The terrible vengeance taken by the Spaniards at Cholula struck
terror into the minds of the Mexicans. The white men had shown, in
their conflict with the Tlascalans, how terrible they were in
battle, and it now seemed that treachery was of no avail against
them. The cities in the neighborhood of Cholula hastened to send
messages expressive of submission to the terrible white warriors,
accompanied by presents of all kinds. Montezuma saw, with awe and
affright, that even the oracles of the gods could not be depended
upon against these strangers; and that bribes, force, and treachery
had alike failed to arrest their march towards his capital. Vast
numbers of victims were again offered up on the altars, but no
favorable responses were returned--for the priests, seeing how
complete had been the failure of their predictions as to events at
Cholula, were unwilling again to commit themselves. The emperor
consequently sent fresh ambassadors laden with presents to Cortez,
with assurances that he was in no way responsible for the attack
upon them, and that he considered they had done well in punishing
its authors.
Cortez endeavored to induce the inhabitants of the city to embrace
Christianity; and would have resorted to force here, as at
Cempoalla, but he was dissuaded by Father Olmedo; who, as on former
occasions, urged that conversions effected by force were of little
use, and that the cause would be injured, rather than benefited by
such measures. Christianity would, as a matter of course, result
from the success of the Spaniards; and that success would be
imperiled, by exciting the animosity of the whole people by
violence to their gods. As the great teocalli had been captured in
fair fight, and a large portion of its buildings burnt, Cortez
converted a massive stone edifice that had escaped the flames into
a church, and erected a gigantic crucifix on the summit of the
teocalli, visible from all points of the city.
A fortnight after his entrance to Cholula, Cortez again began to
move forward. His Cempoallan allies, who had fought with great
bravery against the Tlascalans, and had rendered him immense
assistance upon the march, now asked to be allowed to return home;
for much as they believed in the prowess of the whites, the dread
of Montezuma's name was too great for them to dare trust themselves
in his capital. Cortez dismissed them with many presents and, with
his Tlascalan army, set forward towards the capital.
As they proceeded on their way, parties came in from various towns
on the plateau with friendly messages. The enormous taxation,
imposed to keep up the luxurious court of the emperor, pressed
heavily upon the land; and the greater portion of the inhabitants
hailed, with real satisfaction, the coming of a power that appeared
likely to overthrow the Aztec tyranny. Had it not been for this
widespread disaffection, the little army of Cortez would, in spite
of its bravery and superior weapons, have been powerless against
the vast hosts which could have been hurled against it. But the
people of the empire, in general, regarded Mexico as its oppressor
and tyrant, and hailed the opportunity of freeing themselves from
its dominations. Cortez, except when the question of religion was
concerned, was politic in the highest degree; and inspired all the
natives who came to him with the full belief that, in him, they
would have a kind and generous protector against Montezuma.
Warm as were the assurances of friendship sent by that monarch, the
Spaniards were well aware that no confidence could be placed in
them. Their new friends, indeed, informed them that he was already
preparing for an attack upon the Spaniards; and that the straight
and level road had been blocked up, in order that they might be
forced to take their passage through the mountains, where they
could be attacked and overwhelmed at points at which their cavalry
and artillery would be unable to act.
On arriving, therefore, at the place where the roads had been
blocked, Cortez caused the piled-up obstacles to be removed; and
the army proceeded by the level road, where they felt confident in
their power to defend themselves, if attacked.
Upon the march Roger sometimes kept with Juan and Pedro, at other
times walked beside Malinche, who, although wholly devoted to
Cortez, had yet a warm and kindly feeling for her former friend.
Cortez himself often consulted Roger as to the roads and places
ahead, for he always received the native descriptions with some
doubt, as he could not be sure whether they were honestly given.
After passing across the plateau, the little army ascended the
steep range of hills separating it from the table land of Mexico.
The cold was sufficient to affect them seriously, after the heat of
the plains; and the difficulties of taking up the guns and their
ammunition were great. This work was principally performed by the
native allies, the Spaniards holding themselves in readiness to
repel any attack that might be made upon them, in the forest-clad
hills or in the deep defiles; but no foes showed themselves, and
they at last gained the western slopes, whence the plains of Mexico
burst into sight.
The Spaniards stood astonished--as Roger had done, on his first
journey--at the beauty of the prospect; but the sight of the
numerous cities, telling of an immense population, filled them with
uneasiness; and a clamor presently arose, that to march onward
against such overwhelming odds was nothing short of madness; and
that, having accomplished such vast things, they had done
sufficient for honor, and should now return with the spoils they
had captured to the coast.
