never again could he 
 think of himself as the dread sovereign of Anahuac. Yet after 
 a time he seemed to have forgotten. He gave audiences to his 
 subjects as before; he watched with interest the drills of the 
 Spaniards. He taught his captors to play totoluque with little 
 quoits of gold, and he and one of his kinsmen would play 
 against Cortes and Alvarado. His household was large and 
 costly; he dined off golden dishes as he had done in the old 
 days ; he listened to the ardent words of Father Olmedo, who 
 trusted that now he might bring about his conversion, and then 
 Montezuma turned and prayed to his own gods. 
 
 Ahuitzotl, as soon as he perceived that his master had ears 
 
 [33]
 
 for his story, could wait no longer to be reinstated in his old 
 position. 
 
 "Go," he cried to Fernando, as he loosened from his mantle 
 the golden signet of office, "go back to your Malinche. I give 
 you back your freedom." 
 
 Montezuma had overheard part of this speech and com- 
 manded Ahuitzotl to explain. He was amazed at what he 
 heard. 
 
 "Are you in truth a Spaniard?" he asked of Fernando in- 
 credulously. 
 
 "Yea, sire," the boy answered. 
 
 "And you have served me not only faithfully but kindly," 
 the monarch continued. "You did twice seek to save me. 
 Montezuma is your debtor; ask of him what you will." 
 
 And when Fernando would ask nothing, he filled his hands 
 with jewels. 
 
 "Go to Malinche," he commanded, smiling at the thought of 
 the surprise in store for his captor, "and tell him that Monte- 
 zuma sends him as a rare gift his own page." 
 
 So Fernando made his obeisances and thanks to the Em- 
 peror and passed from his apartment to that of Cortes. 
 
 Cortes was seated, composing one of the letters he wrote to 
 the Emperor Charles, in which he told him of all that had oc- 
 curred since they had entered Tenochtitlan, when a messenger 
 from Montezuma was announced. He looked up and recog- 
 nized the page whom he had noticed constantly in attendance 
 on the monarch. It was the first time he had really observed 
 him, and while he waited for Marina to translate the royal 
 w r ords, he could not help noting the eyes of the lad, which 
 
 [234]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 seemed strangely familiar. Fernando spoke in Aztec and 
 Marina interpreted: 
 
 "Montezuma sends you another gift, oh great Cacique of 
 the Teules, one which he greatly values, which he has tested 
 and knows will please you. These are the words spoken 
 through my mouth by our dread Lord." 
 
 "And what may that be, Marina?" Cortes asked; "some new 
 dish or a rare bird by which they set such store?" 
 
 " 'Tis this page, Senor, a noble youth who says he will serve 
 you faithfully." 
 
 "He comes at the right time," exclaimed Cortes, "since my 
 late Aztec servitor left me so suddenly. I must even get hold 
 of him without delay to learn where he hides Fernando. I 
 would though that this new page could speak Spanish. It is 
 hard to tell everything by gesture." 
 
 "Master!" cried Fernando, seizing Cortes's hand and cov- 
 ering it with kisses, "it is I, your Fernando." 
 
 Neither Cortes nor Marina could understand. They were 
 thunderstruck to hear this Aztec talking with Fernando's voice. 
 Then the quicker witted woman began to comprehend. She 
 gently took out the massive ornaments from nose and lip, 
 which soon regained their natural shape and size, and sought 
 to rub off the dye from his face and hands; but it would not 
 come off, nor did Fernando get rid of it completely for many 
 days. 
 
 Cortes called loudly to all within hearing to come and see 
 the marvel by which a white Christian had been made into a 
 red heathen, and when the room was filled with cavaliers and 
 soldiers, Fernando told his story. The affectionate feeling 
 
 [235]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 which he had for Montezuma impressed his hearers, who 
 now that they had him in their power were willing to forget all 
 the rancour they had once cherished towards him. When they 
 were alone and Fernando had exchanged his Aztec garb for 
 his own hose and jacket, he knelt and begged Cortes's pardon 
 for his disobedience. 
 
 "You have been punished enough, boy," his master replied, 
 stroking his hair; "but if you run away again I will tie you 
 to my saddle bow with a chain. Now go and bear my grate- 
 ful thanks to Montezuma for his gift." 
 
 Each day thereafter Fernando would visit Montezuma, who 
 was always glad to see him; and he and Ahuitzotl became 
 friends, each desirous of making the Emperor forget the 
 tragedy of his position. 
 
 Montezuma had agreed to make a public acknowledgment 
 of his allegiance to the King of Spain. When his Caciques 
 from far and near had assembled he spoke to them, saying 
 that the Teules had been sent by Quetzalcoatl, according to 
 the ancient prophecy. 
 
 "You have been faithful vassals of mine," he said with tears 
 in his eyes, "during the many years that I have sat on the 
 throne of my fathers. I now expect that you will show me 
 this last act of obedience by acknowledging the great king be- 
 yond the waters to be your lord, also that you will pay him 
 tribute in the same manner as you have hitherto paid it to 
 me." 
 
 Though there were murmurs of objection, the Caciques 
 could not disobey this last command of their Emperor, and 
 all took a solemn oath of allegiance to a sovereign whose ex~ 
 
 [236]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 istence was to them more legendary than that of the god whose 
 kinsmen the Teules were said to be. 
 
 Now Cortes, mindful of the appetite in Spain for gold, 
 which had been whetted by the first treasure sent across the 
 seas, suggested to Montezuma that a regular tribute from all 
 over the country should be collected for Emperor Charles. 
 This was done, and Montezuma contributed an additional treas- 
 ure which had been hoarded by his own father Axayacatl in 
 the very palace now occupied by the Spaniards. It was a glit- 
 tering sight to Spanish eyes when it was all spread out on the 
 stone floor: gold dust, golden bars, collars, fans, wondrous 
 ornaments of gold and precious stones. This Cortes divided 
 into portions, allotting one-fifth for the royal share. But 
 there was great dissatisfaction. Large as the treasure was, 
 when divided, the individual portions were not sufficient for 
 men who had dreamed of gold as plentiful as sand on the sea- 
 shore. The common soldiers cried out that they had not risked 
 their lives to win so small an amount ; and again Cortes had to 
 harangue them into peace and contentment, telling them that 
 this was but the beginning of the fortunes that should be 
 theirs. 
 
 In still another direction the Spaniards were dissatisfied. 
 Though they now had a chapel inside of their palace, they de- 
 sired to celebrate their religion before the Aztecs so that the 
 heathens might become familiar with the sight of the Cross 
 and their rites, and be led the sooner away from their idols. 
 Against his will, Montezuma gave to them a temple for this 
 purpose. But when the Aztecs beheld the statues of their 
 gods removed from this smaller teocalli to make way for Chris- 
 
 [237]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 tian saints, their horror and anger burst forth. Montezuma 
 warned Cortes that the gods had been offended by this act, and 
 that if this sacrilege were not put an end to they would de- 
 sert the land and their worshipers. 
 
 "I tell you this," declared Montezuma, speaking with firm- 
 ness and more majesty than he had shown since he had left 
 his own palace, "that you may be warned. If you have any 
 regard for yourselves you will leave the country without delay. 
 I have only to raise my finger and every Aztec in the land will 
 rise in arms against you." 
 
 Cortes had seen for some days that the feelings of the Aztecs 
 against them had been growing steadily fiercer, that even the 
 presence of Montezuma among the Spaniards might be in- 
 sufficient to keep his subjects from rising against the invaders. 
 The situation was indeed serious and he was uncertain of the 
 outcome. He now replied that he should be willing to leave 
 with his army for the coast, but that he had no ships there to 
 bear them back to Cuba. Then, whether to satisfy Montezuma 
 or to provide himself against a possible need in the future, he 
 sent workmen to Vera Cruz to start the building of these 
 ships. 
 
 He knew now that all his troubles were not behind him, that 
 it would require wary conduct to prevent an outburst of the 
 Aztecs ; that he must sleep with one eye open, as it were. He 
 inspected his means of defense and tightened his discipline. 
 
 Then came the news which took him away from Tenochtitlan, 
 where he was so needed. He learned that his old enemy Vel- 
 asquez, Governor of Cuba, had sent another expedition under 
 Panfilo de Narvaez to conquer Mexico and to seize and punish 
 
 [238]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 Cortes for what he termed his rebellion. This de Narvaez had 
 already disembarked with his force from several ships at Vera 
 Cruz. Cortes was drawn in two ways. He could not allow 
 this newcomer to ruin all his work; yet he feared that if he 
 left matters would go wrong. However, after much delibera- 
 tion, he decided that he must go against de Narvaez to pre- 
 vent him from stirring up trouble throughout the land. 
 
 "I appoint you governor in my absence, Pedro," he informed 
 Alvarado. "See that you are in very truth a second self to 
 me. Be prudent as you are brave. Guide your tongue as 
 you guide your steed, and rein in your impetuous spirit. And 
 first of all guard Montezuma as if he were St. Peter with the 
 keys of heaven. He is hostage to us for the good will of his 
 people. Show him ever the proper deference, since it is not 
 only what belongs to a king, but is also the policy that is safest 
 for us. Remember that if king and city have no cause for 
 complaint you can sleep in quiet; but if once they are roused 
 against our small force we shall be blown like seafoam before 
 the wind." 
 
 When Cortes told Montezuma of his projected departure, 
 the Aztec failed to comprehend why if de Narvaez were a 
 Spaniard, it was so necessary to go against him; but Cortes 
 explained that he was a traitor who must be vanquished. 
 
 And so, with forebodings that he should not find Tenochtit- 
 lan the same when he returned Cortes, accompanied by Fer- 
 nando and seventy soldiers, set out for the coast. 
 
 Alvarado was very proud of his trust. The Aztecs liked 
 him ; his fair skin and light hair and his impetuous sunny smile 
 made Tonatiuh, as they called him, the most striking of all the 
 
 [239]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Spaniards. Montezuma also had felt his charm, and would 
 often send for him to walk in the gardens or play totoloque in 
 his apartments. There was no better warrior among all the 
 Conquerors, as he was shortly to show; yet he lacked the wis- 
 dom and patience of Cortes, whose caution as a rule balanced 
 his vehemence. He was so eager that everything should go 
 well during Cortes's absence, so aware of the anger which 
 had been aroused among the populace by the slight put upon 
 their gods, that he thought he saw evidences everywhere of 
 plots for an uprising. It may be that he was right when 
 later he justified himself for his acts by saying that he had 
 done what he did in order to prevent the Aztecs from rising 
 before he was ready for them. Cortes and others of the Con- 
 querors did not believe him, nor was it ever decided just what 
 his real motive had been. 
 
 There were indeed plots to rescue Montezuma, even though 
 Alvarado may never have known anything definite about them. 
 Ahuitzotl, who was now looked upon by the great Caciques 
 as a full grown warrior and valuable in his knowledge of the 
 ways of the Teules, could have told much about them when 
 he returned daily to Montezuma's apartments from the city. 
 But he did not breathe a word of them there, not wishing to 
 give the Emperor a chance to forbid his subjects to act or to 
 burden the royal mind with knowledge of which it was better 
 for him to be ignorant in case their plans miscarried. 
 
 Ahuitzotl no longer felt bound by honour, as he had felt 
 bound while serving Cortes as his page, to refrain from work- 
 ing against the Spaniards. Now was the time, he told Cacama, 
 
 [240]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 for which he had been so long training, when he would make 
 use of the strength, the knowledge, the wiles of an Aztec war- 
 rior to fight for Anahuac, its king and its gods. 
 
 On that fateful day in May he warned the Caciques not to 
 trust the Teules. He had no information as to what Alvarado 
 planned to do. Yet from a certain suppressed excitement 
 among the Spaniards which he noticed when he visited Mon- 
 tezuma, and by a kind of instinct he felt sure something grave 
 was on foot. So he himself and those he was able to influence 
 stayed away from the festival. 
 
 Huitzilopotchli, the War God, could not be asked to give 
 up his great yearly festival because the Teules had taken over 
 one of the teocallis where part of the ceremonial always took 
 place, with its songs, dances and sacrifices and much burning 
 of incense till the worshipers fell to the ground, their senses 
 overcome. And so the Spaniards, when petitioned for the 
 temporary use of the court of the teocalli, were pleased to 
 grant it. Six hundred or more Caciques and warriors of the 
 noblest families, clothed in their most gorgeous costumes and 
 priests in their festive robes gathered therein. Then, while 
 absorbed in a dance, Alvarado and his soldiers fell upon them 
 and caught them as in a net, killing until the slippery pave- 
 ment ran with streams of blood, as one who was there pres- 
 ent told afterwards, like water in a heavy shower. 
 
 The cries of the terrified Indians reached the ears of the 
 unhappy Montezuma, who sent slaves running to find out 
 what dread fate had overwhelmed his subjects; and Ahuit- 
 zotl also, who had lingered not far from the teocalli, rushed 
 
 [241]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 away to the leaders of the conspiracy to tell them that the 
 Teules had themselves given the signal for the Aztecs to rise 
 against them. 
 
 All that night the streets of Tenochtitlan were filled with 
 men hurrying to and fro. The priests bade the citizens fight 
 for their offended gods ; the Caciques stirred their followers by 
 tales of Spanish cruelty at Cholula, and the young warriors 
 were eager for the morrow that they might make names for 
 themselves. 
 
 That night Ahuitzotl, owing still to the liberty which was 
 his to come and go between the city and the Palace, was not 
 refused admission at the gates. But the Spanish soldiers eyed 
 him suspiciously. He hurried to the apartments of Monte- 
 zuma, where he found the Emperor standing before a shrine, 
 his arms uplifted in supplication to the gods. The boy knelt 
 down behind him and waited until his master's prayers were 
 over. Montezuma when he turned could not fail to see that 
 his page was greatly excited. 
 
 "What words are those that your heart forces to your lips, 
 Ahuitzotl?" he asked, seating himself on a stool. "You can 
 speak here freely," he continued; "the women in the room be- 
 yond are so far off and so affrighted that they cannot hear 
 you." 
 
 "How shall I speak," asked Ahuitzotl, still kneeling but 
 with face uplifted, "and not offend you? Yet how shall I 
 keep silence and not wrong you?" 
 
 "Whatever your words, I shall listen," said Montezuma 
 kindly. "Speak!" 
 
 [242]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 The boy spoke hurriedly: "I and the Caciques who know 
 of my coming, my Master, have no right nor desire to learn 
 why you became the guest of Malinche. We know only that 
 the city and your land call for you to come back to them, 
 away from the Teules. Malinche is now away and surely, we 
 say, the time is come when our Lord will return to us. You 
 have heard today the cries of your children when the Teules 
 slaughtered them. You will not wait longer to come to their 
 aid?" 
 
 Montezuma's expression had not changed; he did not mean 
 then, thought Ahuitzotl, to smite him for his boldness in speak- 
 ing so plainly, so he continued: 
 
 "Forgive me if I must speak as I have never dared speak 
 to my Lord before. My reverence has not lessened ; but there 
 is need of haste and that one should speak plainly. Tomorrow 
 at dawn your people will make an assault on the walls in order 
 to overcome the Teules and to free their Emperor. You who 
 know how strong their defences are here know how many thou- 
 sands will be slain before the white men are beaten down and 
 way is made for you to pass out through the gates." 
 
 He stopped again to give Montezuma a chance to speak; 
 but whatever the monarch's thought, he showed no intention 
 of uttering it until his page had finished. 
 
 "If you were once safely on the other side of these walls, 
 then the Teules would know that they were powerless; they 
 would know that only your presence amongst them kept us 
 from driving them forth. Oh! Lord Montezuma, I know a 
 way. There is a secret passage beneath the chamber wherein 
 
 [243]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 was stored the treasure of your royal father which leads be- 
 neath the gateway into your own palace. The High Priest 
 told me of it this day." 
 
 He ceased and waited for the Emperor to give his answer 
 to the unspoken question. 
 
 Though Montezuma's features, trained doubly to hide the 
 emotions of a warrior and of a monarch, had not betrayed 
 him, yet while Ahuitzott was speaking he had not been the 
 stolid unmoved statue he appeared. His heart leapt at the 
 thought of freedom once more, of ruling his people as in the 
 old days before the Teules entered his land. Was it indeed 
 possible that he might bring back those days? Then his heart 
 sank. The thought of Cortes overpowered his hope. He 
 knew, whether his people did or not, that the gods or fate had 
 sent this man, and that his will was stronger than the Aztec's 
 will. 
 
 It cost him an effort to speak as he did: 
 
 "I thank you for your loyalty, Ahuitzotl; but you mistake. 
 Montezuma will not crawl like a mole below the ground. 
 When his friend Malinche returns, they will go together 
 through the streets of Tenochtitlan." 
 
 Ahuitzotl saw that further pleading was hopeless. His one 
 idea was to leave the palace while he could. So, when Monte- 
 zuma turned again with his prayers to the god, apparently 
 forgetting his presence, he strolled again out through the gates, 
 smiling at the soldiers who recognized him. He would have 
 liked to explore the underground passage himself, but there 
 was no time, and he dared not disappear secretly. He knew 
 that he must do nothing which would make the Spaniards sus- 
 
 [244]
 
 picious of him, at least as long as there was no open warfare 
 between the city and the palace of Axayacatl. 
 
 Before sunrise the attack began on the palace of Axaya- 
 catl. The Spaniards, though they were prepared for one, had 
 not imagined that it would be so furious. Hundreds of Az- 
 tecs scaled the walls for every fifty that were thrown down 
 and others tried to set fire to the battlements. It looked in- 
 deed as if their attack must be successful, when Montezuma 
 appeared on the summit of the walls. At the sight of their 
 revered Emperor the uproar ceased so that his voice could be 
 heard to the farthest ranks of his people. 
 
 "My children," he cried, "will ye burn the very roof over 
 your sovereign's head, or seek ye to kill him with your arrows?" 
 
