Slowly the morning dawned; and the foremost Tlascalan, raising his head
from the earth, could behold, dimly relieved against an atmosphere of
mist, the outlines of the foe, yet loitering upon the rampart behind the
ditch, and warming his naked body, for the last time, over his
smouldering fire. And now, also, were seen the brigantines, four in
number, which had taken post, long before day, on either flank of the
ditch, while a line of well-manned piraguas extended some distance
beyond them.
The savages gathered up their arms, and leaping upon the ramparts, shook
them with defiance at the besiegers, taunting them with such words of
opprobrium as marked both their hatred and resolution.
"Ho-ah! ho-ah! What says the king of Castile? what says the king of
Castile?" they cried,--for all the offers of peace and composition,
(sent occasionally by the hands of liberated captives,) being made by
Cortes in the name of his master, the barbarians prefaced every defiance
by expressing their contempt for his authority,--"what says the king of
Castile? He is a woman,--he shows not his face,--he is a woman. What
says Malintzin? what says Malintzin? He calls for peace,--he is a
coward: he fights in the house, when his foe is a prisoner, but he calls
for peace, when Mexico comes out upon the causeways. What say the
Teuctlis,--the Spaniards,--the sons of the gods? They bring the
Tlascalans, to fight their battles,--the Tlascalans, the Tezcucans, the
Chalquese, and the other little dogs of Mexico. Their flesh is very
bitter, and their hearts sour: the mitzlis and ocelotls, the wolves and
the vultures, in the king's garden, say, 'Give us better food, for this
is the flesh of crocodiles.' What say the men of Tlascala? They are
slaves,--they say they are slaves, and what matters it where they fight?
If Malintzin prevail, wo for Tlascala! for he will scourge her with
whips, and burn her with brands, even from the old man with gray hairs
down to the little infant that screams: If Mexico be victorious, wo for
Tlascala! for we will strike her down with our swords, as we strike the
maize-stalks in the harvest-field. Ho-ah! ho-ah! Come on, then, ye
women, cowards, and slaves! for we are Mexicans, and our gods are
hungry!"
With such ferocious exclamations, the bold barbarians provoked the
besiegers; and with such they were used, each morning, to incite them to
the work of slaughter.
The Spaniards still stood fast, and the Tlascalans lay upon the earth,
receiving the arrows that were for awhile shot at them; until the
Mexicans, exhausting their voices with outcries, at last ceased to
continue them, and assumed an attitude as quiescent as that of their
foes.
While they thus remained, each party staring the other in the face, and
the rapidly increasing light made it evident that a very considerable
multitude of infidels were gathered upon the dike, a trumpet was winded
behind the Tlascalans, in one single, prolonged, and powerful note, that
woke up the echoes of mountains, even at the distance of leagues. It was
answered, first from the west, from the dike of Tacuba, in a blast both
strong and cheery, and immediately after, though much more faintly, from
the northern causeway, where Sandoval was marshalling his forces.
As soon as these signals, for such they were, had been exchanged between
the leaders, the trumpet of Cortes sounded again, with a succession of
short, sharp, and fierce notes, such as blast fury into men's hearts,
through their ears. Instantly, and as if by enchantment, the four
falconets in the brigantines were discharged, and swept hundreds of the
barbarians from the causeway. Then followed the rattle of musketry,
mingled with the clang of cross-bows; which din was continued, until the
gunners, loading again, discharged their pieces a second time upon the
enemy. And now the Tlascalan pioneers, springing up, rushed, with wild
yells to the ditch, which they began to fill with frantic speed.
Notwithstanding the boldness of their defiance, the Mexicans made a much
less manly resistance than was expected. But they stood as long as any
human beings could do, exposed between two deadly batteries, both plied
with unexampled activity, and both strengthened by the addition of the
native archers in the piraguas. They handled their bows and slings as
they could, and they cheered one another with shouts; but it was evident
that they must soon give way, and take post behind some ditch
unapproachable by the brigantines.
As soon as this became known, the Spanish foot-soldiers began to
encourage one another, in anticipation of the charge which they were
soon to be called on to make; and Bernal Diaz, losing his grave
equanimity, in the prospect of adding another leaf to his chaplet of
immortality, ran briskly to and fro, in virtue of his official rank,
which could scarce be defined in any one title of modern military
nomenclature, and cheered every soldier with whom he happened to be well
acquainted. In the course of his rounds, he fell upon Gaspar, from whom
he had been before separated, and whom he now seized by the hand,
crying,
"Now, Gaspar, my dear brother of Medina del Campo, we shall have such a
rouse among the red infidels as will make posterity stare."
He was then about to extend his exhortations to others, when Gaspar
arrested him, turning upon him, to his great surprise, a countenance
extremely pale and agitated.
"Art thou sick, man?" cried the historian, "or art thou worn out with
watching? A few knocks, Gaspar, will soon warm thy blood."
"Bernal," said his friend, with an unnatural laugh, "wert thou ever in
fear?"