But, as before, the enthusiasm and influence of Cortez soon
reanimated their courage. He and the other leaders went among them,
and by argument and entreaty persuaded them again to form their
ranks and press forward; and in a short time the army wound down
from the heights into the valley.
Happily for them, the ruler of Mexico was altogether dominated by
superstitious fears. Against native enemies he had shown himself a
resolute and valiant leader, had carried on numerous successful
wars, and had by force of arms greatly extended his dominions; but
against these strange white enemies, his faculties seemed
altogether to fail him. He had, for years, given himself up to the
priesthood; and in this crisis, instead of consulting with his
trusted generals, he was swayed wholly by the advice of the
priests; and sought protection, not from the armies at his command,
but from the gods, whom he strove to influence in his favor by
hecatombs of human victims, sacrificed upon their altars.
In the month that had elapsed since he joined Cortez at Tlascala,
Roger had made considerable progress in Spanish; and although
incapable of supporting a long conversation with his comrades,
could make himself understood in simple matters. His behavior at
the fight in Cholula had gained him the respect of the old soldier;
who, however, was not wholly satisfied with him.
"The young fellow is no coward," he said to Pedro. "When the
Mexicans were pressing us sorely, he fought as stoutly and well as
any in our ranks. He is well skilled in the use of the sword, which
is wonderful, seeing that the Mexicans among whom he has been
brought up are but poor hands with that weapon; and both with
thrust and point he showed himself perfectly at home with the heavy
blade the general gave him. I saw him pressed at one time by four
Mexicans together, and was making to his assistance. But there was
no need for it. He ran one through the body, and with heavy
downright blows, well-nigh cleft the heads of two others; and the
fourth, with a cry of astonishment and fear, sprang back into the
crowd.
"But though he fought so stoutly when attacked, he showed less
ardor in the assault, and lagged behind when we were pursuing the
enemy."
"I like him none the worse for that, Juan," Pedro said. "He has
lived among these people, and though I hear that, when they heard
of our landing, they would have sacrificed him, and he had to fly
for his life and fight hard to make his escape, he must in other
respects look upon them without animosity; and doubtless he felt
some pity for the poor wretches."
"I felt some pity myself," Juan said; "but as they had intended so
treacherously towards us, and proposed to put us all to a cruel
death, I did not let my pity interfere with my sword arm."
"Ah, but you have been accustomed to battles and bloodshed all your
life, Juan. One does not take to the trade of killing all at once,
and I like him none the worse that he was disinclined for the
slaughter of the people among whom he had been brought up."
"Well, we shall see," the old soldier grumbled. "It seems to me
that when two or three hundred men are fighting against a whole
nation, and that nation proposes to cut all their throats on the
altars of their gods, it is not a time for scruples. I approve of
the orders the general gave, that no one was to injure women and
children, and I heartily wish that such were always the orders; but
when it comes to men who have set their minds upon killing me, I
don't draw nice distinctions, and I just smite where I see a
chance."
The news that the Spaniards had crossed the mountains, and had
entered the valley, completed the dejection and despair of
Montezuma; and after shutting himself up in his palace, and
refusing food, he at last turned from the gods, from whom he could
obtain no assistance, and summoned a meeting of his counselors.
These were divided in opinion. Cacama was at the head of the peace
party. He pointed out that, had they intended to oppose the advance
of the white men by force of arms, the whole strength of the empire
should have been dispatched to dispute the passage of the
mountains. As that had not been done, they should now be received
in friendly fashion, as the ambassadors of the great king whom
Cortez claimed to represent. Some of the other counselors, led by
Cuitlahua, Montezuma's brother, were in favor of turning out all
the forces and repelling the invasion; but Cacama's counsel
prevailed, and an embassy was dispatched, under his leadership, to
greet the Spaniards and conduct them to the capital.
The Spanish army advanced slowly. They halted for two days at
Amaquemecan, where they were well received and hospitably
entertained, and presented with a considerable sum in gold. They
then marched forward to Ajotzinco, a town standing at the southern
extremity of Lake Chalco, and partly erected on piles rising from
the lake itself. Here, as at Venice, canals took the place of
roads, and all traffic was carried on in boats.
Upon the following morning, a messenger arrived with the news that
the King of Tezcuco was approaching, as an ambassador from the
emperor, and in a short time the royal procession approached the
city. Cacama was borne in a magnificent litter, shaded by a
gorgeous canopy, and was attended by a number of nobles and
officials. As the palanquin neared the spot where Cortez was
standing, Cacama left his litter and advanced towards him; saluting
by touching the ground with his hand, and raising it in the air.