 The leaders, now realizing the danger in which their on- 
 slaught placed Montezuma, called a retreat and met to con- 
 sider what plan they should follow. They decided upon a 
 siege so that they might starve the Teules. For fourteen days 
 they encamped about the walls, and the besieged found their 
 provisions and water supply perilously low. Some of the 
 Spaniards had been killed and many wounded, and their hearts 
 sank at the thought of the future. They were loud in their 
 complaints against Alvarado and the plight he had dragged 
 them into. Cortes was now their only hope, and he was far 
 away. 
 
 Alvarado managed to send a Tlascalan messenger through 
 the barrier of the besiegers. He reached Cortes at Vera 
 Cruz where, after a short but important campaign, he had 
 overcome de Narvaez. 
 
 "By my conscience!" swore the angry Cortes, "I had better 
 
 [ 245 ]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 have left you, Fernando, to govern in my place rather than 
 Alvarado." 
 
 Within the shortest possible time he had turned towards 
 Tenochtitlan, stopping not for fatigue nor dangers on the road. 
 
 "On, El Romo!" he would say to his steed which he had se- 
 cured from one of de Narvaez' forces. "We can eat and rest 
 in a king's palace at our journey's end." 
 
 As they neared Tenochtitlan he saw in the empty streets of 
 the towns through which they passed or in the scowls on the 
 faces of the folk they met along the roadside the sign of the 
 change which had taken place during their absence. At the 
 gates of the city it looked for a moment as if their entry would 
 not be undisputed. But evidently other counsels prevailed 
 among the Aztec leaders, and as they crossed the drawbridges 
 Cortes ordered the trumpets sounded to signal his return to 
 the besieged. 
 
 Montezuma came forth to meet him at the palace, but 
 Cortes, whose anger had boiled up within him all the way from 
 Vera Cruz, scarcely spoke to him. When he had reached his 
 own quarters he sent an Aztec to the Emperor. 
 
 "Go, tell your master and his people to open the markets, or 
 we will do it for you." 
 
 Alvarado too was overwhelmed by the torrent of Cortes's 
 anger. 
 
 "You have done badly," he cried after he had rejected scorn- 
 fully his lieutenant's stammered excuses. "You have been 
 false to your trust. Your conduct has been that of a mad- 
 
 man." 
 
 Yet there was no time for Cortes to indulge in this justi- 
 
 [24-6]
 
 CORTES GOES TO VERA CRUZ 
 
 liable resentment. He heard the cry of the sentinels on the 
 .ways: "The city is all in arms! The drawbridges are raised. 
 The enemy will soon be upon us !" 
 
 And Cortes knew that he must bend all his energy to defend 
 his force. 
 
 [247]
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GKEAT TEOCALLI 
 
 SPANIARDS and Tlascalans were ready for the as- 
 sault when it came, yet to the besieged the advancing 
 human waves seemed to have no end. The almost 
 naked bodies of the hosts glistened in the sun, and the feather- 
 covered shields and mantles of the Caciques gave them the 
 appearance of huge tropical birds, to which the grotesque 
 painted helmets with plumes contributed. And just as a sum- 
 mer hurricane shakes down to death the birds in the branches, 
 so the Spanish guns laid low many of these feathered war- 
 riors. 
 
 "They had only half believed the tales the Cholulans told 
 them of our artillery," said Bernal Diaz, turning round, fuse 
 in hand, from the gun he was preparing to fire for a y second 
 time. "See, Fernando, how they run. Even the infernal din 
 of their serpent-skin drums and whistles is silenced." 
 
 But it was only for a short time that the dreadful opening 
 in the ranks was to be seen ; then it filled up over the dead and 
 wounded and the wave came on again, up to the foot of the 
 walls, which the Aztecs tried to mount, shooting stones from 
 
 [248]
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 
 
 their slings as they went that injured many of the defenders. 
 Pushed back from the summit, they battered at the foot of the 
 wall and shot blazing arrows over it onto the wooden portions 
 of the palace. These caught fire, and the Spaniards dashed 
 about vainly trying to extinguish the flames with the small 
 quantity of water that remained in them, until they imitated 
 the Tlascalans and used earth for this purpose. Even this 
 was not sufficient and the conflagration stopped only when it 
 reached the principal buildings of stone. 
 
 All day long the fight raged, and Cortes, who was every- 
 where that it was hottest, ordering the guns into a great breach 
 in one of the walls, encouraging, inspiring all the defenders, 
 wondered if the day would never end. Knowing the Aztec 
 method of fighting, he looked for a cessation at nightfall. 
 And indeed both sides were glad of these hours of comparative 
 repose. 
 
 Early next morning Fernando held the stirrup for Cortes, 
 and soon all the cavaliers were in the saddle, the guns massed 
 at the gate, and the Spaniards and the Tlascalans rushed out 
 before the Aztecs were ready to attack. The impetus of their 
 charge and the missiles from the guns drove the Aztecs back 
 to a barrier they had hurriedly thrown up. Then they rallied 
 and took their toll of Spanish lives. Again the Spaniards 
 pushed them back, and again they themselves were halted. 
 Not only were they in danger from arrows, slings and the 
 maquahuitl (a wooden blade with sawlike projections of ob- 
 sidian along the sides), of the hosts before them, but from the 
 azoteas of the houses on either side rained down arrows and 
 stones. 
 
 [249]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Every cavalier sought to outdo his comrades in daring 
 Sandoval, de Olid, Ordaz and the others; but Alvarado had a 
 double reason for the almost superhuman efforts he made, 
 since he hoped to force Cortes to forget his error. Fernando 
 had not much trouble in persuading Cortes to let him accom- 
 pany him as his squire, since even if his master had wished to 
 keep him out of danger, he was scarcely worse off in this sortie 
 than in the palace which other Aztec forces were constantly 
 attacking. He had caught sight of Ahuitzotl several times 
 that day, fighting at the head of a force he supposed was made 
 up of the retainers of his father, Cacama; and he noted that 
 these men advanced in a formation different from the usual 
 Aztec way, so that he felt sure that they had been trained by 
 Ahuitzotl, who had put to use his observations of the white 
 men's soldiering. 
 
 Xicotencatl had not slept the night before, after Cortes had 
 informed him that he intended making a sally at dawn. His 
 one thought had been that at last he could fight the hated 
 Aztec, and he vowed by his mountain ancestors that that day 
 should see the long-awaited combat with Guatemozin. 
 
 The time was near at hand. Guatemozin's royal blood urged 
 him to the front ranks of those who had sworn to drive the 
 hated invaders from the land. The Prince was clothed in cot- 
 ton-quilted armour ; his mantle and shield of feather work bore 
 his insignia. But behind the soft looking ornaments were a 
 covering of tough hide on the shield, and a human body per- 
 fect in strength. The Tlascalan's body was less protected ; his 
 yellow and white feathers hung from his helmet over a rough 
 mantle of rabbit-skin that was his only garment. 
 
 [ 250 *]
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 
 
 Guatemozin heard the call of his foe and cried out in return. 
 
 "At last, Tlascalan!" 
 
 There was no need for any preliminaries; each of the two 
 nobles had dreamed too long of matching his strength against 
 that of the other. Xicotencatl cast his javelin at his opponent, 
 aiming for his neck, at the opening between the helmet and the 
 plate of silver which covered the cotton cuirass. Its point 
 glanced aside, scratched the right shoulder, and Xicotencatl 
 drew it back quickly by the thong that attached it to his arm, 
 before the Prince was able to cut it with his maquahuitl. Then 
 Guatemozin threw his javelin, which pierced the lobe of the 
 Tlascalan's ear. The javelins now darted forth and back 
 again, swift as the tongues of lizards, and each time the point 
 drew blood, though no vital spot had been struck. Xicoten- 
 catl fought not only his personal fight with a warrior whom 
 his pride urged him to vanquish, but also the fight of his people 
 against their ancient foe. The Aztec, on the contrary, had 
 almost forgotten the past enmity with the mountain stranger 
 these last few days in the face of the present desperate strug- 
 gle with the invading Teules. He fought now because he 
 joyed in it, because he had sworn to give Xicotencatl an equal 
 chance, and because he did not purpose to be worsted for the 
 first time in his life. 
 
 The battle ranged close about them; none except those on 
 the azoteas could stand idly and watch the combatants so evenly 
 matched. The Aztec's javelin, launched with his utmost 
 strength, had pierced through his opponent's corselet and hung 
 quivering in his breast. With a mighty effort Xicotencatl 
 wrenched it out and cut the thong, and then raising his 
 
 [251]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 maquahuitl, he brought it down with terrible force upon the 
 Aztec's shoulder, its cruel blades cutting deep into the flesh 
 while the blow bore him to his knees. 
 
 Xicotencatl laughed aloud in triumph. He had not heard 
 the bugle call by which Cortes was recalling his forces until 
 he could sweep the street with the guns for another advance. 
 And even if he had heard, he would not have obeyed. It had 
 always irked him to follow the commands of the Spaniards. 
 "Now he had his enemy before him and Xicotencatl meant to 
 give him his final blow before he could rise again. 
 
 But while the weapon was lifted in the air, the cannon be- 
 hind the two warriors flashed and roared, and a ball hitting the 
 side of the house before which they were fighting, blew the wall 
 into pieces, one piece of which, falling outward, knocked both 
 Aztec and Tlascalan senseless to the ground. 
 
 When they recovered consciousness they could hear the ad- 
 vance of the Spaniards into the street at right angles to them. 
 Guatemozin spoke first, breathing with difficulty from the 
 weight on his chest and the dust which covered his face. 
 
 "Tlascalan," he said, "the Teules have injured us both. Is 
 it not a sign from the gods of that which may come both to my 
 nation and to yours? We have fought each other, and this 
 time perchance . . . perchance you had got the better of me. 
 If we both succumb to our wounds will it not be the white 
 men who will benefit? Think, Tlascalan, whither the friend- 
 ship of your nation for these strangers leads it. What will 
 they do with your Tlascala if they succeed in laying Anahuac 
 low, which the gods forbid?" 
 
 He ceased for a moment, and Xicotencatl was lost in 
 
 [252]
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 
 
 thought. His lust for fighting Guatemozin had passed; he 
 too was bleeding, and the loss of blood seemed to clear his 
 brain. The Aztec's words startled him they were like the 
 echo of his own imaginings. From the first he had feared 
 the advent of the Spaniards and had fought them and disputed 
 with his own people to prevent the alliance. It was only the 
 command of the Republic which had made him accompany 
 Cortes to Tenochtitlan. 
 
 "By the gods, Aztec," he exclaimed, "my heart answers your 
 words." 
 
 "Then," cried Guatemozin, who had managed to extricate 
 himself from the ruins which had half buried him and who 
 was now helping Xicotencatl to free himself, "turn back to 
 Tlascala and force your people to harken to their danger. 
 My spirit sees dark things when it peers into the future, but 
 it may be the gods shall help us escape the fates that mine 
 eyes seem to see hanging over us." 
 
 "I too see dark clouds hanging over the mountains of my 
 land, Guatemozin," replied Xicotencatl, at last scrambling to 
 his feet, "and I will return to Tlascala as soon as I may and do 
 whatever one man can do." 
 
 Then the two nobles separated, the Prince to go by byways 
 around the Spanish force to his palace to have his wounds 
 dressed, and Xicotencatl to the Spanish quarters, where his 
 wounds were sufficient excuse for his taking no further part in 
 the fighting. 
 
 Though the Spaniards had been able that day to drive the 
 Aztecs before them by the use of the artillery, they could not 
 keep them back. And when night was falling Cortes, him- 
 
 [253]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 self wounded after his heroic rescue of one of his cavaliers, 
 retreated to the palace. He realized that there was little 
 gained for all the brave fighting of the day. Many Aztecs 
 were indeed killed, but there seemed no end of others to take 
 their places, and his own loss, though small in numbers, was 
 a serious one on account of the impossibility of replenishing 
 his ranks. While Fernando bound up his master's wounds 
 he could not take his eyes off Cortes's anxious countenance. 
 At last the Captain came to a decision. 
 
 "Go to Montezuma, boy," he said in a voice that showed 
 his deep discouragement, "and say that I ask if he will not 
 command his subjects to cease this warfare against us. What 
 shall it profit them or us to continue it?" 
 
 Montezuma smiled as always when he observed his former 
 page before him, but when he listened to Cortes's message he 
 frowned and turned away. He had not forgiven Cortes's 
 treatment of him on his return from Vera Cruz. 
 
 "What have I to do with Malinche?" he exclaimed. "I do 
 not wish to hear from him. I desire only to die. To what 
 state has my willingness to serve him reduced me?" 
 
 Then when Father Olmedo and de Olid, who had followed 
 Fernando, sought to persuade him he added: 
 
 "It is of no use. They will neither believe me nor the false 
 words and promises of Malinche. You will never leave these 
 walls alive." 
 
 But Father Olmedo pleaded again : 
 
 "Speak to them, oh King; bid them cease their warfare, 
 and we to the last man will depart from Tenochtitlan and the 
 land of Anahuac." And Fernando added his prayers also, 
 
 [ 254 ]
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 
 
 speaking in Aztec: "Stay their hands, I beseech you, Lord, 
 Montezuma. I know that your people will obey you, whose 
 word is louder to their hearts than the beating of blood in their 
 own veins. Bid them cease, I pray you, my Master." 
 
 Then Montezuma turned his face towards them and said : 
 
 "Once more then will I serve you and bid my people to let 
 you go in peace." 
 
 He ordered his slaves to robe him in his finest mantle of 
 white and blue, inset and fastened with emeralds and other 
 stones, and to put golden sandals on his feet and the golden 
 diadem of the Aztec Emperors on his head. The touch of 
 this crown brought back the old feeling of royal power and 
 dignity; and never since the day the Spaniards entered Te- 
 nochtitlan had his nobles beheld him walk so firmly nor speak 
 so royally. All his own officers surrounded and proceeded 
 him, and Cortes, followed by his lieutenants, joined the pro- 
 cession that mounted to the highest turret. 
 
 Among the assailants who gazed in astonishment and awe at 
 the Emperor was Ahuitzotl. He had obtained permission to 
 resign his duties as page and to join his father. He called 
 out to his retainers to cease fighting, and everywhere the con- 
 flict was interrupted. Men looked on Montezuma as men gaze 
 on the sun after an arctic night. He had shown his counte- 
 nance again, now they thought all must be right. A few 
 more blows and they would rescue him from those who kept 
 him by force from his own people. There was a deep silence ; 
 then Montezuma spoke: 
 
 "Why do I see my people here in arms against the palace 
 of my fathers? Is it that you think your Sovereign a prisoner 
 
 [ 255 ]
 
 and wish to release him? But you are mistaken. I am no 
 prisoner. The strangers are my guests. I remain with them 
 only from choice and can leave them when I list. Have ye 
 come to drive them from the city? That is unnecessary. They 
 will depart of their own accord if ye will open a way for them. 
 Return to your homes then. Lay down your arms. Show 
 your obedience to me who have a right to it. The white men 
 shall go back to their own land, and all shall be well again within 
 the walls of Tenochtitlan." 
 
 The hope with which the multitude had listened to the first 
 words of their Emperor had quickly changed to furious anger 
 and scorn of one who thus disgraced his ancestors. No 
 longer could they keep silent. One Cacique cried out : "Base 
 Aztec, woman, coward!" And others shouted: "The white 
 men have made you a woman fit only to spin and weave !" 
 
 But even this outlet was not sufficient for the force of their 
 patriotic ire. One noble aimed his javelin and would have 
 thrown it, but the horrorstruck Ahuitzotl sprang forward and 
 wrenched it from his hand. But others, moved by the same 
 impulse, threw stones at the turret, and one hit Montezuma on 
 the head with such force that he fell to the ground sense- 
 less. 
 
 Once more there was a sudden silence, a silence of terror 
 and regret. The multitude, as if chased by their own con- 
 sciences, fled down the streets in all directions, in any direction 
 so that it led away from this scene of desecrated sovereignty. 
 
 Below in his apartments, whither they had borne him, Mon- 
 tezuma lay on his sleeping mat and refused all aid. Tecuich- 
 po, his daughter, his wives, his children, his courtiers none 
 
 [256]
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 
 
 would prevail upon him to be comforted or to let his wound be 
 dressed. Life had no further hold on his spirit; he was eager 
 to be gone, to meet in some region of shade Quetzalcoatl, who 
 would explain to his ancestors that the reason their descendant 
 had not opposed the Teules was because he believed them sent 
 by the god. 
 
 Meanwhile Ahuitzotl's heart was sick with longing to see 
 his master. He called out to some Tlascalan soldiers on the 
 walls, and implored them to send for Fernando. And when 
 the latter appeared, he pleaded with him to get him admission 
 into the palace and into Montezuma's chamber. Cortes gave 
 his consent, and Ahuitzotl, though Montezuma did not notice 
 his presence, took up lovingly his old duties and would allow 
 no other page to serve him. Fernando too spent as much 
 time as he could spare in the apartment, and the two youths 
 vied with each other in the care of their former master. 
 
 Cortes decided on another blow which, he trusted, would be 
 so severe as to bring the Aztecs to terms. The heart of the 
 city and of their religion was, he knew, the Great Teocalli. 
 This he intended to capture and to dislodge the Aztecs who 
 were throwing missiles from it upon the palace. 
 
 After a first storming party had been repulsed, Cortes 
 called for Fernando. 
 
 "Bind my shield upon this hand," he cried; "my wound 
 shall not keep me idle when great deeds must be wrought." 
 
 And with a picked force of three hundred Spaniards and 
 several thousand Indian allies, he made his way into the court- 
 yard of the Great Teocalli. Here part of the foe awaited 
 them, and the horses who should have scattered them slipped 
 
 [257]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 upon the smooth surface of the pavement and could not ad- 
 vance. 
 
 "To our own feet then!" commanded Cortes, swinging him- 
 self down from his saddle. He sent the precious steeds back 
 to the palace, then he and Sandoval, Alvarado, Ordaz and 
 others dashed at the lower steps of the pyramid and held it 
 until his supporting troops came up. The Aztecs in the court 
 were overpowered and taken prisoners, and the Tlascalans, 
 minus Xicotencatl, who had kept himself in his own quarters 
 since his fight with Guatemozin, were left to guard the court. 
 