"In fear?" echoed Bernal Diaz. "Never, before an infidel;--never, at
least, but _once_, when they had me in their hands, and I thought they
were carrying me to the temple."
"What were thy feelings then?" demanded Gaspar, with singular eagerness:
"Was there ice in thy bosom, and lead in thy brain? Were thy lips cold
and thy tongue hot? Did thy hand shake, thy teeth chatter, thy leg
fail?--Faugh! what should make _me_ fear to go into battle?"
"Fear! _thou_ fear?" said Bernal, anxiously. "Thou art beside thyself,
never believe me else,--frenzied with over-watching."
"I tell thee," said Gaspar, with a grin that was indeed expressive of
terror, "that, if thou hunt this whole army through, thou wilt not find
a white-livered loon of them all, who is, at this moment, more a coward
than myself. Why should I be so? Is there an axe at my ear, and a foot
on my breast? There are an hundred stout Spaniards, and thirty score
Tlascalans betwixt me and the foe; and yet I am in great terror of mind.
I have heard that such things are forewarnings!"
"If thou art of this temper, indeed," said honest Bernal, with more
disgust than he cared to conceal, "get thee to the rear, in God's name,
and thou mayst light somewhere upon a flask of maguey-liquor. Shame upon
thee, man! canst thou be so faint-hearted?"
"Ay!" replied Gaspar; "yet I go not to the rear, notwithstanding. I
thought thou shouldst have counselled me.--Fare thee well, then,
Bernal.--Thou dost not know, that one can be in terror of death, and yet
meet death without flinching. Fare thee well, brother; and what angry
things I have said to thee, forget, even for the sake of our early days.
Fare thee well, Bernal, fare thee well."
The Barba-Roxa locked his friend in a warm embrace, kissed him on both
cheeks, and then starting away, rushed towards the front, with an
alacrity that seemed utterly to disprove his humbling confession.
Whether or not fear had, indeed, for the first time in his life, beset
him, it is certain that Gaspar Olea did, that day, achieve exploits
which eclipsed those of the most distinguished cavaliers, and
consecrated his memory for ever in the hearts of his comrades.
The Tlascalans, working with furious zeal, had now so choked up the
ditch, that stones and earth already appeared above the water. The
Mexicans wavered, and seemed incapable of maintaining their post for a
moment longer.
The fiery spirit of the Captain-General became incensed with impatience
and hope. He rose upon his stirrups, and exalting his voice, always of
vast and thrilling power, exclaimed,
"This time, brothers! we will seize the bridges before the pagans have
leisure to destroy them. Footmen! see that ye follow after the horse,
with all your speed. Cavaliers! put your lances in rest, and be ready.
What, trumpeter! speak thy signal to the pioneers; and, brave hearts!
fear not the gap, for it is strong enough to support you.--Sound,
trumpeter, sound!"
The trumpeter winded a peculiar blast, and the Tlascalans, dividing
asunder, flung themselves, from either side of the causeway, into the
lake,--a feat often before practised,--and thus left the whole space up
to the ditch vacant for the horsemen. At a second blast of the
instrument, the cavaliers spurred up to the chasm, and crossing it as
they could, and clambering over the rampart, dashed down at once upon
the disordered infidels. The footmen followed, running with all their
strength, and returning the cheers, with which those in the ships beheld
the exploit of the cavalry.
Meanwhile, the Mexicans, seized with unusual consternation, fled with
great haste towards the city, pursued so closely by the cavaliers, that
they made no attempt at a stand, even at the second ditch; nor did they
pause a moment, according to their usual tactics, to destroy the bridge
that spanned it. It was indeed a narrow chasm, with an unfinished
breastwork, and could not have been maintained for an hour. Another,
equally narrow and indefensible, occurred at a distance of less than two
hundred paces; and at such intervals, it appeared that the dike was
perforated, as far as it extended, even within the limits of the island.
The ardour of the cavaliers, aided by that incentive to valour, the back
of the foe, carried them over three several bridges, before they
bethought them of the propriety of drawing up their horses a little, and
waiting for the footmen.
"_Halon!_ halt! and God give us better heads to our helmets, or better
helms to our heads!" cried Juan of Salamanca, a valiant young hidalgo,
who had won immortal renown upon the field of Otumba: "Does your
excellency intend that we twenty Paladins of Spain shall sack this city
with our lances and bucklers? In my mind, we should divide a moiety of
the honour with those who will share a full half of the profit."
"Ay," said another, an ancient hidalgo, as all checked their steeds at
the sudden call of the young man: "We should be wise, lest we fall into
an ambush. Let us wait here for the footmen."
"And have the bridges torn up before our eyes!" cried Cortes; with
ungovernable fire. "Heaven fights for us to-day; the infidels are seized
with a panic, and they are but few in number."