Cortez also advanced and embraced the young prince, who told him
that he came as the ambassador of the emperor, to welcome him to
his capital. An exchange of presents took place, and Cortez assured
the prince of the friendliness of his intentions, and of the
respect he entertained for the emperor. Cacama then withdrew, and
returned at once to Mexico, while the army resumed its march.
Roger did not make any attempt to approach the prince, after his
interview with Cortez. He knew that he would have received, from
Cuitcatl, the news that he had surmounted the dangers of his
journey and joined the Spaniards at Tlascala, and thought that it
would be better to defer presenting himself to the prince until he
could do so more privately at Tezcuco. He considered it possible
that Montezuma might have blamed Cacama for his escape; and that,
if he were to greet him, it would be reported to the emperor, who
might regard it as a proof that there had been a secret
understanding between them, and that Cacama had aided his flight.
Crossing the causeway that divided the Lake of Chalco from that of
Xochical, the army marched to Iztapalapan, a large town with a
royal residence, governed by the emperor's brother Cuitlahua. The
prince had assembled a number of the great nobles, and Cortez was
received with great state and ceremony; and after the usual
presentation of gifts, a banquet was served to the Spaniards in one
of the great halls of the palace.
After this Cortez was conducted over the gardens, which were the
finest in Mexico. They contained all the vegetable productions of
the empire, with magnificent aviaries, and a fish pond built of
stone, nearly a mile in circumference.
At daybreak next morning, that of November 8th, 1519, the Spaniards
were mustered and again set forward. The four hundred white troops
led the way. They were followed by the baggage, after which came
what was numerically the main portion of the army, six thousand
five hundred Tlascalan soldiers. Keeping on by the shore of the
lake, and crossing the narrow strip of land dividing the Lake of
Xochical from that of Tezcuco, they arrived at the head of the
great causeway running across the lake to the island on which the
capital was built. The causeway was a massive construction, built
of large stones laid in cement, and was wide enough to permit of
ten horsemen riding abreast.
The shores of the lake on either side were closely dotted with
towns and villages, and the lake itself was well-nigh covered with
the canoes and rafts of the natives. The Spaniards saw, too, with
surprise and admiration, floating gardens--some of them of
considerable extent--on the surface of the lake, covered with
flowers and shrubs. The scene was the most beautiful that had ever
met their eyes, and they were filled with delight and admiration.
Halfway across the causeway they came upon the fort of Xoloc. Here
a massive stone wall, twelve feet high, crossed the dike, and
stretched out on to the lake on either side. Towers were erected at
its angles and, properly defended, it could have resisted the
attack of an army.
An archway gave passage through the wall. Here a great number of
nobles were assembled, who welcomed the Spaniards with formal
ceremony; and the army then marched forward along the dike, till it
reached a wooden drawbridge near the gate of the city.
As they crossed this a splendid procession was seen approaching. It
was preceded by three great officers of state, bearing golden
wands; behind them the emperor himself lay in his palanquin, borne
on the shoulders of nobles, with a canopy of rich feather work
sparkling with jewels above his head. Montezuma alighted when
within a short distance, and with the canopy still carried over his
head, and leaning upon his brother and nephew, he advanced towards
Cortez.
The general, dismounting, went forward with a few of his principal
officers to meet him. The emperor received his guest with courtesy,
and expressed his pleasure at seeing him in his capital; while
Cortez replied with expressions of profound respect, accompanied by
thanks for the superb presents that Montezuma had sent him. The
emperor re-entered his litter, and the Spaniards followed, with
music playing and colors flying.
Although already familiar with Mexican architecture, they were
astonished by the magnificence of the buildings that bordered the
great streets along which they marched. Here were the mansions of
the nobles, built of a red porous stone and covering a large space
of ground. The flat roofs were protected by stone parapets, and
many of them were laid out as gardens. Between these mansions were
broad terraces, which presented a mass of flowers. Here and there
were great marketplaces, surrounded by porticoes of stone; and
above all the temples, with their towering pyramids, rose high in
the air.
Along the whole line, crowds of people watched the procession of
the troops; gazing with surprise and admiration at the cavaliers on
horseback, and at the flashing armor and arms of the Spaniards; and
with wrath and indignation at the Tlascalan army, which followed in
their rear.