 Like an uncoiled spring, the Spaniards rushed upon the Az- 
 tecs on the teocalli steps, driving them before them by sword 
 blows and musket shots, until they gained the level foothold 
 of the first terrace. And the Aztecs fought as they had never 
 fought before; not even when they were trying to free their 
 sovereign; now they were fighting in defence of their gods. 
 After the assailants had forced them upward from the first ter- 
 race, they flung stones and shot javelins and arrows with such 
 rapidity that the air was darkened by them and from every 
 one of the slippery, fatal steps a Spanish body fell to the court 
 below. 
 
 In fierce rushes the Spaniards gained, driving with heads 
 down and breathless, the Aztecs before them, until they stood 
 upon the open summit of the temple. It was like coming into 
 the very heart of a thunderstorm or into the bowels of a vol- 
 cano, where human fury was as destructive as lightning or 
 molten fire. The Aztec warriors and priests fought desper- 
 ately. Two of them, slashing right and left, made their way 
 to Cortes, whom they seized. They dragged him to the edge 
 
 [258]
 
 CAPTURE OF THE GREAT TEOCALLI 
 
 of the parapet to throw him over. He knew that no one could 
 save him ; there was not a Spaniard whose arms were not 
 warding off death blows from his own head. With a prayer 
 to the saints for strength, he wrenched himself backwards and 
 out of their grasp, and so violently that one of the Aztecs was 
 hurled over the edge. Then Cortes turned and saw that vic- 
 tory was with his men, that the defenders were all killed or 
 being taken prisoners. 
 
 "God and the Lord Jesus be praised," he cried joyously. 
 "Come, friends, let us put an end to their horrible god." 
 
 They rushed into the shrine and, like hounds upon a boar, 
 tore down the frightful image of Huitzilopotchli, the God of 
 War, dragged it to the parapet and sent it crashing down 
 to the pavement below, while the Aztecs on nearby azoteas 
 who witnessed this deed cried aloud in horror. 
 
 That night Cortes made another sortie, burning many 
 houses ; and the next day he mounted with Marina to the tur- 
 ret of the palace and bade her call out to the Caciques and peo- 
 ple below that he had burned their houses and temple and de- 
 stroyed their idols. 
 
 "All this," he said, "you have brought on yourselves by your 
 rebellion. Yet for the affection the sovereign you have so un- 
 worthily treated still bears you, I would willingly stay my 
 hand if you will lay down your arms and return once more to 
 your obedience. But if you do not I will make your city a 
 heap of ruins and leave not a soul alive to mourn over it!" 
 
 Cortes waited now for a sign of submission, but none came. 
 Instead a Cacique, whom Fernando believed to be Prince 
 Guatemozin, though his head-dress hid his face, called out : 
 
 [259]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "You have in truth wrought cruelly upon a folk that wel- 
 comed you, oh Malinche; yet even should you slay thousands 
 more of us, we are content if we spill the blood of one white 
 man. "Look," he pointed, "on our terraces and streets, see 
 them still thronged with warriors as far as your eye can see. 
 Our numbers are scarcely diminished by our losses. Yours 
 are lessening every hour. You perish from hunger and sick- 
 ness. You must soon fall into our hands." 
 
 He paused a moment and then he cried in triumph : 
 
 "The bridges are down, and ye cannot escape! The gods 
 will take vengeance." 
 
 Even Cortes's stout heart shook. He realized now that 
 what the Cacique said was true. And his men were panic- 
 stricken. He hurried them down from the turret that the 
 Aztecs might not see how they crowded about him, demanding 
 that he find some way to lead them at once from the city. 
 And again Cortes had to feed them with his own courage. 
 
 For a day or two he fought in the streets, by the canals, to 
 discover if in truth the bridges were down, at the same time 
 parleying with the Aztecs in his endeavour to get his army 
 safely out of Tenochtitlan. He hoped still that by taking 
 Montezuma with him, he could shield their exit. 
 
 And then came the news that Montezuma was dying! 
 
 [260]
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 LA NOCHE TRISTE 
 
 * * "IT TT E will not live," exclaimed Princess Tecuichpo, 
 I 1 weeping, to Ahuitzotl. "He has no desire to live. 
 
 *- -^ See, he has grown weaker hour by hour." 
 
 Montezuma's daughter and his page gazed sadly at the 
 wounded Emperor, who lay on his mats with eyes closed or 
 when open fixed and unseeing. They knew that he was dy- 
 ing more from a broken heart than from the results of the 
 blow. 
 
 Fernando, who had come in to learn of his condition, hur- 
 ried to report it to Cortes. 
 
 "Go, Father Olmedo," commanded Cortes, "and see if you 
 can do naught to strengthen the body, and if not, then fight 
 lustily with the devil for his soul. Make him die in the 
 Christian faith, and I will hail you a greater conqueror than I 
 thought myself to be." 
 
 Father Olmedo did his best. He knelt by the side of the 
 dying Emperor and besought him to become a Christian. 
 
 [261]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Montezuma pushed the crucifix firmly aside, saying: 
 
 "I have but a few minutes to live, and I will not at this hour 
 desert the faith of my fathers." 
 
 Then he turned his face away, and thought of the days 
 when he served the gods as a priest, of the early morning sac- 
 rifices when the incense smoke rose upwards from the teocalli 
 white, yet less white than the snow on the peak of Popo- 
 catepetl. Later he asked to see Cortes, and with their leader 
 came into the apartment many of the Spaniards who had 
 grown to love the Emperor. Bernal Diaz, who was one of 
 these, said afterwards: "The tidings of his death were re- 
 ceived with real grief by every cavalier and soldier in the army 
 who had had access to his person, for we all loved him as a 
 father and no wonder, seeing how good he was !" 
 
 "Malinche," said Montezuma, his countenance softening as 
 he beheld Cortes's genuine sorrow, "I am dying. Others 
 must bear the weight now of Anahuac on their shoulders. I 
 am no longer king. But I have still wives and children, and 
 for them I fear. Will you care for them, my greatest treas- 
 ure?" 
 
 Cortes motioned that he would do so, and a smile of relief 
 lit up Montezuma's face. 
 
 "Let them not go destitute," he begged; "out of all my 
 riches let some remain with them. Your lord, the Emperor, 
 will do this, if it were only for the friendly offices I have ren- 
 dered the Spaniards, and for the love I have shown them 
 though it has brought me to this condition! But" he added 
 faintly "but for this I bear them no ill will." 
 
 Cortes promised by a sign and by words which Fernando 
 
 [262]
 
 LA NOCHE TRISTE 
 
 interpreted. Then Montezuma, his last duty done, sank back 
 into the arms of Ahuitzotl, dead! 
 
 Cortes turned sadly from the chamber where the dead Em- 
 peror lay, surrounded by his mourning family and household. 
 He too, except for the angry moment on his return from Vera 
 Cruz, had looked upon Montezuma as a friend. Now that he 
 was gone Cortes knew that their last stay had vanished. He 
 called his officers together to decide when the evacuation 
 should begin. Some counselled the day and some the night; 
 each had its advantages and its dangers, and the night was 
 finally chosen. 
 
 The soldiers were told to make ready their baggage, and 
 the cry went up about the treasure. Cortes knew that they 
 must leave much of it behind, as they could not be burdened 
 with it on their retreat. He had it all spread out upon the 
 floor of one of the large halls and told each man to take what 
 he could carry easily. 
 
 " 'Tis hard to decide amidst such riches," complained Ber- 
 nal Diaz to Fernando while both were hesitating. "I think, 
 though, that I will leave the heavy gold for other shoulders and 
 content myself with these four green stones the Aztecs call 
 chalchivitl, if that's the word. You remember how Monte- 
 zuma counted them as his most precious jewels." 
 
 Fernando, not so wise, filled his pockets with golden chains 
 and ornaments. Then he went at Cortes's command to bid, 
 with all courtesy, Princess Tecuichpo and another daughter 
 and son of Montezuma and certain Caciques who were of the 
 household, to prepare to leave the palace. They were to go 
 .with the Spaniards as hostages and would receive, he said, the 
 
 [263]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 deference due their rank and their sorrow. He reminded 
 them that Cortes would not forget the promise he had made 
 to their father and master to care for their welfare. 
 
 The horses' hoofs were muffled, and the wheels of the guns 
 were oiled, and, most important of all, a temporary bridge was 
 constructed to be laid over the openings in the causeway from 
 which the Aztecs had carried off the drawbridges. These 
 were entrusted to one Magarino, who had forty soldiers in his 
 detachment. 
 
 Then sadly and silently the army moved out of the gate of 
 the palace of Axayacatl, out into the open square, and down 
 the empty street. The night was dark, but the white houses 
 marked the way on either side. Like some spectral pro- 
 cession, without a word, it passed between the walls where only 
 a few weeks before it had marched in triumph. 
 
 Fernando rode by Cortes's side, and once when in his ner- 
 vousness he let his musket hit against the horse's armour, Cor- 
 tes whispered sternly to him to have greater care of silence. 
 He halted with his master while the vanguard passed. He 
 saw first of all Sandoval, then Diego de Ordaz, Francisco de 
 Lujo, and twenty other cavaliers and about three hundred 
 foot soldiers. Then Cortes, and the centre, which he com- 
 manded in person, fell in line, and with this went also the bag- 
 gage, part of the treasure destined for Emperor Charles, a 
 portion of the artillery, and the Aztec princes. The rear- 
 guard was entrusted by Pedro de Alvarado and Velasquez de 
 Leon. The Tlascalan allies were mixed in amongst these 
 three groups. 
 
 Xicotencatl, who had pondered long on Guatemozin's ad-. 
 
 [264]
 
 LA NOCHE TRISTE 
 
 vice, determined to leave the Spaniards as soon as they were 
 out of the city, and to hasten to Tlascala, where he would try 
 to arouse his countrymen to the danger of their friendship for 
 the Teules. 
 
 As they went unopposed, Cortes wondered if it were pos- 
 sible that they were to get out of Tenochtitlan thus easily. 
 He knew the Aztecs rarely attacked at night, and perhaps 
 they might be thinking the Spaniards were too wearied that 
 day to attempt to depart. There was still no sign that they 
 had been observed. A mistlike rain was falling and the only 
 lights in the city were the fires burning on the summits of the 
 teocallis. 
 
 Fernando too was wondering whether there would not be 
 some short, sharp fighting before they could leave the city be- 
 hind, but his confidence in Cortes's ability to bring them 
 through danger to safety had been unshaken even by their late 
 disasters. "Keep your ears open, Fernando," whispered Cor- 
 tes. "A single word, which you could comprehend, heard in 
 time might tell us whether this darkness has many ears." 
 
 At last they could distinguish ahead of them the beginning 
 of the causeway and the dark hole where the drawbridge had 
 been. Magarino and his men hurried forward with their 
 bridge to span the opening. 
 
 "God be praised! we are out of the city safely," exclaimed 
 de Ordaz. 
 
 "But what is that?" cried Sandoval. "See, yonder the men 
 running! Sentinels! Aztec sentinels! They go to give the 
 alarm. Stop them, stop them!" 
 
 But in the dark the Aztecs evaded the soldiers sent in pur- 
 
 [265]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 suit, and in a few minutes the priests on the lookouts of the 
 teocallis had communicated to each other. 
 
 "The drum, the drum, Captain!" exclaimed Fernando. 
 "When that calls the whole city springs to arms. There is 
 not a second now to lose." 
 
 Tenochtitlan was indeed awake: torches like myriads of 
 fireflies danced through the streets, and the roar from the 
 angry Indians was louder than from a hundred menageries. 
 
 The bridge held, and Sandoval, on his good steed Motilla, 
 and all the vanguard dashed across it in safety; then the bag- 
 gage and the men of the centre were ready to advance over it. 
 Just as Cortes was giving the word, a hail of arrows and stones 
 fell upon them. It came from the lake itself, and the war 
 cries and the sounds of boat hitting against boat told the Span- 
 iards whence they were being attacked. The missiles fell 
 faster and faster, and the Spaniards pressed on, wasting no 
 time to fire at their foe in the darkness. The rearguard was 
 now crossing the bridge when Sandoval sent a cavalier spur- 
 ring back to bid Magarino bring the bridge to the front, as 
 there was another opening ahead. But when the soldiers at- 
 tempted to take up the bridge it could not be moved; not all 
 their strength could loosen it. 
 
 This news was brought to Cortes, and soon all knew that 
 before them was an unspanned hole and the enemy closing be- 
 hind and on all sides of them. 
 
 "Fernando," Cortes called, "cry out to the Tlascalans and 
 bid them halt." Fernando dashed back and forth, calling out 
 in Aztec. Mingled with the cries of the Spaniards he heard 
 the voices of some of the Indian allies, lamenting that they were 
 
 [266]
 
 LA NOCHE TRISTE 
 
 lost, that Huitzilopotchli was taking vengeance on the invaders 
 of his land, that it was useless to try to escape that night death 
 which threatened by weapons and by water. Fernando wished 
 that he were not obliged to understand more of their spoken 
 forebodings than the rest of his companions, and he was glad to 
 return once again to Cortes's side, where he could feel his in- 
 spiring courage. 
 
 But Cortes's orders to the Spaniards were also in vain; disci- 
 pline was lost in this nightmare of death back and front and 
 surrounding them, in this darkness of a narrow way, with the 
 dark waters of the lake on either side. The baggage and guns 
 were pushed forward by the struggling men and fell into the 
 water at the break in the causeway. Soldiers and horses fell 
 on top of these, and Aztecs climbing up on both sides from their 
 canoes grabbed many a man down to death. 
 
 It was like the old pictures of the Inferno, Fernando thought, 
 painted on the wall of the church at home in Spain, which he 
 had often gazed at during long dull sermons demons were 
 dragging souls and bodies away to torment while balls of fire 
 rained down upon the damned. He had lost all hope that any 
 of them would ever escape; yet he went on fighting, almost 
 mechanically shielding himself and his horse from Aztec 
 weapons. 
 
 At last Cortes saw that the debris had almost filled up the 
 opening in the shallow water of the canal, and he sprang to- 
 wards it. 
 
 "Forward!" he cried, his voice ringing out with new hope, 
 "forward! we can ford it now." But few heard him in the 
 dreadful clamour. 
 
 [267]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Fernando rode close behind him, and as Cortes urged his 
 horse into the water he followed, and after him several cavaliers. 
 So swimming and struggling, they at last reached the other 
 side and clambered up. 
 
 "Hither, men ! hither !" called Cortes ; "y u can cross now." 
 
 Most of the horsemen succeeded in crossing, but many a foot- 
 soldier lost his footing and was swept out into the lake, to 
 drown or to be pulled into a canoe and reserved for a worse 
 fate. 
 
 "God be praised, I weighted myself not down with gold," 
 said Diaz as he, himself in safety, reached out a helping hand to 
 several comrades. "Did you see Juan and Pedro yonder borne 
 down by the weight of the treasure in their belts?" 
 
 Cortes and those fortunate cavaliers who had crossed now 
 hastened forward to see if the way were clear ahead. Soon they 
 caught up with Sandoval and the vanguard, and beheld with 
 dismay a third dark gap yawning before them in the causeway. 
 
 "Let us not linger, gentlemen," called Cortes. "Needs must 
 when the devil drives. Follow me." 
 
 He forced El Romo into the water and half swimming, half 
 walking, the beast gained the other side. 
 
 "Foot-soldiers, hold on to the horses," commanded Cortes. 
 And by doing this many got safely over, but others suffered the 
 same fate as their comrades at the second crossing. 
 
 It was almost dawn. The faint light showed the lake covered 
 with canoes, from every one of which rained arrows and stones. 
 So close together were the boats that the surface of the water 
 was hidden by them. 
 
 "Master," cried Fernando, "I hear the Tlascalans yonder 
 
 [268]
 
 LA NOCHE TRISTE 
 
 calling out that Alvarado and the rearguard are being over- 
 whelmed and must perish speedily unless help comes to them at 
 once." 
 
 Cortes did not wait to consider but cried: 
 
 "St. James to the rescue! Alvarado is in dire peril." 
 
 And then the cavaliers, still breathless from their own escape, 
 turned back to face once more the dangers in order to save their 
 comrades. They swam again to the other side of the causeway 
 and dashed back to the second opening. 
 
 "Courage, Alvarado," called out Cortes. 
 
 The rearguard was pressed closely on all sides, from the lake 
 and behind by the hosts of the city. The guns cleared a path 
 every now and then, but it closed as water closes behind a boat's 
 keel that has divided it. Cortes saw that Alvarado's horse had 
 been slain and that he was standing in the midst of terror- 
 stricken soldiers, trying to urge them forward across the gulf. 
 The cavaliers dashed towards the enemy and made a temporary 
 space ; but again the Indian hosts came on and there was noth- 
 ing to be done but to get out of the death tangle as quickly as 
 might be. Men knew that there was no hope of checking the 
 assailants, so they chose the terrors ahead of them. And cav- 
 aliers and foot-soldiers swam and scrambled as best they could 
 across the gap, many here again being swept away in the lake. 
 
 Cortes and the cavaliers believed that Alvarado had come 
 across with them, but to their horror, they beheld him still on 
 the other side. 
 
 "Swim!" commanded Cortes in tones that testified to his great 
 anxiety that it was too late, and the war canoes now pressed 
 into the gap, rendering this impossible. 
 
 [269]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Death faced Alvarado on every side. Then he stooped and 
 picked up his long lance, which had fallen. 
 
 "Ye saints! What is it he thinks of doing?" cried Sandoval. 
 
 And while Christians and Aztecs looked on in wonder, Al- 
 varado planted his lance firmly in the debris which choked the 
 shallow gap, and with one almost superhuman effort, he swung 
 himself across the wide opening to the other side. 
 
 A cry of applause rang out from friend and foe, the Aztecs 
 crying: "That is truly Tonatiuh, Child of the Sun." 
 
 And to this day their descendants show the spot where Al- 
 varado made his wonderful leap. 
 