"Say not so, senor," exclaimed Salamanca, pointing in front, where they
could see the fugitives checked by what seemed a flood of armed men,
pouring out from the city. "They are in no panic; but we took them too
early. Their drum has not yet been beaten upon the temple-top; but we
shall hear it now, soon enough.--What ho! ye lame ducks with swords and
lances! ye lagging footmen! come on like men, and be fleeter."
"Let us pass on, at least, slowly," said Cortes. "The footmen are nigh,
and we may yet gain two or three bridges. Do you not see, we are almost
upon the island?--Hark! I hear the trumpet of Alvarado!--He will win the
race to the pyramid!--Press on, gallant cavaliers, press on!"
They were indeed within but a short distance from the island, surrounded
by the ruins of the water suburb; and it seemed yet easy to secure, at
least, two more bridges, over which the fugitives had fled without
pausing, and which could be gained before the causeway should be
obstructed by the advance of the dense column from the city. Calling out
therefore to the infantry to hasten, and finding themselves already
joined by two or three of the fleetest of foot, of whom the Barba-Roxa
was one, they again dashed onwards, and secured the desired passes.
They now found themselves so near to the island, as to be within reach
of annoyance from the adjoining housetops; and this circumstance,
together with the unexpected conduct of the Mexicans, produced such
alarm in the bosom of the cavalier who had seconded Salamanca's caution
before, that he exclaimed,
"Senor mio, and good brothers, let us think a little what we do, before
proceeding further. Let us beware of an ambuscado. The knaves yielded us
the rampart, almost without a blow; and they leave the ditches bridged
behind them. This is not the way Mexicans fight, when they fight
honestly. Lo you, now, yonder is a herd of twenty thousand men, with
flags and banners, and they stop at sight of us, as if in dismay! What
does this mean, if not some decoy for a stratagem?"
"It means," said Cortes, "that they are in a perplexity, because their
priests have not yet given them the signal to fall on: and of this
perplexity it should be our wisdom to take advantage. See, now, the dogs
are in confusion!--Nay, by my conscience! 'tis the confusion of attack,
and they come against us! Couch your lances, and at them! for it is
better they should feel the weight of our horses, than we the shock of
their stormy bodies. On, footmen, on! spur, cavaliers, spur! Santiago
and Spain! and down with the paynim scum!"
At these words of exhortation, the horsemen closed their ranks, shouted
their war-cries, and dashed with fearless audacity upon the advancing
warriors. They swept the causeway, like a moving wall, and however
insignificant their numbers, it did not seem possible for the enemy to
withstand the violence of their onset; indeed, before a drop of blood
was shed, they manifested such symptoms of hesitation and wavering, as
greatly exalted the courage of the assailants. They plied their slings
and arrows, indeed, they darted their javelins, brandished their spears,
and added their discordant shrieks and wild whistling to the shouts of
the Spaniards; but still it was in a kind of confusion and disorder,
that showed them to be, from some cause or other, not yet prepared for
combat. Nay, some were seen, as the galloping squadron approached, to
cast themselves into the lake, as if in fear, and swim to the nearest
ruins for protection.
This degree of disrelish for battle was a phenomenon, so unusual in the
character of barbarians brave not only to folly, but to madness, that a
wary commander would have laid it to heart, and pondered over it with
suspicion. But not so the Captain-General. He remembered, with
Salamanca, that the sound of the enormous drum on the temple of Mexitli,
with which, each morning, the Mexican emperor gave the signal for
battle, had not yet been heard; and as there seemed to be as close, and
almost as fanatical, a connexion between the thunder of this instrument
and the courage of the pagans, as he had found, in former days, in the
case of the sacred horn, he did not doubt that their present timidity
was caused entirely by the failure of the signal. Perhaps he thought it
increased also by their sense of weakness; for, now that he was nigh, it
became obvious that their numbers were much less considerable than they
had appeared at a distance. At all events, they were in fear, and they
wavered; which was enough to give his valour the upperhand of his
prudence.--It is with martial ardour as with a pestilence;--it ravens
most furiously among the ranks of fear.
Fierce, therefore, was the zeal of his cavaliers, and their hearts
flamed at the thought of blood. They raised their voices in a cry of
victory, and bounded like thunderbolts among their opponents. The shock
was decisive; in a moment, the whole mass of pagans was put to rout.
They flung down their arms, and betook themselves to flight. Those who
could, fled down along the dike into the city; others flung themselves
into the water, and swam to the island, or to the neighbouring ruins.
The only ones who made resistance, were those whose hearts were
transfixed by Spanish lances, before they could turn to retreat. Such
men uttered the yell of battle, and, in their dying agonies, thrust with
their own hands, the spears further through their vitals, that they
might be nearer to the foe, and strike the macana once more for
Tenochtitlan.
"On, ye men of the foot!" cried the Captain-General. "Let the Tlascalans
fire the houses behind me; for now we are again upon the island. Charge,
cavaliers, charge! The saints open a path for us. Charge, my brothers,
charge! and _viva_ for Spain and our honour!"