 There was now no one left on the city side save the heaps of 
 dead and the prisoners whom the Aztecs were bearing back with 
 them, so Cortes rallied the remnant of his army and urged it 
 forward till the fatal causeway was left behind. They reached 
 the village of Popotla, and Cortes, dismounting, sank wearily 
 upon the steps of a temple, beneath the branches of a giant 
 cypress tree, and counted those who remained of the army 
 which had left the palace of Axayacatl a few hours before. 
 Fernando, bleeding from a wound on his forehead and dripping 
 with lake water, sat at Cortes's feet. 
 
 The soldiers slouched by ; not one but had escaped such perils, 
 the telling of which in years to come by wintry firesides would 
 raise the gooseflesh of their listeners ; even the cavaliers walked, 
 for their horses were either dead or too exhausted to bear 
 them. 
 
 "And their muskets!" groaned Cortes; "not a barrel to be 
 seen." 
 
 "Gone, too, the Emperor's treasure," sighed Fernando, who 
 
 [270]
 
 LA NOCHE TRISTE 
 
 had been fascinated by the sight of all the gold and precious 
 stones. 
 
 "What is that to me?" exclaimed Cortes, angrily ; "what pearl 
 is worth the lives of my men? See, yon is Sandoval, my Gon- 
 zalvo, praise be God, and de Avila, though severely wounded, I 
 judge. And de Olid, what marvels he has wrought this noche 
 triste (sad night) and Ordaz. Did you see him pull an Aztec 
 right out of his canoe? Oh! never had a commander such offi- 
 cers and men as I had, and where, oh where have I led them?" 
 
 Fernando realized that his master was not talking to him, 
 that his overburdened heart was only finding a necessary outlet 
 in words. 
 
 "Ho! there," called out Cortes as another limping, dripping 
 little troop went by, "where is Velasquez de Leon, your com- 
 mander?" 
 
 "Dead, Senor," a soldier answered, curtly, not even turning 
 his head to Cortes as he spoke. 
 
 "Gone?" exclaimed Cortes, "gone, that loyal spirit, who 
 served me so well as almost to make me forgive his hated kins- 
 man?" 
 
 He continued to demand news of many others, only to re- 
 ceive similar answers. Nine hundred of his soldiers had been 
 slain, as Bernal Diaz counted, and twelve hundred of their 
 Indian allies. It was with joy that he beheld Martin Lopez, 
 his shipwright, on whose skill he knew their future welfare de- 
 pended so greatly. 
 
 The men had no eyes for Cortes, no complaints or demands. 
 All they thought of was to reach some spot where they might 
 rest in safety. Their very silence, however, affected Cortes 
 
 [271]
 
 poignantly. His sadness as he beheld their thinned ranks in- 
 creased each moment, until at last he leaned his head in his hands 
 and wept. 
 
 When he lifted his head it was to ask Fernando : 
 
 "Marina, where is she; do you know what has befallen her?" 
 
 "Aye, Senor," answered the boy, proudly, "she is safe. She 
 
 passed a moment ago. It was my good fortune that I came up 
 
 in time to cut the arm of an Aztec who would have slain her. 
 
 They slew, perhaps not knowing in the darkness who they 
 
 were, the children of Montezuma, all but one, the Princess Te- 
 
 cuichpo. She was carried off by a Cacique whose face I could 
 
 not see, but I would wager that it was Ahuitzotl. Doubtless 
 
 she is safe now with her husband, Prince Guatemozin." 
 
 Cortes now roused himself. The past he could not change, 
 but even now he began to look to the future, and the present 
 he must control. Mounting El Homo, he led the army through 
 the village of Tlacopan to the more open country beyond, to a 
 hill on which was a teocalli. He urged the men, who at first 
 refused, to one more effort, to drive off the few Aztecs who held 
 the temple. And soon they were able to throw themselves 
 down to enjoy in peace the rest of exhaustion. 
 
 [272]
 
 . . 
 
 F 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 > 
 
 THE BATTLE or OTUMBA 
 
 ATHER," said Cortes to Olmedo, the seventh day fol- 
 lowing their evacuation of Tenochtitlan, "I feel like 
 Moses leading the Israelites through the desert. I 
 would though that I might see manna and quails drop down 
 from the heavens. This diet of wild cherries is not fit for 
 human stomachs." 
 
 "Perchance," suggested the priest, "we shall soon have an- 
 other horse to eat." 
 
 " 'Tis better to have a beast carry a man's flesh than that a 
 man should carry a beast's flesh inside of him," commented 
 Cortes as his eyes examined the horse whose drooping head 
 showed that its road was near its end. "Yet the wounded, in 
 spite of all their privations, have improved," he continued, 
 "and once we reach Tlascala, 'the Land of Bread,' we shall be 
 treated as if it were Castile itself and may feed without stint." 
 Since the night when Cortes had wept none had beheld in 
 him any sign of weakness. He praised the bravery of the 
 survivors and told them that they must face starvation with 
 
 [273]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the same courage with which they had faced the Aztec hosts. 
 He reminded them of the hospitality of the Tlascalans await- 
 ing them, and promised that in the letter he was to write the 
 Emperor he would give praise to all of them and would espe- 
 cially commend the deeds of numerous individuals. If he 
 himself looked ahead with uncertain gaze no one knew it, nor 
 was anyone aware of the moment when out of the deep res- 
 ervoirs of strength there had flowed to him new courage and 
 the determination to win back all he had lost. For the time 
 being he allowed everyone to think he meant to push on to 
 Vera Cruz after a short halt at Tlascala. 
 
 All through the days the Spaniards were journeying by a 
 roundabout way towards that city small bodies of Aztec sol- 
 diers harried them with their arrows, and Cortes was well 
 aware that they would never be allowed to reach the Republic 
 without a battle. 
 
 On that morning, a week after their exit from Tenochtit- 
 lan, they saw the valley of Otumba stretching before them. 
 "See!" exclaimed the homesick but uncomplaining Tlascalans, 
 "yonder rise the hills of our country. A little farther and we 
 are safe." 
 
 Even as they spoke the advance guard hurried back to re- 
 port that the valley was filled with an Aztec army. Cortes 
 rode ahead and looked down upon the multitude below. It 
 seemed to his fancy that for every Aztec the Spaniards had 
 slain since their entry into Anahuac a thousand were there 
 waiting to oppose them. He looked back at his own hand- 
 ful of troops : no artillery, no muskets, and only twenty horses. 
 Yet he did not hesitate. He galloped back, called a halt and 
 
 [274]
 
 THE BATTLE OF OTUMBA 
 
 mounting a rock so that his voice could carry to all of the men, 
 said: 
 
 "Spaniards! The heathen are encamped before us. We 
 must conquer if we would pass. You know that we can not 
 go back. We are wounded, weary, and thin are our ranks, 
 yet we bear with us a treasure greater than that which was 
 lost on the causeway the spirit of Spanish heroes, of our an- 
 cestors who have fought heathen for centuries. What are 
 numbers as arrayed against that? And forget not, that with 
 us fight heavenly allies." 
 
 There was no need of a longer speech. Cortes drew up 
 the troops in the most effective formation and ordered the ad- 
 vance. Every man fought as if he were the captain of a com- 
 pany, and, as one of them said afterwards, "the little groups 
 were as islets against which the breakers, roaring and surg- 
 ing, spent their fury in vain." 
 
 Yet the numbers of the Aztecs told after a time, in spite 
 of the almost miraculous feats of Cortes's army. Sandoval in 
 particular would dash into the ranks of the foe, slashing all 
 about him, then turning Motilla around, would gallop back 
 to the Spanish lines. 
 
 Fernando found it difficult to keep up with Cortes. His 
 own horse, which had been severely wounded during the Ter- 
 rible Night, now quivered with nervousness at the sounds and 
 sights of the battle and endeavored to swing around and dash 
 away from the mass of sharp weapons all about him. 
 
 "Hold, coward!" yelled Fernando as he pulled on the reins 
 with all his strength: "would you disgrace your blood and 
 
 mine?" 
 
 [275]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 But the poor animal's terror had indeed been a foreboding 
 of his fate. A Cacique had noticed how often Malinche's page 
 had warded blows from his master and knew that by killing 
 him he would be that much nearer to destroying Cortes. Fer- 
 nando saw his danger and attempted to swerve his horse 
 quickly to the left while he slashed with his sword to the right ; 
 hut the panicstricken steed only reared up in the air and the 
 murderous maquahuitl gashed through his chest. Fernando 
 slipped from the saddle as the beast fell, and the body between 
 him and his foe protected him for a moment while he got to 
 his feet. Before the Aztec's weapon could reach him he had 
 cut down the arm which wielded it, and with a second blow the 
 horse was avenged. 
 
 But while he was thus defending himself, Cortes had been 
 wounded. When Fernando, after dodging between horses' 
 legs, finally reached him, he found his master bleeding and 
 white. But he could not persuade him to go to the rear. 
 Cortes saw that his army was doomed unless something like a 
 miracle should take place speedily. 
 
 Suddenly he caught sight of Cihuaca, the Indian leader, in 
 his gorgeous war trappings. 
 
 "Follow and support me!" cried Cortes; "y na *er is our 
 mark." And spurring his horse, he dashed towards the up- 
 lifted golden net, the insignia of the leader. After him 
 spurred Sandoval, de Olid and Alvarado, and other cavaliers, 
 till they reached their goal through the rows of Aztecs whose 
 utmost efforts were unequal to stopping the horsemen. 
 Cortes 's javelin, like the prow of a ship riding the waves, 
 stuck out before him, and with all his force he ran it through 
 
 [276]
 
 THE BATTLE OF OTUMBA 
 
 the body of the Cacique Cihuaca. One of the cavaliers sprang 
 from his horse and gave the deathblow with his sword, and 
 catching the golden net on the bloody point, handed it to 
 Cortes, who waved it above his head that all might see. 
 
 The death of their leader was a serious and unexpected blow 
 to the Aztecs. Those about him sought to flee, and their ter- 
 ror soon communicated itself to the ranks behind. Cortes took 
 advantage of this moment to urge his troops to renewed ef- 
 forts. Almost blinded with blood and sweat for the day was 
 very hot the Spaniards fought with desperation, and at last 
 the tide turned. 
 
 "Lo! Behold! Yonder rides St. James, our patron saint!" 
 cried out a soldier wildly, pointing. "He is mounted on a 
 white steed. See ye not ? Yonder ! Yonder ! Follow him and 
 victory is ours." 
 
 And when victory had indeed been won and the Aztecs pur- 
 sued until their victors were wearied, men lying upon the booty 
 they had gathered, told how they had seen before them, 
 ever in the thickest part of the struggle the figure of the 
 Saint. 
 
 Now before them lay a clear road to Tlascala, and though 
 there were few without wounds, the Spaniards marched on- 
 ward with heads raised, and occasionally a song burst from 
 their lips or a laugh of triumph as a soldier arrayed himself in 
 plumed helmet of a Cacique he had slain. 
 
 If Cortes had had any doubt as to the reception he would 
 receive from the Tlascalans when he returned after the failure 
 to hold Montezuma's capital, they vanished as soon as he had 
 crossed the border of the Republic. Maxixca, one of the four 
 
 [277]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 ruling Caciques, met them and greeted Cortes as one might 
 greet his brother. 
 
 "We have made common cause together," he said, "and we 
 have now common injuries to avenge. Come weal or woe, be 
 assured that Tlascalans will prove your loyal friends and stand 
 by the white men to the death." 
 
 After a few days' rest and an abundance of good food the 
 army was ready to march on to the City of Tlascala. Here 
 they were received with the utmost kindness, and Cortes had 
 no fear for the immediate present except for the effects of his 
 own wounds. The surgeon found it necessary to cut off two 
 fingers from his left hand. Fernando and Marina attended 
 him carefully during his illness, in great anxiety at times lest 
 his fever should never leave him. 
 
 When he arose again another trouble awaited him. Many 
 of the men, in particular those who had come to him from the 
 ranks of the conquered de Narvaez at Vera Cruz, insisted that 
 he should lose no further time in starting for the coast. Again 
 Cortes had to use all his persuasive powers, so often tested, to 
 call to his aid both love of adventure and love of gain, before 
 he could make them consent to his plan for seeking once more 
 their fortunes in Mexico. 
 
 And while these plans were maturing Cortes was glad to 
 keep his men in good condition by campaigns against some of 
 the tribes which warred upon the Tlascalans, and by attacking 
 successfully certain cities garrisoned by Aztecs. 
 
 Fernando took pleasure in seeing once more the friends he 
 had made during his first stay in Tlascala. Owing to his ex- 
 perience at Montezuma's court, he was now more familiar with 
 
 [278]
 
 Indian life than any other of the Spaniards. He would sit 
 among the venders in the market-place listening to the tales 
 they told of wild beasts in the dense forests, legends of the 
 gods, and the heroic deeds of their ancestors. The youths of 
 his own age, sons of various Caciques, listened to him in won- 
 der as he related his extraordinary adventures in Cholula and 
 Tenochtitlan, of his narrow escapes from death on the teo- 
 calli and during the "Terrible Night," and his accounts of the 
 splendour of Montezuma's household. 
 
 His experience of Indian ways and his intimate knowledge 
 of their language were of the greatest help to Cortes in ce- 
 menting friendship with his allies, and his punctilious manner 
 and use of their own customs pleased the Tlascalans. Though 
 Marina was still Cortes's official interpreter, there were many 
 times when Fernando could carry informal messages back and 
 forth. 
 
 But he was not successful in seeing much of Xicotencatl. 
 He had been proud when the young Tlascalan had sought him 
 out during their march to Tenochtitlan, and was grateful to 
 him for saving his life in Cholula. But now he thought that 
 Xicotencatl avoided him, and that when chance threw them 
 together the Cacique talked no longer freely with him as he 
 had done in the past. 
 
 And he was right. Xicotencatl's mind dwelt continually 
 upon the warning of Guatemozin. He saw so clearly that it 
 seemed to him all his countrymen must be blind that they 
 could not see that the Teules were to be the ruin of his be- 
 loved Tlascala. He could not sleep for thinking of it; he 
 climbed alone to the heights of the mountains where he had so 
 
 [279]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 often hunted, and sleeping under the stars, he prayed the gods 
 to give his tongue such eloquence that his countrymen must 
 listen to the truth and be warned in time. He alone of Tlas- 
 calan nobles took no part in the feastings to the Spaniards. 
 
 A hunter who brought him food during one of his moun- 
 tain vigils told him the strange news he had heard in the vil- 
 lage below that an embassy from the new Aztec king was 
 on its way to Tlascala to lay presents at the feet of the four 
 Rulers of the Republic and to deliver a message. The un- 
 heard-of step on the part of the Aztecs brought Xicotencatl 
 hurrying down to the city to see what it might mean. 
 
 When he reached Tlascala he went direct to the great coun- 
 cil hall, where he found the four Caciques who had just given 
 audience to the Aztec envoys from Cuitlahuac, the brother of 
 Montezuma. The hall was filled with the hastily summoned 
 chiefs of the Republic. There were no Spaniards present, for 
 the Tlascalans had not invited them and, curious though Cortes 
 might be, he would not offend his allies by any sign of sus- 
 picion. 
 
 The envoys had delivered their gifts and were speaking as 
 Xicotencatl entered. They told how the new king, greatly as 
 he revered his brother's memory, had decided upon a vastly 
 different policy. He sought to make friends, not with the 
 Teules, but with his neighbours, whose bronze color and lan- 
 guage proclaimed them descended from the same distant an- 
 cestors. He regretted, they said, that there had been enmity 
 so long between the two countries who should live in peace to- 
 gether, and he besought the Tlascalans to take warning at the 
 harm the Spaniards had wrought in Anahuac, "Doubt not,'* 
 
 [280]
 
 THE BATTLE OF OTUMBA 
 
 the speaker said in the words his royal master had put into his 
 mouth, "that they will serve Tlascala likewise. Join with us, 
 and we shall sweep these interlopers into the sea." 
 
 Every argument of the Aztecs had echoed in Xicotencatl's 
 heart. Forgetting the deference which should have kept him 
 silent until his elders had spoken, he pushed to the front rank 
 and stood before his father, the ancient Xicotencatl, and the 
 three other leaders, and cried: 
 
 "The gods speak through the lips of the Aztecs the same 
 message which they have whispered to me who sought their 
 guidance in solitude on the high mountains. The time is past 
 when Tlascalans and Aztecs should combat each other. We 
 are like two men in a canoe who, when the storm comes, must 
 not pull in different ways. The Teules that is the storm 
 which has destroyed palaces and huts along the streets of Te- 
 nochtitlan and which will yet break down the tall grain in the 
 Land of Bread. I who have fought the Aztecs know their va- 
 lour, and I counsel you, Rulers of Tlascala, that you harken to 
 their message and unite with them to drive forth the white 
 
 men." 
 
 Xicotencatl's words had convinced some of the younger 
 Caciques, but the older ones shook their heads. His own 
 father declared that he had sworn friendship to the Spaniards 
 and he would not break his oath. Maxixca, one of the Four, 
 then rose and spoke: 
 
 "Will you listen to fair words from false foes? Do you 
 think that if we help them drive the Teules away our ancient 
 enemy will not turn then against us? Can Aztec gifts of cot- 
 ton and of salt buy our friendship? Shall we who have shed 
 
 [281]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 the blood of our young warriors by the side of the Spaniards 
 and welcomed them to our city, turn now against them? 
 Would not the gods who punish a breach of hospitality wreak 
 vengeance on us? Moreover, have not the gods themselves 
 sent these guests, according to the ancient prophecy?" 
 
 Xicotencatl was tense with eagerness during this speech. 
 Never before in his life had he felt such a certainty as now 
 that if he could not prevail upon the council to break the al- 
 liance with the Spaniards and to join the Aztecs in driving 
 them from the country, his land would perish. He had no 
 thought of self nor of winning fame in battle; it was pure 
 patriotism which impelled him. 
 
 "I have heard what the wise Maxixca has spoken," he said, 
 "But he has listened so much to the tongues of Malinche and 
 his priest that he can not hear the voices that warn our land 
 of disaster. These I hear in every wind, in every rustle of 
 the maize, in our streams as they flow from the snows, in the 
 cries of the eagles on the rocky summits. The bear can not 
 mate with the deer, nor the rabbit with the wildcat, no more 
 may red men and white men live side by side. Oh, harken 
 to my words, Fathers of the Republic, and say not that because 
 Xicotencatl is young he has no truth on his lips!" 
 
 The ancient Xicotencatl had listened to his son's plea, his 
 sightless eyes turned ever on him. Now he rose and the coun- 
 cil waited in awe for the words from their venerable leader. 
 But he did not speak. Instead he walked with slow but un- 
 erring steps to the spot where his son was standing. Placing 
 his withered hand on his shoulder, he shoved him with more 
 
 [282]
 
 THE BATTLE OF OTUMBA 
 
 , force that one would have believed him still to possess towards 
 the doorway. 
 
 "Go!" he cried, "go and presume not to speak foolish words 
 in the presence of wise men." 
 
 Xicotencatl, stunned by this unexpected treatment, walked 
 rapidly away from the hall and then with slow steps out to 
 his own home beyond the city. When he had climbed the hill 
 top he looked back at the city below and lifted up his arms to 
 the heavens with a gesture of despair. 
 
 "Tlascala! Tlascala!" he cried aloud. 
 
 He spent most of his time away from the city in solitude, 
 hunting or in drilling the retainers of his family. He heard 
 of the death of Maxixca and learned that the Cacique, who 
 had always been a friend and advocate of the Spaniard, had 
 embraced the religion of the white man on his deathbed. 
 Xicotencatl wondered how much longer the gods would wait 
 before taking vengeance upon the country which allowed them 
 to be thus defied. 
 
 This was the first conversion among the Tlascalans, and 
 Father Olmedo's heart was lifted up even as Xicotencatl's was 
 borne down. Maxixca's act, he prayed, would lead many to 
 follow his example, and when the ancient Xicotencatl declared 
 that he too wished to worship the God of the Teules, he knew 
 that his prayer had been heard. 
 
 Cortes had now recovered from his wounds and his mind 
 was already working out plans for besieging Tenochtitlan. 
 He was resting one hot noon under the stone arches of a pal- 
 ace, looking out on a courtyard filled with prickly pear-trees 
 
 [283]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 and trees of liquid amber. Sandoval and Alvarado were 
 stretched out on grass mats near him. 
 
 "Are you become too proud, Fernando, since I made you a 
 squire, to perform once more a page's duty and prepare some 
 cool beverage for us? Have you forgotten how you used to 
 make chocolatl for King Montezuma?" 
 
 Fernando soon returned with goblets containing the drink, 
 and Cortes, now refreshed, began to talk of what was upper- 
 most in his mind. 
 
 "How shall we succeed now, friends?" he questioned. "At 
 least we have been taught our lesson well, no longer to believe 
 that an easy task awaits us." 
 
 "Who would have thought," exclaimed Alvarado, "that the 
 Aztecs could be so much more warlike than their sovereign." 
 
 "They made you jump, Pedro," joked Sandoval. 
 
 "Since we know what it would cost us to attempt to return 
 by the way we came so sadly," continued Cortes, "we must 
 think of another route; and since they are familiar with our 
 tricks of guns and muskets now and not many of them are 
 left to us let us surprise them with another proof of the 
 white man's superiority. We were beaten on land ; let us beat 
 them on water. Go fetch me Martin Lopez, Fernando, that 
 we may lose no more time." 
 
 The shipwright soon made his appearance, and the sight of 
 his sturdy frame and arms made the officers feel that what- 
 ever he undertook must needs succeed. 
 
 "I know that you can build staunch craft, Martin," Cortes 
 said when he had bade him sit down; "but the work I have for 
 you may be beyond your power." 
 
 [284]
 
 THE BATTLE OF OTUMBA 
 
 "Not if it be a hull and sails, Senor," answered Martin 
 proudly. 
 
 "Listen," Cortes continued. "You shall build me in Tlas- 
 cala, where there is an abundance of wood and pitch, thirteen 
 brigantines. Sails, cordage and all needful shall be brought 
 from Vera Cruz where you remember I had them stored when 
 the ships were burned. But this is not enough. You must 
 build these ships and then break them up in pieces that they 
 may be carried on men's shoulders to Lake Tezcuco. Is this 
 task beyond you?" 
 
 "Have no fear, Senor," Martin answered, "the ships shall 
 be none the less good for swimming because they traverse 
 mountains. They shall be like frogs, suited to land or water." 
 
 The two lieutenants were struck with astonishment. 
 
 "You have in truth conceived a bold idea," exclaimed Al- 
 varado. "The lake that was near our undoing shall now be 
 our ally." 
 
 "Go with Martin," Cortes commanded Fernando, "and ask 
 of the Caciques permission to take all the men necessary into 
 the forest to cut the wood. It saves me much trouble and 
 delay," Cortes said, turning to Sandoval, "that this lad speaks 
 so easily the Indian tongue." 
 
 And Xicotencatl, hunting in the forest, heard the sound of 
 axes and beheld through the leaves a band of Teules cutting 
 down many trees. He caught sight too of Fernando, but 
 moved softly away before the boy to whom he had so often 
 given proofs of kindly interest, could know that he was there. 
 
 [285]
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 XlCOTENCATL MEETS HlS FATE 
 
 PRINCESS TECUICHPO was alone with her husband 
 Prince Guatemozin in his palace, which was not far 
 from the royal palace that Montezuma had occupied 
 before the coming of the Teules. He had just returned from 
 a hunting trip in the forests. Not only did he love this sport 
 but he was confident that the exertions it required kept his 
 body supple for the war that soon must be waged. Tecuichpo 
 had been weaving a rug of fine cottons, which she laid aside 
 to embrace him when he entered fresh and cool from his bath. 
 
 "And so the news reached you even in the thick of the for- 
 est?" she queried. 
 
 "Yes," he replied, "that our uncle is no more. It was a 
 short time indeed that he wore the crown of Anahuac. He 
 fought manfully for the land, therefore his spirit has flown at 
 once to the blessed realm where the gods abide, and his name 
 will be written forever in our hearts." 
 
 "Who, do you think, will be the next king?" She would 
 not say the thought that was in her mind, even though her in- 
 stinct told her that her husband too was thinking it. 
 
 [286]
 
 "I do not know, Little One," he answered, seating himself t 
 on a stool beside her. The terrible days in which they lived ; 
 could not kill altogether the joy of living, and it was very 
 sweet to rest thus near his young wife and to look into her 
 dark eyes. "The council will choose," he continued. "Even 
 as I came into the city I met the electors hurrying towards the 
 teocalli. We shall know soon; the gods grant that it may be 
 a strong man who, like the eagle of our banners, can throttle 
 the snake which has crawled into our land." 
 
 "And if it were you, Guatemozin, what would you do?'* 
 She could no longer keep her thought unspoken. 
 
 "If it were I," answered the young Cacique, his eyes flash- 
 ing, "I would remember our ancestors and how they won this 
 land, and, the gods helping me, I would win it back again till 
 not one of those pale-faced invaders was left to set foot on its 
 soil." 
 
 They were interrupted by a slave parting the curtains to an- 
 nounce that a priest had come on urgent business. When he 
 had been admitted and made the obeisance due to those of 
 royal birth, he said: 
 
 "I have come, Prince Guatemozin, by order of the High 
 Priest. He has sent word to all the Caciques of royal blood, 
 asking them to appear before the council. It has already de- 
 bated the matter of choosing Anahuac's new King. Now the 
 High Priest awaits the coming of you and of your kinsmen 
 before praying the gods to give their decision." 
 
 Guatemozin rose and preceded the priest from the apart- 
 ment and the palace. Tecuichpo, left alone, was restless with 
 waiting and eagerness. "Oh, Maztla, my dear bird Maztla," 
 
 [287]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 she cried aloud, "I would you were still alive to help the min- 
 utes pass." 
 
 Guatemozin found the royal Princes, the chief Caciques of 
 the kingdom and the principal priests already assembled on 
 the summit of the Great Teocalli. The High Priest began 
 his invocation of the god: 
 
 "Oh Lord, thou knowest that the days of our sovereign are 
 at an end, for thou hast placed him beneath thy feet. He 
 abides in the place of his retreat ; he has trodden the path which 
 we are all to tread; he has gone to the house whither we are 
 all to follow the house of eternal darkness, where no light 
 cometh. He is gathered to his rest, and no one henceforth 
 shall disquiet him. All the princes, his predecessors, who sat 
 on the imperial throne, directing the affairs of thy kingdom, 
 for thou art the universal lord and emperor, they laid down 
 the intolerable burden of government, and left it to him, their 
 successor. Yet he sojourned but a few days in his kingdom 
 but a few days had we enjoyed his presence, when thou 
 summonedst him away to follow those who had ruled over the 
 land before him. And great cause has he for thankfulness, 
 that thou hast relieved him from so grievous a load, and placed 
 him in tranquillity and rest. 
 
 "Who now shall order matters for the good of the people 
 and the realm? Who shall appoint the judges to administer 
 justice to thy people? Who now shall bid the drum and the 
 flute to sound, and gather together the veteran soldiers and 
 the men mighty in battle? Our Lord and our Defence! wilt 
 thou in thy wisdom, elect one who shall be worthy to sit on 
 the throne of thy kingdom; one who shall bear the grievous 
 
 [288]
 
 XICOTENCATL MEETS HIS FATE 
 
 burden of government; who shall comfort and cherish thy 
 poor people, even as the mother cherisheth her offspring? Oh 
 Lord, most merciful, pour forth thy light and thy splendour 
 over this thine empire. Order it so that thou shalt be served 
 in all, and through all." 
 
 When the prayer was ended, the electors withdrew to an 
 inner apartment while those left to await their decision walked 
 restlessly about. Guatemozin did not join any of the groups 
 but stood alone, looking off at the valley and the distant moun- 
 tains, thinking deep thoughts of how beautiful a country it 
 would be the duty of the new sovereign to protect. 
 
 In a few moments the electors returned, and the High 
 Priest in a loud voice announced that the gods had chosen a 
 new King and Emperor the nephew of both Montezuma and 
 Cuitlahua, a warrior proved in battle and wise in statecraft 
 Guatemozin. 
 
 When they had robed him in the royal garments and put 
 on his head the crown with its sweeping green feathers, drum- 
 beats and other music announced to the impatient people that 
 their new Emperor was about to be conducted in state to the 
 royal palace. The houses poured their inmates into the 
 streets, and everywhere Guatemozin was received with shouts 
 of rejoicing and flowers were strewn before his feet as he ad- 
 vanced. Yet there was lacking the careless laughter and the 
 dancing processions of earlier days ; men knew that their new 
 monarch, the choice of their hearts as of their gods, had a 
 grave task ahead of him. They felt confidence in him, but 
 they could not forget the dangers which surrounded them. 
 
 Tecuichpo heard the shouts without, and soon her household 
 
 [289]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 brought the news to her. Then shortly after came ladies of 
 the court, bringing with them robes and scarves and jewels 
 fit for the Emperor's wife. They clothed her in them and 
 conducted her to the palace where Guatemozin was installed 
 in the apartments which Montezuma had occupied. 
 
 Before the day was over Guatemozin had summoned the 
 principal Caciques of the kingdom and told them of the plans 
 he had thought out for resisting the new attack he felt confi- 
 dent the Spaniards would soon make. He gave orders to 
 strengthen the causeways, to build more war canoes, to pre- 
 pare arrows and javelins until they should be as plentiful as 
 drops of rain in a summer shower. He told them that they 
 must fight the Teules wherever they could find them, and that 
 every prisoner was to be brought to Tenochtitlan to be sacri- 
 ficed, so that the gods in gratitude would be pleased to give 
 their aid to their faithful worshipers. 
 
 The next morning the new Emperor sent for Ahuitzotl. 
 
 "The hour for which I trained you is indeed come, son of 
 Cacama," he said, "and for which you have trained yourself, 
 though all unknowing what the need should be. The gods be 
 thanked that you are strong as the ocelot you killed and wily 
 as the fox. You are still young in years, but I am not so old 
 myself as to have forgot what a taut bowstring is youth. It 
 is well also that you have had opportunity to learn many of 
 the white man's ways." 
 
 "In what do you command me, oh King?" asked Ahuitzotl, 
 saluting. 
 
 "That you should be the very shadow of the Teules, and 
 like a shadow, sometimes go before and sometimes after; that 
 
 [290]
 
 XICOTENCATL MEETS HIS FATE 
 
 you should inform me when they move, or even when they 
 think of moving. Establish beacon posts on the mountains to 
 flash to Tenochtitlan whatever news you have to tell me. 
 Command what forces you will, and when it seems wise to you 
 to hold up small numbers of the foe, stand and fight; or go 
 alone where you may spy unseen. Is it too much I ask of you, 
 Ahuitzotl?" he questioned, looking anxiously into the boy's 
 face as if to read whether he were in truth equal to the task he 
 had set him. 
 
 "It is not too much, oh Chosen of the Gods," answered the 
 boy proudly. 
 
 "Then go," commanded Guatemozin, "and take this signet 
 with you. I shall not ask in which direction you will set your 
 face, only let it not be long before I have news of you." 
 
 Ahuitzotl went to his father's house and clothed himself in 
 the garb of a farmer and set off towards the Tlascalan bound- 
 ary by the same route he had journeyed when sent by Monte- 
 zuma. On the way he organized a system of communications 
 by means of beacon fires and by swift runners who should wait 
 at various posts to carry messages forward. It was not diffi- 
 cult for him to travel unquestioned through the country; he 
 knew the ways and had caught many tricks of Tlascalan 
 speech. 
 
 When he reached the city of Tlascala he mingled with the 
 crowd which had come out to observe the great army ready 
 to set forth against Anahuac. That night he sent a message 
 to Guatemozin that, "Malinche has now more men under his 
 banners than before. I counted six hundred Teules armed 
 with bows, swords and pikes, forty horses and nine of their 
 
 [291]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 big guns. But greater far was the host of Tlascalans, the an- 
 cient enemies of our fathers. I know not how many thou- 
 sands there are, for while I was counting a talkative merchant 
 made me answer him and I would not appear to be number- 
 ing them. But there are warriors of Cholula, Tepeaca and 
 other cities which have rebelled against you. The four chief 
 Caciques of the Republic marched too with all their banners 
 and followed by their own retainers. I beheld the younger 
 Xicotencatl, whose knit brows, like marks on picture-writing, 
 showed that his heart moved not with his feet. You have al- 
 ready heard how his voice was raised against the Teules in 
 the council. This message I send you now and I will inform 
 you shortly of other things. I touch the earth with my hand 
 and bow before the greatness of your power, oh King." 
 
 Like the shadow he had been commanded to copy, Ahuit- 
 zotl followed the Spaniards. He was near them as they set 
 forth from Tlascala, where for the present the allies were to 
 remain; and when they crossed the mountain ridge that sep- 
 arated the two countries he was near enough to see the Span- 
 iards as they huddled at night around the great fires they built 
 to keep off the severe cold. He saw that they were bent to- 
 wards the city of Tezcuco, the city in which until shortly before 
 a great king had reigned. Ahuitzotl knew that Cortes had 
 set up a new young king, in order that through him he might 
 rule the land. 
 
 Ahuitzotl sent another message to Guatemozin, saying: 
 "The Teules will rest at Tezcuco for a time, and because 
 it lies near enough to Tlascala for troops to pass back and 
 forth. The young King has forsaken the gods of his fathers 
 
 [292]
 
 XICOTENCATL MEETS HIS FATE 
 
 and worships those of the white men. With him night and 
 day abides Fernando, whom you know, who teaches him the 
 tongue of the Teules and who has orders, if it be needful, to 
 hold the King by force. You have bidden me tell you what 
 Malinche thinketh of doing. I have watched him send forth 
 warriors towards many directions, and I believe that he plans 
 this: to circle round about Tenochtitlan and to take first one 
 city and then another, and thus cut off your capital till it falls 
 into his hands. But you will prevent him, oh King, by your 
 cunning and by your bravery. Send, Lord, if you will listen 
 to the word of your servant Ahuitzotl, many warriors first to 
 Iztapalapan." 
 
 Guatemozin did not fail to do this, and there was a sharp 
 encounter between Aztecs and Spaniards there. At last the 
 Spaniards were victorious, but the night after they had taken 
 the city and looted it and set fire to its houses, they heard the 
 sound of water, and discovered that the dike had been cut. 
 It was Ahuitzotl who with canoes full of men had worked to 
 cut off the Spaniards thus. Cortes, seeing the danger that 
 they would indeed be surrounded by water, was forced to 
 leave the city and the plunder, thankful to escape without 
 further loss. 
 
 Though they lost thus the fruits of their victory, Cortes was 
 not dismayed. In spite of the fierce fighting of the Aztecs, 
 he succeeded in taking one city after another, drawing the 
 ring close about Tenochtitlan. Some of these cities defended 
 themselves to the last ; of others the Caciques and inhabitants, 
 who had been oppressed by the tax gathers in the time of Mon- 
 tezuma, were willing now to throw off allegiance to his suc- 
 
 [293]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 cessor and to acknowledge the Emperor across seas, in whose 
 name Malinche warred. 
 
 Ahuitzotl was in many of these encounters. Fernando rec- 
 ognized more than once on a banner the Fish which was his 
 arms. Each avoided coming in contact with the other and 
 each felt a kind of pride in the other's prowess, for Fernando 
 too, though he had not such authority as the Aztec, proved 
 himself every day a brave and untiring fighter. 
 
 Cortes knew that there was still a long way to go before he 
 could hope for final victory; but he never wearied. Yet he 
 was willing if possible to avoid spilling more blood. It might 
 be, he thought, that the new King would be content to make 
 peace. So he sent some Aztec prisoners back with his mes- 
 sage, that if Tenochtitlan would again acknowledge as its 
 overlord the Spanish Emperor, he, Cortes, would fight no 
 more against it, and Guatemozin should reign still over his 
 people. 
 
 "Does he think that I have the heart of a rabbit?" cried 
 Guatemozin angrily when he had listened to the message. 
 "Let Malinche wait until he grows old for an answer, or until 
 my own arrow pierces his brow." 
 
 But Cortes in his heart cared little what the Aztec King 
 thought. He had now in readiness what he called "the key 
 of victory." The brigantines were finished, and he had sent 
 Sandoval to transport them from Tlascala across the moun- 
 tains to Tezcuco. The timbers which had been shaped by 
 Martin Lopez were borne on the backs of Indian porters and 
 covered with sweet smelling boughs and brilliant flowers which 
 the inhabitants of Tlascala had laid on them. Over the moun- 
 
 [294]
 
 XICOTENCATL MEETS HIS FATE 
 
 tains was the strange voyage of this little fleet "a flock of 
 ducks," as Bernal Diaz called them, "impatient for the 
 water." 
 
 Cortes made ready to go to meet it as a bridegroom prepares 
 for the bride. All the cavaliers dressed themselves in gala 
 array, and the soldiers brightened up their travel-stained jer- 
 kins, and out on the road they marched, and at the first sight 
 of Sandoval's guard up went caps and banners towards the 
 blue sky and loud cries of "Castile and Tlascala!" 
 
 Cortes turned to Alvarado and exclaimed enthusiastically: 
 
 "It is a marvellous thing, that few have seen or even heard 
 of, this transportation of thirteen vessels of war on the shoul- 
 ders of men for nearly twenty leagues across the mountains." 
 
 Then he gave orders to hasten the digging of the canal be- 
 tween the city and the lake. 
 
 In the months which followed Cortes won from the Aztecs 
 many cities in the valley ; yet Guatemozin could say with truth 
 that all these conquests had cost the Teules dear, and that 
 Tenochtitlan was still free from the noise of battle. 
 
 But when Cortes set siege to the city of Tacuba, near to the 
 lake, and conquered it, Guatemozin became very silent, and 
 prayed to the gods, for he realized that the ring was tighten- 
 ing and he knew that without help his own valour and the 
 bravery of his subjects might be in vain. Other victories by 
 the Spaniards had now resulted in a circle of posts all about 
 Tenochtitlan. Now Cortes sent Fernando to Tlascala, to tell 
 the Caciques of the Republic that the time had come for them 
 to send the forces they held at his disposal. When they ar- 
 rived, he said, he would begin the siege of the Aztec capital. 
 
 [295]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 The Tlascalans rejoiced that the hour had come to put down 
 their ancient foe, and fifty thousand of their finest warriors 
 marched to Cortes at Tacuba. 
 
 Xicotencatl, who was ordered to command them, alone did 
 not share the enthusiasm. His discipline of his troops was 
 stricter than ever, and his words were fewer. Even when he 
 reached the Spaniards his greetings were as short as courtesy 
 would permit, and Fernando was troubled by the change he 
 felt in him, and tried to gain his confidence. 
 
 "Tell me, Xicotencatl," he begged, "have I done aught 
 which has caused you to consider me no longer worthy of your 
 notice? Once you said that Fernando would be a great war- 
 rior some day. Am I less brave now than when you saved my 
 life at Cholula?" 
 
 For once in many months did Xicotencatl show any sign 
 of emotion. He gazed at Fernando as if he meant to say 
 some affectionate words ; then the sound of a Spanish trumpet 
 seemed to change his thoughts; he clenched his hands as he 
 answered : 
 
 "I would that I might call you and all your people cowards.'* 
 
 It was a day or two after this that a Tlascalan Cacique, a 
 kinsman of Xicotencatl, had a quarrel with a Spanish soldier 
 and was sent by Cortes back to his own land. Xicotencatl, 
 who had been searching eagerly for some excuse to avoid fight- 
 ing with the Spanish against the Aztecs, found it here. With 
 no word to the Spaniards, he left the camp, taking with him 
 a large body of troops who had always followed his fortunes 
 and would do his bidding unquestioningly. 
 
 As soon as Cortes heard of his departure not through Fer- 
 
 [296]
 
 XICOTENCATL MEETS HIS FATE 
 
 nando, who had seen the Tlascalan as he slipped away but 
 could not bring himself to denounce him he sent a party of 
 Tlascalans after him to bid him return. When they came up 
 with him they said: 
 
 "Is this indeed the son of our revered Xicotencatl, who de- 
 serts his post? He has ever been the friend of the white man, 
 and will you not follow in his footsteps?" 
 
 "So much the worse," answered Xicotencatl, not deigning 
 to stop to talk. "If he and my countrymen had taken my 
 counsel, they would never have become the dupes of the per- 
 fidious strangers." Then he left the messengers staring after 
 him as he strode on homewards. 
 
 "Xicotencatl has ever been the enemy of the Spaniards," 
 cried Cortes when he had been told of this, "first in the field 
 and since in the council chamber, openly or in secret, still the 
 same, their implacable enemy." 
 
 Then he sent messengers to the rulers at Tlascala, telling 
 them of Xicotencatl's act, and a body of horsemen to pursue 
 and take him prisoner. 
 
 Xicotencatl heard the hoofs of the horses behind him just 
 as he caught sight of his native city. He did not doubt that 
 they had come for him. Though he could not outrun their 
 speed, he had only to turn aside from the road and to dash 
 into the thick forests until he had reached some mountain sum- 
 mit and no white man could ever find him. But he did not 
 go. He thought to himself : "If the Teules take me prisoner, 
 will not this insult to one of their rulers awaken my country- 
 men as nothing else would do, to the white men's intentions? 
 If I let them take me shall I not thus be aiding Tlascala by 
 
 [297]
 
 opening her eyes?" So he did not run. Yet when the Span- 
 iards sought to lay hands on him his free blood boiled up 
 within him and he struck out lustily with his maquahuitl. He 
 wounded several, but the soldiers closed in on him and knocked 
 his weapon from his hand. 
 
 Slowly they proceeded, captors and prisoner, towards the 
 city whose very stones were dear to Xicotencatl. They en- 
 camped that night, a messenger going ahead to inform the 
 Caciques of his capture. Xicotencatl lay alone, and a sad- 
 ness which was not due to anxiety about his own fate kept 
 him awake. He thought of the days when Tlascala was free 
 and independent, when even the great Montezuma could not 
 cru^h the little mountain state; now he felt it would have been 
 better if the Aztecs had conquered them instead of the Teules, 
 whom his father had welcomed. Would the gods too pass 
 away, he wondered, if the Christian God alone was worshipped 
 throughout the land? His own fate meant little to him now. 
 Life had grown too bitter. 
 
 The next morning they entered Tlascala. The great square 
 was filled with folk, silent and anxious. In the centre stood 
 an object he had never seen there before a gallows. Xico- 
 tencatl listened while a Tlascalan officer called out to the pop- 
 ulace that Xicotencatl was guilty as judged by the laws of 
 his own country and by the laws of their allies, the Spaniards 
 he had deserted his post in the face of the enemy. Xico- 
 tencatl made no effort to escape; he saw that he had been 
 mistaken in believing that his countrymen would rise in anger 
 against the Teules for judging him. Now his hope was a 
 different one, that his death might arouse Tlascala to the fact 
 
 [298]
 
 XICOTENCATL MEETS HIS FATE 
 
 that she was no longer sole mistress in her boundaries. And 
 yet even this hope was faint now; he knew that his country 
 was erring not from weakness but from a mistaken belief in 
 the value of the white man's friendship. 
 
 He looked towards the mountains he had loved and he re- 
 membered how when a youth his companions who climbed them 
 with him had said that his eyes saw too far beyond their shorter 
 vision. The gods had given him again the vision but had with- 
 held it from his countrymen. 
 
 Then he mounted the scaffold. 
 
 [299]
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 THE SIEGE OF TEXOCHTITLAN 
 
 ALL was now ready for the actual siege of Tenochtitlan. 
 Though the Spaniards had lost a number of men in 
 preliminary campaigns, the loss had been more than 
 made up by the unexpected arrival at Vera Cruz of a ship- 
 load of their countrymen from Cuba, eager to share in the 
 conquest, and by new Indian allies who flocked to Cortes's 
 standard from various provinces which welcomed the chance 
 of revolting against the rule under which they had long been 
 oppressed. The army was now hardened by constant skir- 
 mishes and accustomed to the methods of Aztec warfare. 
 Cortes himself had learned by experience that rash bravery 
 could not carry him as far as steady persistency. He had sev- 
 eral times barely escaped with his life when his hot head had 
 led him into situations his own cooler judgment blamed him 
 for entering. 
 
 Cortes called together his lieutenants and explained that he 
 would attack the city from three different points. 
 
 "You, Alvarado," he commanded, "shall enter across the 
 causeway from Tacuba where we suffered so on that Terrible 
 
 [300]
 
 THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN 
 
 Night. You, de Olid, shall advance by the causeway from 
 Cojohuacan, and Sandoval, you shall attack once more the city 
 of Iztapalapan, and I with our brigantines will support you 
 from the lake." 
 
 Fernando was eager to accompany Cortes and to expe- 
 rience this new form of lake warfare, but his master bade him 
 go with Sandoval, as he would be of service to translate orders 
 to the Indian allies. 
 
 Cortes's fleet was not allowed to proceed far without op- 
 position. Thousands of war canoes shot out against it and 
 rained a shower of arrows upon the brigantines. 
 
 "Hey, Martin!" cried Cortes to the shipwright who com- 
 manded the vessel which was the flagship ; "we must give them 
 a sharp blow at the very first that the brigantines may strike 
 as wholesome a terror to their souls as did the first sight of 
 our cavalry." 
 
 Not unlike a cavalry charge, in truth, was the rush of the 
 brigantines on the smaller craft, striking them against each 
 other and capsizing them; then their guns completed the vic- 
 tory. Guatemozin, when he heard the news, was resting for a 
 spare moment in his palace. He sat and pondered long how 
 he should find a way to combat these monsters of which Ahuit- 
 zotl had already warned him. 
 
 Cortes was jubilant at the effect of his new weapon. 
 
 "It is the key of war," he said of the fleet; "let us bring it- 
 nearer the lock." 
 
 He took up his own station at Xoloc, a sort of island in the 
 lake where the different causeways crossed each other. He 
 determined now to attempt an entrance into Tenochtitlan. 
 
 [301]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 The attack was made from three sides. They advanced along 
 the causeways until they were stopped by a wide breach, from 
 the other side of which the Aztecs shot at them with such 
 rapidity and precision that Cortes could not attempt to ford 
 it. He sent word hurriedly that two brigantines should sail 
 close in on either side and by their fire dislodge the defenders 
 of the barricade. This was soon accomplished, and the breach 
 was filled up, after which the Spaniards started their advance 
 into the city. 
 
 Cortes was deeply moved. 
 
 "Behold the palace of Axayacatl," he cried, pointing to the 
 well remembered walls; "forget not how we left it sadly and 
 at night. Now, thanks to God and the saints, we are return- 
 ing to it by daylight and rejoicing." 
 
 The veterans of the first entry into the city pointed out to 
 the new troops the Great Teocalli, the palace of Montezuma, 
 the market-place; but many a man who was boasting of his 
 former feats and future deeds was suddenly felled to the 
 ground by stones cast down on them from the azoteas. 
 
 "We will soon end that," cried Cortes. "Set fire to every 
 house as we pass." 
 
 The Spaniards had no easy road before them. Serried 
 ranks of Aztecs barred their passage, and only by means of 
 the artillery were they able to cut their way through. They 
 reached the great square, and before them loomed the Great 
 Teocalli. 
 
 "Forward, men," Cortes urged. "The statues of Christ and 
 of the Blessed Virgin we left on the summit await us." 
 
 But the men hesitated. The horror of this place, the mem- 
 
 [302]
 
 THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN 
 
 ories of what they had suffered in their fight there, of their 
 comrades hurled down from its terraces, of other comrades 
 taken prisoners in their late skirmishes who had been sacri- 
 ficed alive to the God of War all these emotions halted them. 
 Cortes slapped his horse's flanks in impatience and then 
 spurred him forward, crying: 
 
 "St. James! St. James! Forward, and close up for 
 Spain!" And like a cordial, the cry of Spain's chivalry went 
 to the blood of all. They rushed forward, overwhelming the 
 Aztecs, and then swarmed up the terraces to the summit. 
 
 "Where are the statues," they cried out, for they were no- 
 where to be seen, and in their places stood once more an idol 
 of the frightful Huitzilopotchli. Mad with fury at what had 
 happened to the Christian shrine which they had dedicated, they 
 flung down the idol and threw after him some of the priests 
 who tried to prevent them. The religious fervour of the Az- 
 tecs was no less than that of the Spaniards, and they made 
 ready to punish the violators of their temple. They massed 
 below about the foot of the walls and fell upon the invaders 
 when they had descended to the ground again. Their on- 
 slaught was so fierce that Cortes in vain tried to halt the fren- 
 zied retreat of his men. The Spaniards, hard pressed, turned 
 and made as quickly as they could for the causeway, and 
 breathed deeply only when they were once more outside the 
 city. 
 
 Yet Cortes was not deterred from making another attack 
 the day following, and each day after that. Though forced 
 each evening to retreat, he succeeded in burning many build- 
 ings on the way, thus clearing the ground for the next ad- 
 
 [303]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 vance, and penetrated each day farther into the city. The 
 Aztecs' fury increased as they saw this destruction of the beau- 
 tiful palaces of the nohles and of the homes of their citizens, 
 and their fighting grew more violent. 
 
 Fernando, who at Cortes's command was directing the sol- 
 diers to fire all the houses along the street, suddenly noticed 
 that one of these seemed familiar to him, so he bade the sol- 
 diers wait outside a moment while he passed in. When he 
 entered the inner court he found that he had not been mis- 
 taken. It was indeed the scene of his captivity, where he had 
 eaten his heart out with distress and self-reproach. He went 
 into the room which he believed had been occupied by Ahuit- 
 zotl after he had ended his short service with Cortes. There 
 were evidences all about of a hasty departure. Robes of many 
 kinds, disguises, court costumes and a warrior's cape, lay scat- 
 tered on the floor. And glittering on the mat Fernando no- 
 ticed the golden ornament which he himself had worn when he 
 took Ahuitzotl's place as Montezuma's page. He picked this 
 up and put it in his wallet. It was almost with regret that he 
 watched the soldiers set fire to the house. He no longer felt 
 any hatred for it or its master. 
 
 Famine was threatening the city. Though Guatemozin had 
 long ago sent away most of the women, children and infirm, 
 the supply of food was not sufficient. Ahuitzotl organized a 
 force of men who each night set out to the mainland in search 
 of provisions. He it was who suggested to Guatemozin a plan 
 of capturing the hated brigantines. 
 
 Hidden in the dense growth near the shore, he installed 
 many canoes, and then in command of others, he let himself 
 
 [304]
 
 THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN 
 
 be seen by the vessels as if he were attempting to elude their 
 blockade. His ruse was successful: the brigantines chased him 
 into the shallow waters, where the hidden warriors fell upon 
 them, slaughtered the officers and crew and captured one of 
 the vessels. 
 
 Discontented with their slow progress, some of the Span- 
 iards besought Cortes to attempt a quicker campaign. Cortes 
 called a council, and it was decided to try to capture by simul- 
 taneous attacks from all sides the great market-place which, 
 once taken, might be converted into a fort within the city. 
 But Cortes warned his officers that their most important duty 
 was to keep their communications free, so that if it were found 
 necessary to retreat, they would have no enemy at their back. 
 
 Cortes, advancing from his side, had met with the amount 
 of resistance he had expected. The other divisions made 
 faster progress and when a messenger came to inform him 
 that Alderete, one of his lieutenants, had almost reached the 
 market-place, Cortes exclaimed to Fernando: 
 
 "I fear he has gone more rapidly than safely, that he has 
 forgot my caution." 
 
 His fears were soon confirmed by a shrill whistle. 
 
 'Tis Guatemozin's signal," cried Fernando. "Senor, the 
 whole city is upon us." 
 
 "Retreat, retreat," yelled Cortes, and the bugles sounded 
 his command. But when the Spaniards reached the breach in 
 the dike which Alderete should have closed up before pursu- 
 ing the Aztecs whom Guatemozin had ordered to fall back and 
 so lead the foe into an ambush, Cortes saw that their plight 
 was worse now than even in the Terrible Night. Pressed on 
 
 [305]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 every side by the Aztecs, row after row of the Spaniards 
 shoved each other into the water in their mad terror to escape. 
 
 "Stand here on the brink, Fernando, Diaz, Pedro!" Cortes 
 called to those near him; "hold out your hands and pull out of 
 the water as many as you may. Remember what awful fate 
 awaits all prisoners." 
 
 A Cacique soon marked the Spanish leader where he stood, 
 and he called out "Malinche! Malinche!" A canoe dashed up 
 to the spot and its six occupants fell over each other in their 
 eagerness to seize Cortes, with visions of the glory which would 
 be his who should capture the Teule commander. Fernando 
 saw that Cortes was indeed in the gravest danger, that he was 
 already wounded. He struggled towards him; but just then 
 a blow from a javelin sent him to his knee and he was forced 
 to think only of defending his own life. Luckily a young 
 cavalier, Christoval de Olea, sprang to Cortes's aid. He slew 
 one of the Aztecs and cut off the arm of another. One of 
 Olea's comrades was also now in the thick of the fight. Cortes 
 himself had disappeared from sight. A Tlascalan Cacique, 
 catching sight of Malinche's body as it lay on the ground half 
 covered by dead and struggling Aztecs, pulled him up and set 
 him on his feet. Olea had received a mortal wound. 
 
 Fernando had killed the Aztec who had attacked him and 
 was free at last. He caught the bridle of Cortes's horse and 
 hurried with it to where he beheld his master, and in spite of 
 Cortes's refusal to desert his men, Fernando and the captain 
 of his guard forced the wounded leader to mount. 
 
 "His life is too important to the army," declared the cap- 
 tain, "to be thrown away here." 
 
 [306]
 
 THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN 
 
 Fernando went with him, and they fought their way inch 
 by inch, Cortes hitting out with his sword with all the strength 
 that remained to him, until at length they reached Tacuba. 
 Alvarado and Sandoval were not aware what had taken place. 
 They also had almost succeeded in reaching the market-place 
 when they heard the victorious shouts of the Aztecs and real- 
 ized at once that the other divisions must have met with defeat. 
 Suddenly through an opening in the foe's ranks they behold 
 three round objects rolling on the ground towards them. They 
 saw with horror that they were human heads, and heads of 
 white men. 
 
 "Malinche!" cried out the crowd, and Sandoval could 
 scarcely force himself to look closely enough to see that the 
 Aztecs' boast was not the truth. 
 
 "Cortes is fallen; Cortes is fallen!" now cried the panic- 
 stricken troops, and Sandoval hurriedly retreating, heard the 
 same cry from the other divisions. 
 
 "By all the saints, Alvarado," he called out, "pray that such 
 an awful calamity has not befallen us." Only his duty to his 
 men kept him from spurring his steed to its utmost in search of 
 the truth. At last the remnant of his troops had reached com- 
 parative safety and he could urge his faithful Motilla towards 
 the quarters where he knew he would find Cortes if he were 
 alive. 
 
 "Cortes!" he exclaimed, tears streaming from his eyes, 
 "blessed be all the hosts of heaven who have saved you to us." 
 
 "Son Sandoval," Cortes answered, scarcely less rejoiced, 
 "I had feared never to look upon you again. The heathen 
 devils held up before me the heads of some of your poor com- 
 
 [307] 
 
 l.jn Angeles 
 4- School Library
 
 WITH CORTES THE COXQUEROR 
 
 rades and called out 'Sandoval' and 'Tonatiuh,' and I knew not 
 if indeed if they might not be telling the terrible truth. And 
 Alvarado, is he too safe? Then indeed I can bear to think of 
 our losses." 
 
 Sandoval's excitement seemed to change his usual habits. 
 The man who at other times was so chary of words now talked 
 incessantly, telling everything that had befallen him that 
 morning. "And what do you think, Cortes," he concluded, "is 
 the cause of this day's rout?" 
 
 "It is for my sins, son Sandoval," replied Cortes humbly, 
 "and yet not they alone, I believe, have brought this about, but 
 that Alderete failed to carry out the strict command I gave to 
 you all that the way should be kept safe in case of retreat. 
 His disobedience has wrought a great woe. You, Sandoval, 
 must now take my place. I am too crippled to discharge my 
 duties. You must watch over the safety of the camp. Give 
 special heed to Alvarado. He is a most gallant soldier, I 
 know it well ; but I doubt the Mexican hounds mav some hour 
 
 p 
 
 take him at a disadvantage." 
 
 "I thank you, Senor, for the trust you have shown in me," 
 Sandoval answered, much affected; and leaving Cortes to Fer- 
 nando's care, he set off to lose no time in seeing to the safety 
 of the army. 
 
 At sunset the Spaniards, looking towards the city which 
 was so near, that they could behold all that took place above 
 the level of the walls, discovered that something unusual was 
 happening. 
 
 "What is it, Fernando?" questioned Cortes from his couch 
 
 [808]
 
 TAKE AND EAT, HE SAID
 
 THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN 
 
 when the boy had been drawn by the cries outside to the en- 
 trance of the tent. "What do you see?" 
 
 "I see a procession, Master, climbing slowly up the terraces 
 of the Great Teocalli. And Guatemozin leads it. It is too 
 far for me to see his features, but I recognize his golden crown 
 glistening; and after him come the priests. 'Tis some great 
 sacrifice, evidently. And . . . oh!" he cried and then was 
 silent. 
 
 "What is it, boy?' demanded Cortes, impatient at the sud- 
 den silence. "If you will not answer I will rise and see for 
 myself." 
 
 Fernando tried to answer, choked and then said: 
 
 "I see ... a long line of naked white figures covered with 
 wreaths of flowers, and . . . the priests lay one on the altar 
 . . . and the sun shines on the knife . . . and ... oh! Mas- 
 ter, I can look no longer." 
 
 He flung himself down on the ground, and buried his head 
 in the coverings of the couch as if to shut out the sight. But 
 he did not stop his ears, and he heard from the edge of the 
 causeway the taunts the Aztecs yelled across. 
 
 "Such shall be the fate of all our enemies," they cried. 
 
 Guatemozin believed that the moment was favourable to 
 weaken the foe now in another way. He sent for Ahuitzotl, 
 who had grown so in height and strength that he now appeared 
 a man. 
 
 "I have another duty for you, my warrior," said the King. 
 "You have been a fighter on land and on the water, have worn 
 the disguises which allowed you to creep into our enemies' 
 
 [309]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 midst. Now you shall go as my ambassador to speak my 
 words to those Indians who fight with the Teules against us. 
 Take with you the heads of men and their horses that lie yon- 
 der in the court ; show them to Tlascalans and to Otomies and 
 other tribes. Say to them that by these tokens they can see 
 that the Teules are as vulnerable as we are, and count 
 for them the sacrifices that have been offered in the teocallis. 
 Tell them that these have softened the anger of Huitzilo- 
 potchli towards Anahuac, that now he has declared that he will 
 fight for us, and that in eight days we shall drive the white 
 men to the eastern sea." 
 
 Ahuitzotl set off on his mission. By nightfall he glided into 
 a camp and opened his horrible bundle before the Indians, and 
 in a low voice told them what Guatemozin had bid him. "Re- 
 turn to your allegiance," he urged those who had once ac- 
 knowledged Aztec supremacy. "Leave the Teules," he urged 
 the Tlascalans ; "fight not for the sake of these invaders, those 
 whose ancestors in the dim past were yours also." 
 
 And his words were heeded. The plight of the Spaniards 
 seemed to many of the allies so desperate that their victory 
 was a dream which had vanished, and all the old awe of the 
 Aztec monarchy was reawakening. The Tlascalans now re- 
 called the warnings of Xicotencatl. "He saw far ahead, 
 brothers," they said, "while our eyes were blinded." Each 
 night Caciques and their followers would creep away and 
 hasten towards their homes, and each morning some of those 
 who were left would plan to go that night. 
 
 Cortes saw the dwindling of the great host which ht had led 
 to Tenochtitlan and did what he could to prevent its growing 
 
 [310] 

 
 THE SIEGE OF TENOCHTITLAN 
 
 still smaller. While some of his officers gave voice to their 
 fears that it was no longer possible to attempt to conquer the 
 Aztecs, he spoke always as if it were a matter of only a few 
 days more, and with his own strong faith he kept alive the weak 
 faith of others. 
 
 [311]
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 THE LAST ASSAULT 
 
 "fT^OMORROW," rejoiced the Aztecs, "tomorrow is 
 
 the day when Huitzilopochtli will deliver the Teules 
 
 * into our hands, according to the prophecy." And 
 
 the Tlascalans and the other Indians who had withdrawn from 
 
 Cortes's army said: "Tomorrow we shall see whether the 
 
 mouths of the Aztec priests spake the truth." 
 
 The morrow arrived, yet still the Spaniards encircled 
 Tenochtitlan, cutting off all food from the beleagured city. 
 The hearts of the Aztecs drooped with their disappointment. 
 No miracle had been wrought by the gods to drive the invaders 
 away; and the Tlascalans too, seeing that the Teules were still 
 encamped where they had left them, returned in great num- 
 bers, and Cortes forgave them for their desertion. He had 
 just received another reinforcement, a ship had arrived at Vera 
 Cruz, and the governor left there by Cortes had hurried men, 
 and what was even more important, powder to the besieging 
 army. 
 
 Cortes was thus equipped for another attack, and he deter- 
 mined that every step forward should be made permanent. 
 
 [312]
 
 THE LAST ASSAULT 
 
 "The spade is now worth more than the sword," he declared 
 as he ordered that the causeway should be strengthened, and 
 every gap and the canals filled in as solidly as the main con- 
 struction. The houses nearby were to be pulled down for ma- 
 terials and also to clear the space for the workers. 
 
 "The water must be converted into dry land," he com- 
 manded. "I would it were not needful to do this. I would 
 that I might spare this city the most beautiful thing in the 
 world but by my conscience, I see no other way by which we 
 can go forward safely." Then he called to his officers, saying: 
 "Come with me, Senors. Though we are hidalgos and not 
 wont to soil our hands, let us take spades and start the work 
 as an example." 
 
 The Spanish soldiers were indeed willing to follow their 
 leader, but the main part of this labor was soon left to the In- 
 dian allies. The Aztecs yelled tauntingly at them : 
 
 "Go on, the more you destroy the more you will have to 
 build up hereafter. If we conquer you shall build for us ; and 
 if your white friends conquer they will make you do as much 
 for them." 
 
 Bernal Diaz next day was resting on his spade and joking 
 with his comrades when Cortes strolled by to see how the work 
 was progressing. 
 
 " 'Tis a new task for you, Diaz," said Cortes, who had a 
 real fondness for this sturdy Spaniard. 
 
 "Aye, Senor Captain," Bernal replied; "it is no doubt well 
 to make the earth firm here or we had better all take to the 
 brigantines. My clothes are scarce dry yet from the wetting 
 they got on our last retreat. But I know an ally which works 
 
 [313]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 harder for us than even these," and he pointed contemptuously 
 to the Indians carrying huge loads of stones on their backs. 
 
 "Who may that be, Diaz?" asked Cortes; "perchance our 
 patron saint?" 
 
 "I trust that he too is busy, Senor Commander, but I spoke 
 of Famine. Yonder in the city the Aztecs are gnawing roots 
 and eating the foul scum from the lake. The only meat they 
 have is the bodies of our poor men from the sacrifice, and God 
 be praised for the miracle, the white flesh, they say, is so salty 
 that it nourishes them not." 
 
 Cortes passed on, pondering on the misery he knew the in- 
 habitants of Tenochtitlan were suffering. Though he was not 
 to be turned aside from his purpose by any obstacle, he had 
 no love of cruelty or unnecessary suffering. He longed to 
 spare both the beautiful city and its people; so once more he 
 sent as messengers three Caciques who had been taken pris- 
 oners, to beseech Guatemozin to give up his fruitless efforts. 
 
 The priests who were present when the Emperor listened in 
 anger to this message, cried: 
 
 "You will not trust his promises, oh Guatemozin ! Remem- 
 ber the fate of Montezuma. Better to trust in the promises 
 of our own gods, who have so long watched over the nation. 
 Better, if need be, to give up our lives at once for our country 
 than drag them out in slavery and suffering among the false 
 strangers." 
 
 Guatemozin needed no urging to keep to the course his own 
 intrepid spirit had chosen. 
 
 "Let no man henceforth who values his life talk of surren- 
 der. We can at least die like warriors," he cried. 
 
 [314]
 
 THE LAST ASSAULT 
 
 Cortes too no longer thought of parleying. Each day his 
 troops advanced farther into the city, and each day what they 
 had gained was held. The Aztecs contested their way bitterly, 
 and many a Spaniard who became separated from his fellows 
 was overcome and dragged away. 
 
 Sometimes there were individual contests in which the com- 
 batants were so evenly matched that Spaniards and Aztecs 
 stopped their general fighting in order to watch the outcome. 
 One day a young Cacique sprang up on an azotea and, facing 
 the Spanish lines, shook a sword and a shield which he had 
 taken from the Teule he had killed. 
 
 "Is there not one amongst you," he cried out tauntingly, 
 "who will fight with me?" 
 
 Fernando heard him and besought Cortes: 
 
 "Master, let me take up his challenge for the honour of 
 Castile and for mine own honour." 
 
 "Are you so greedy?" queried Cortes affectionately. "I 
 thought you had shown already often enough that you are no 
 coward." 
 
 "But this once more, Master," pleaded Fernando, and Cortes 
 gave his consent. 
 
 Fernando called out in Aztec: "I come, boaster," and 
 climbed up to the flat roof. The Cacique was older and 
 stronger than Fernando, and had he fought with weapons to 
 which he was accustomed, the result would have been different. 
 His first blow wounded Fernando on the temple, and the Az- 
 tecs cried out in delight as they saw the blood flow, and the 
 Spaniards looked on, wondering if Cortes had not been un- 
 wise in allowing the youth to run such danger. When the 
 
 [315]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Cacique's sword descended for the second time Fernando 
 caught the point on his shield, and with a swordplay that had 
 been taught him by the best Spanish swordsmen, he made a 
 feint of retreating, and catching his opponent off his guard, 
 lunged at him and ran his blade through his body. 
 
 He picked up the weapons as they fell from the hands of 
 his dying adversary, and leaping down, laid them at Cortes's 
 feet. 
 
 Cortes put his hand on the boy's shoulder, saying: 
 
 "Fernando, you have again proved yourself a man. Why 
 then should I tarry longer to bestow knighthood upon you?" 
 
 He then drew his own blade from the scabbard and struck 
 Fernando on the shoulder with it, saying: "I dub you knight, 
 Don Fernando de Casteneda." 
 
 The boy could not speak for joy and received in glad silence 
 the congratulations of all the officers and many of the men. 
 
 Marina waited until Fernando was alone, just entering the 
 tent he still shared with Cortes. 
 
 "You are now a real Cacique, Fernando," she said smiling, 
 speaking, as she always did to him, in Aztec. "I wish your 
 mother could have lived to see you today. But I could not let 
 you think that there was no woman to be proud of you and 
 your deeds." 
 
 "Thank you, Marina," the young knight answered; "I have 
 always been mindful of your praise." 
 
 "It is nearly over," and Marina pointed to the city. "The 
 gods nay, Christ be praised! My heart aches to think of 
 the anguish there, of the empty mouths, the weak bodies, and 
 their terror. Be good to them when they are conquered, little 
 
 [316]
 
 THE LAST ASSAULT 
 
 Cacique," she pleaded, laying her hand on his arm. "They are 
 my people, and you Spaniards too are now my people." 
 
 "I will remember, Marina," he answered, "if for no other 
 reason than because you ask it, who have been so good to me." 
 
 That night Cortes, as if to mark his new dignity, ordered 
 Fernando to stand watch at the edge of the causeway. The 
 new knight walked up and down some feet in advance of his 
 men who were dozing as they lay, muskets on their knees. 
 He was thinking over the strange adventures that had been 
 his since he landed, almost a child, at Vera Cruz, when he heard 
 his name called from in front of him. 
 
 "Fernando, it is I, Ahuitzotl," he heard, and he stood still 
 and saw the dim lines of the other's figure on a wall a few 
 yards off. 
 
 "I too am on guard," explained Ahuitzotl; "and I am glad 
 that we may meet thus once more. I saw today how Malinche 
 made you a warrior, even as my lord, King Guatemozin, has 
 made me one; for we too have ceremonies to mark the day 
 when a youth is admitted to military rank." 
 
 Fernando answered: "I am glad to know that all is well 
 with you, Ahuitzotl. It may be that the day will come when 
 I can befriend you, or," he added out of a chivalrous feeling 
 that would not allow him to hurt the other by taking victory 
 for granted, "that you can befriend me. We do no wrong to 
 our loyalties by not hating each other." 
 
 The clouds lightened just then and the moon shone full upon 
 the Aztec's face. 
 
 "Oh, but you are thin," exclaimed Fernando. "Is it from 
 hunger?" 
 
 [317]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 Ahuitzotl's pride kept him silent. Fernando stooped and 
 picked up a basket which contained the food intended for his 
 morning meal and raised it on the point of his spear to the 
 wall. "Take and eat," he said; "we have often eaten together 
 at Montezuma's table. Refuse not now to be my guest." 
 
 Ahuitzotl did not refuse, but ate greedily the first real food 
 he had had in weeks. He would not tell of the terrible straits 
 to which all those in Tenochtitlan had been driven, but Fer- 
 nando did not need words to inform him. Then they sepa- 
 rated, but all night each could hear the other's footsteps as he 
 guarded his post. 
 
 Famine and disease, due to the crowding of the inhabitants 
 into the small space left them by their foe, was weakening the 
 strength of Guatemozin's army. He saw the heroic struggle 
 his people were making, the women as well as the men. They 
 helped not only to dress the wounds and carry earth and 
 stones to build or repair barricades; but many, taking up the 
 arms of warriors who had fallen, fought fiercely and doggedly 
 in the sorties by which Guatemozin worried the Spaniards. 
 
 Yet the Aztec Emperor was losing hope. He knew that 
 no one could do more than he was doing; that no ancestor of 
 his, of whose conquests he had been so proud, had ever seen 
 such forces arrayed against him. His hope came and went; 
 his courage never left him. 
 
 Cortes, he learned from Ahuitzotl's observation, was pre- 
 paring another chief attack in order to join his forces to Al- 
 varado's, from which they had been separated for many weeks. 
 The canal was between them, and when this had been filled 
 up Cortes was able to march across and to the market-place,. 
 
 [318]
 
 THE LAST ASSAULT 
 
 where he and Alvarado greeted each other affectionately. 
 Now together they held a large portion of the city, that is, 
 what remained, fire-swept ruins of palaces, homes and fair 
 gardens. In vain the Aztecs disputed their passage through 
 the great square; they were forced to retreat to the northwest 
 corner of the city, which they had barricaded. 
 
 Cortes, knowing that his foe could not escape by land or 
 water and eager to end the terrible suffering, sent to Guate- 
 mozin asking him to meet him, that they might discuss terms. 
 He was told that the Aztec Emperor would be at an appointed 
 spot the following day; but when attended by Fernando and 
 other officers, he went thither, Guatemozin failed to appear. 
 
 Now Cortes determined to strike his last blow. The In- 
 dian allies were summoned from the outskirts of the city and, 
 together with the Spaniards, they advanced on the Aztec quar- 
 ter. The besieged knew that they had no place to retreat if 
 they would, and they fought with the desperation of trapped 
 beasts. The women rained down stones almost as rapidly as 
 the men shot their arrows. 
 
 "Let no one harm a woman or child," Cortes commanded, 
 and the Spaniards obeyed his orders faithfully; but the Tlas- 
 calans, now that the chance had at last come to smite their an- 
 cient enemies, spared no one. 
 
 "Never did I see so pitiless a race," Cortes remarked to 
 Fernando, "or any thing wearing the form of man so desti- 
 tute of humanity." 
 
 The dead lay in mounds about him ; his ears were deafened 
 with the sounds of battle and the piteous cries of the women 
 and the wounded. He commanded the slaughter to stop. 
 
 [319]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "For the night may bring them wisdom," he said, "and they 
 may ask for peace." 
 
 But in the morning, though he sent another messenger to 
 Guatemozin, it was without success. The answer was: 
 
 "Guatemozin is ready to die where he is, but he will not lis- 
 ten to you. It is for you to work your pleasure." 
 
 "Then," said Cortes, through Fernando, "go and prepare 
 your countrymen for death. Their hour is come." 
 
 Weakened by fasting until they could scarcely bend their 
 bows, yet brave as when the fame of an Aztec warrior made 
 other nations tremble, the remnant of Guatemozin's army 
 awaited the last attack of the Spaniards. The guns began it 
 and the feebled reply of arrows was in vain. There was no 
 stopping the Spaniards now; neither bravery nor endurance 
 nor trust in the gods was any use. Only the lake offered a 
 choice of deaths, and thousands sprang into the waters until 
 their bodies piled up level with the walls. 
 
 The Aztecs had at last been conquered. 
 
 [320]
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 
 VICTORY! 
 
 BEFORE the dawn of the final assault of the Spaniards, 
 King Guatemozin left the narrow courtyard which 
 served him now for royal apartments, banquet-hall 
 and council-chamber, and walked to the lake alone. It was 
 still dark. A dim glow from the part of the city held by the 
 Spaniards sufficed for him to make the investigation for which 
 he had come. Even when he leaned over, his long lance did 
 not touch the bottom of the lake, and the waters there, owing 
 perhaps to some subterranean springs, were clean and free 
 from debris. As he turned to retrace his steps he saw Ahuit- 
 zotl approaching him. The young warrior saluted with all 
 the reverence he had been wont to show to Montezuma in the 
 height of his power, and waited motionless until it should 
 please his sovereign to address him. 
 
 "What do you seek?" asked the Emperor at length. 
 
 "You, oh King," he answered. 
 
 "And what message have you for me then?" Guatemozin 
 spoke almost impatiently. It was an effort to bring back his 
 
 [321]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 thoughts from the path they had travelled for hours, ever since 
 he knew that there was no longer hope. 
 
 "May I speak freely, oh Guatemozin?" asked Ahuitzotl. 
 
 "As comrade to comrade, Ahuitzotl," he replied. 
 
 "Then, my master, you know that it is over, our long strug- 
 gle here to free the city. The gods have not kept their prom- 
 ises to aid us, or perchance the priests did not understand their 
 sayings. When the sun rises the Teules will take what is left 
 of Tenochtitlan. There is naught more that your valor can do." 
 
 "I can die, Ahuitzotl, die with the last of my people. Har- 
 ken to the plan my spirit has made for us. We will await 
 the Spaniards' advance, then we will fight fiercely, retreat- 
 ing to this spot; and when there is not another arrow left or 
 arm strong enough to shoot it, I will spring here into the wa- 
 ters by the side of which my ancestors rested, to lead the way 
 for my people to escape the Teules." 
 
 "That were indeed a death worthy of your blood, oh King, 
 if all your subjects were here in Tenochtitlan and could per- 
 ish with you." 
 
 "What is the meaning of your thought?" Guatemozin asked 
 when Ahuitzotl paused. 
 
 "May it please you to give ear to what your servant now 
 lays before you. If you were once out of the city and on the 
 mainland, though you stood alone, before the sun had set there 
 would flock to you a host of faithful warriors. From nearby 
 towns they would come, where the might of the Teules has 
 overawed them, once they knew that their Emperor was in 
 their midst. And runners would hasten by every road, to 
 hill and plain, to all parts of thy kingdom, calling out, 'Up! 
 
 [322]
 
 VICTORY! 
 
 Guatemozin calls you. Tenochtitlan is indeed lost, but 
 Anahuac has yet other fair towns/ And then, oh my Lord, 
 when you have once more an army at your back, not starving 
 wretches, you know that you could beleaguer the Teules here 
 as they have beleaguered us; only, we would not let them es- 
 cape." 
 
 He stopped to see what impression his words had made on 
 his sovereign. Guatemozin was silent for many moments. 
 
 "And if I could escape, how could I leave my poor people 
 here to perish?" he asked. 
 
 "Perchance by going you might save even their lives if you 
 could bring them succor speedily. Moreover, my Lord, have 
 not your people outside the walls of Tenochtitlan also a claim 
 on you? By going you may restore the power of Anahuac ; by 
 staying all will perish." 
 
 Once more Guatemozin stood lost in thought. Then he said: 
 
 "I will listen to you, Ahuitzotl. I know that you had not 
 sought to persuade me if you had not already prepared a plan 
 for escape. All that I ask is that Tecuichpo shall accompany 
 me." 
 
 "Let us hasten, oh King," Ahuitzotl begged. "The canoes 
 are ready awaiting you, and it would be well if you would 
 command the soldiers to fight as long as they may when the 
 Teules attack in the morning, that the foe may think you are 
 still here." 
 
 "It needs not my command to bid my people defend their 
 city to the last," said Guatemozin both proudly and sadly. 
 
 The dawn had come and the trumpets of the Spaniards had 
 
 [ 323]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 blown for the last attack. The brigantines were active as the 
 forces on shore, firing on the causeway and on the war canoes 
 which swarmed about them. Sandoval noted that some of the 
 canoes were not stopping to fight but, taking advantage of the 
 confusion and the smoke, were hastening towards the opposite 
 side of the lake. He gave orders that they should be over- 
 hauled and stopped. 
 
 "Bid Holguin, who boasts that his brigantine can outsail all 
 the others, hasten and bring them back. Who knows that they 
 may not be trying to carry off the treasure." 
 
 Holguin set out after the three large canoes, which were 
 keeping together and had already neared the other shore. The 
 occupants of the canoes when they saw that they were being 
 pursued and that the wind was in favor of their enemies, rowed 
 more swiftly than ever canoe had been rowed before on the 
 lake. 
 
 "We are gaining," one of the Spanish soldier-sailors cried, 
 excitedly rejoicing in the sport of the chase; "perchance we 
 shall capture the treasure and have the first choice of gold and 
 jewels." 
 
 They were now so close that Holguin could tell that the 
 foremost canoe held, beside the rowers, twenty men and two 
 women. 
 
 "It may be," he said to himself, "that yonder is a greater 
 treasure for Cortes than gold or jewels." 
 
 They were now within bowshot, and he shouted to his men : 
 
 "Bend your crossbows on the canoe. It must not escape 
 us." 
 
 In a few more strokes the boat would have touched the shore, 
 
 [824]
 
 VICTORY! 
 
 yet not so quickly but that an arrow could reach it before it 
 beached. The rowers stayed their stroke, and cried out: 
 
 "Shoot not! shoot not! our Lord is here!" 
 
 Guatemozin had sprung to his feet, shield in hand and ma- 
 quahuitl in the other, and stood where he could cover Te- 
 cuichpo. And Ahuitzotl and the other Caciques held their 
 shields before them both. 
 
 Holguin, whose guess was now confirmed, bade his men 
 lower their weapons. 
 
 "I am Guatemozin," called out the Aztec King. "Lead me 
 to Malinche. I am his prisoner ; but let no harm come to my 
 wife and my followers." 
 
 "Since you are taken, King Guatemozin," said his Spanish 
 captor, after he had helped him and the Caciques on to the 
 deck of the brigantine, "wiH you not call out to your people 
 to cease fighting?" 
 
 "There is no need," answered Guatemozin, turning his head 
 away ; "they will fight no longer when they see that their prince 
 is a prisoner." 
 
 Saddest perhaps of all the melancholy Aztecs was Ahuitzotl. 
 He knew how near they had been to safety. If only the God 
 of the Winds had not blown and filled the sails of the Teules 
 they had not been overtaken. "Perchance," he said to 
 Tecuichpo, "these white strangers are his chosen after all, the 
 children of Quetzalcoatl." He saw with despair how the news 
 of the Emperor's capture was spreading all over the lake, as a 
 ripple made by a stone touches another ripple in ever-widening 
 circles. He could hear the cries of sorrow as the Aztecs 
 threw down their useless weapons, and the wails of lament 
 
 [ 325 ]
 
 WITH CORTES THE COXQUEROR 
 
 from the shore. He was sunk in such dejection that, like his 
 master, he did not notice Sandoval's arrival on board to claim 
 the royal prisoner as his own, nor hear Holguin's refusal to 
 give him up. 
 
 Fernando had heard a rumor that something of great im- 
 portance was happening on the lake. He rushed to the water- 
 front and beheld the brigantine tacking slowly back towards 
 the city, and from the canoes came the wailing voices which 
 told him that Guatemozin was taken. Fernando hurried back 
 to Cortes with the news. 
 
 "Hasten to the shore, Fernando," Cortes commanded, "and, 
 as you love me, see that our fallen foe receives all courtesy. 
 And on your way bid Marina come quickly to interpret be- 
 tween us." 
 
 Then Cortes ordered preparation made for Guatemozin's 
 reception, a carpet for the royal feet and a table covered with 
 food. 
 
 As Guatemozin stepped ashore he roused himself to his ac- 
 customed dignity. He walked as firmly between the guard of 
 Spaniards sent to escort him as if it were his own bodyguard. 
 Behind him at a little distance followed the Caciques, among 
 them Ahuitzotl. 
 
 Cortes had never seen the Aztec Emperor nearby, but there 
 was no need of royal banners or crowns, which had been laid 
 aside before the attempt to escape, to distinguish the monarch. 
 The Conqueror stepped forward and bowed low and cour- 
 teously to his captive. Guatemozin spoke quickly: 
 
 "I have done all I could to defend myself and my people. 
 I am now reduced to this state. You will do with me, Ma- 
 
 [326]
 
 VICTORY! 
 
 linche, as you will. Better despatch me with this," and he 
 placed his hand on Cortes's dagger, "and rid me of life at 
 once." 
 
 "Fear not," replied Cortes gently, "y u shall be treated 
 with all honour. You have defended your capital like a brave 
 warrior. A Spaniard knows how to respect valour even in 
 an enemy." 
 
 He looked about him and then asked: 
 
 "Where is the Princess Tecuichpo? She has naught to fear 
 from us." When he learned that she was still on board of the 
 brigantine he sent an escort to bring her to her husband, and 
 on her arrival he showed her such courtesy as he would have 
 shown to a Spanish princess, remembering that she was the 
 daughter of Montezuma, who had been his friend, and whom 
 he had promised to care for her. 
 
 "Eat," he besought them all, "eat in token that our strife is 
 ended." 
 
 When they had finished Cortes gave commands to all his 
 officers to withdraw from the city before the night had fallen, 
 away from the pestilential air of Tenochtitlan heaped up with 
 its dead. 
 
 Ahuitzotl marched beside his master that he might lean on 
 him if he were weary, but Guatemozin would accept of no sup- 
 port. As he passed out of the city on to the causeway he 
 looked back at Tenochtitlan. 
 
 "I would you had let me die, Ahuitzotl," he said in a low 
 voice. "Yet I thank you too for your effort. It was the 
 gods who willed otherwise the gods who gave my fate into 
 the hands of the Teules." 
 
 [327]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "But, Master, they will do you no harm," comforted Ahuit- 
 zotl as best he could. "Behold how Malinche has treated 
 you." 
 
 "The end is not yet," answered Guatemozin, and then was 
 silent. What he felt, what the leader of a conquered people 
 feels, was not for him to share, even with those he trusted 
 most. The darkness fell over the city and the lake, yet the 
 sun would rise again and Tenochtitlan would be rebuilt; but 
 the darkness in the heart of Guatemozin would know no sun- 
 rise. 
 
 That night Fernando sought Ahuitzotl as he lay on the 
 ground outside the tent set aside for Guatemozin, and found 
 him still awake. 
 
 "Ahuitzotl," he said, seating himself beside him, "I come 
 not to pry into your sorrows. Were I not a Spaniard I could 
 sorrow with you for all you have lost. I come only to offer 
 to you raiment or covering if you are in need, also my friend- 
 ship." 
 
 The Aztec warrior had started up, ready to resent any 
 boasting or rejoicing at his defeat. It was only gradually 
 that the impression of the young knight's gentle pity reached 
 his brain. Then he answered: 
 
 "I thank you, Teule. You whom I have seen fight like 
 the wildcat are also soft as the dove. Your words soothe the 
 pain in my heart. I have no need of raiment, but your friend- 
 ship I will accept as a token, if in my misery I should forget, 
 that I have proved myself also a brave warrior. Otherwise 
 you would not offer it to me." 
 
 "Let us talk not of the past," said Fernando, "but of the 
 
 [328]
 
 VICTORY! 
 
 future. The Spaniards and the Aztecs must needs become 
 friends, and you and I, Ahuitzotl, who understand each other, 
 can be of help to both our peoples." 
 
 A few moments later the two young warriors saluted each 
 other gravely, Ahuitzotl in the Aztec manner, and Fernando 
 doffing his cap. 
 
 "Goodnight, friend," said the Spaniard. 
 
 "Long life to you, friend," answered the Aztec. 
 
 On the following day Cortes granted Guatemozin's request 
 that his people might leave the ruined city for the mainland. 
 It was a sad and dreary procession of emaciated men and 
 women. After it had passed Cortes turned to Sandoval and 
 said: 
 
 "They were a brave foe, and now let us put our minds on 
 making them a happy race again. Oh, Son Sandoval," he 
 added joyously, "now we will celebrate our victory. Tell me, 
 you who come from mine own native town, is it in truth 
 Hernando Cortes of Medelein that has achieved this won- 
 drous conquest? Is my name to be numbered with those of 
 Caesar and Alexander and Charlemagne? Think, Sandoval, 
 of all the difficulties we have overcome, the nights in armour, 
 the fighting, the fasting, the wounds and the despair of the 
 Terrible Night ! And now we have given an empire to Spain ; 
 we have conquered these heathen that they may be baptized 
 and saved from Hell. Think, Sandoval," he continued, lay- 
 ing his hand on his lieutenant's arm, "when we set foot in Spain 
 they will say 'here come the Conquerors of the Indies.' ' 
 
 Sandoval had no need to answer. It was enough that Cor- 
 tes felt his sympathy. 
 
 [329]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "I am like a boy, Sandoval," he went on. "I have reached 
 the top of the hill that was such hard climbing and I must 
 shout for joy, and others must shout with me. Tomorrow 
 we will celebrate with a banquet such as we have never seen 
 before. There will be no need to bid everyone be gay. Even 
 you, silent one, must make a speech, will you not?' 
 
 "Aye," laughed Sandoval, "I will make one. I will say 
 that never men had such a leader as ours." 
 
 Cortes's joy was too "great to be kept within bounds. But 
 there was nothing selfish in his grasping out eagerly towards 
 the fame he had won. All day long he talked to his officers 
 and men, calling out to them as they passed him: "Hey! 
 Pedro! the wound you gained at Otumba aches no longer 
 now?" "Carlo, I have not forgotten how you pitched that 
 idol down the teocalli steps!" His memory had kept them 
 all the deeds of individual bravery and patient endurance. 
 He recalled them now and his praise brought brightness into 
 stern eyes. 
 
 To Alvarado, Sandoval, de Ordaz and others of his lieu- 
 tenants he gave his thanks for their loyalty. He sent for the 
 leaders of the Tlascalans, and other Indian allies, thanked 
 them in his own name and in that of Emperor Charles, and 
 promised them rewards for themselves and for their peo- 
 ple. 
 
 When Marina had finished translating his words and the 
 soldiers had departed, Cortes turned to her, smiling: 
 
 "And what can I say to you, Oh! you faithful one? What 
 words or what jewels could repay Marina for the service she 
 has rendered us?" 
 
 [330]
 
 VICTORY! 
 
 "Seek for no rewards for me, Malinche," answered the girl. 
 "I am content that I have brought to my people those who 
 will destroy the terrible altars of the gods and will teach them 
 a new faith and new, gentler ways." 
 
 At that moment Fernando came out of the tent in front of 
 which Cortes and Marina were standing. He was on his way 
 to consult with Bernal Diaz about sending a force of soldiers 
 for fresh provisions. 
 
 "Be not in such haste," cried Cortes. "I am bestowing 
 largesses today of words and praise, since I must wait a little 
 before I have gold wherewith to pay my gratitude, and to you, 
 boy, I owe a large measure." 
 
 "No, Master," interrupted Fernando, "you owe me noth- 
 ing. 'Tis I who can never pay you. You made me your 
 page that day on the capitana; you taught me all I know of 
 soldiering; you let me serve you, let me take part in this great 
 expedition; you made me a knight and you would thank 
 me!" 
 
 "Well, boy!" assented Cortes, laying his hand affectionately 
 on Fernando's shoulder. "Let us talk then no more of pay- 
 ments." 
 
 The banquet that evening was as gay as Cortes wished. 
 Food of all kinds was now abundant, and officers and men, 
 while they ate, talked of battles and skirmishes in which they 
 had taken part ; showed the booty they had collected, and sang 
 songs in praise of Cortes. Father Olmedo remonstrated the 
 next day to Cortes, saying: 
 
 "Will 3^ou then forget in your carousals that you owe the 
 victory to heaven and will you not render due thanks for it?" 
 
 [331]
 
 WITH CORTES THE CONQUEROR 
 
 "I had not forgotten, Father," Cortes replied. "We will 
 appoint tomorrow for the celebration." 
 
 The next day, led by the stained and torn banners of Cas- 
 tile and of Cortes, the entire army marched, singing the lit- 
 any. Then Father Olmedo preached to them, and mass was 
 celebrated, Cortes kneeling and thanking God and the Saints 
 humbly for their aid in his great victory. 
 
 FINIS 
 
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