The street was in many places intersected by canals. Passing over
these on light bridges, they at last reached a great square near
the center of the city, on one side of which rose the huge temple
of the war god of the Aztecs. Facing this was a palace of
Montezuma's father, which had been appropriated, by the emperor, as
quarters for the Spaniards. The emperor himself received them in
the courtyard, presented Cortez with a magnificent necklace, and
then, saying he would visit them later on, withdrew.
The palace was large enough to afford accommodation for the whole
army; and as it was surrounded by a massive stone wall, flanked
with towers, Cortez saw, with satisfaction, that it could without
difficulty resist any sudden attack. He placed sentries on the
walls, and planted his cannon to command the approaches; and in
order to prevent any chance of a quarrel arising, he forbade any
soldiers to leave the palace, without orders. A large number of
Mexican slaves had been appointed to attend upon the strangers, and
a meal was speedily served by them to the troops, who were then
permitted to take a sleep, for some hours, during the heat of the
day.
The emperor paid another visit in the evening, and had a long
conversation with Cortez, distributing a large number of rich
presents among the Spaniards before leaving. After he had left they
celebrated their arrival in the city by a salute with their cannon,
whose thunder added to the impression produced upon the natives by
the tales they had heard of the prowess of their visitors, and
heightened their belief in the supernatural powers of the
Spaniards.
The next day Cortez returned the emperor's visit. He was
accompanied by a few of his principal officers, and five or six
soldiers. The palace was of immense size, built, like the rest of
the houses, of red stone, and ornamented with marble. Fountains
sparkled in the courts through which the Spaniards passed, and
crowds of Aztec nobles thronged the squares and great halls. The
walls of these apartments were hung with richly dyed cotton, or
with draperies of gorgeous feather work, while the fumes of incense
rose up in clouds from censors.
Montezuma, surrounded by a few of his nobles, received them; and
Cortez at once opened to him what he considered to be the chief
object of his enterprise, and through the medium of Marina
expounded the doctrines of Christianity, and besought the emperor
to turn from his false gods. As Montezuma had himself been a
priest, and was an ardent devotee of his religion, it was scarcely
to be expected that he would favorably entertain the proposal to
change his religion. He answered courteously that, no doubt, the
god of Cortez was good to the Spaniards, just as his own gods were
good to him. What his visitors said of the creation of the world
was similar to what he himself believed. His people had occupied
the land but for a few years, having been led there by a great
being who, after giving them laws, had withdrawn to the regions of
the east. When he left he had promised that he or his descendants
would again visit them, and resume his empire. The wonderful deeds
of the Spaniards, their complexion, the fact that they came from
the east--all showed that they were the descendants of this god.
"Your sovereign beyond the waters is, I know, the rightful lord of
all. I rule in his name. You, Malinzin, are his ambassador, and you
and your brethren shall share what I have."
He then dismissed his visitors with fresh presents.
Malinzin was the name by which Cortez was universally known by the
natives. Malinche was ever with him, and they connected him with
her, and called him by the masculine form of her name.
But gratified as the Spaniards were at the kindness of their
reception, and within the munificent gifts showered upon them, they
could not but feel that their position was a precarious one. They
were in the center of a great city, with a warlike population. It
was broken up, by its canals with their movable bridges, into a
series of fortresses; and it would be well-nigh hopeless to
endeavor, by force, to make their way out of it. At present all
seemed fair, but they were well aware that Montezuma had endeavored
in every way, save by open war, to prevent their coming; and that,
influenced as he was by the oracles of the gods, he might at any
moment exchange his apparent friendship for open enmity.
Two days after arriving at the capital, Roger asked Malinche if she
could obtain permission from the general for him to cross the lake
to Tezcuco, in order that he might pay his friends there a visit.
Presently she returned, saying that the general himself would speak
to him.
Roger had been named Sancho by the Spaniards, as he had not
ventured to give his own name; and it was supposed that he had
forgotten that which he had borne as a child.
"Sancho," the general said; "I know, from what Marina says, that
you have great intelligence, though you have so long been cut off
from your own people. You see that our position here is a strange
one. We are guests and yet, to some extent, we are prisoners. The
Tlascalans with us are hated by the Mexicans, and either between
them and the natives, or maybe between some of my own soldiers and
the citizens, a brawl might arise which would be used as a pretext
for an attack upon us.
"As I feel that I can rely upon your discretion, I will tell you of
some news that I received at Cholula, but which I have kept to
myself. The natives on the coast have shown themselves hostile to
the garrison of a hundred and fifty men, whom I left there under
Juan de Escalante. A chief near there sent in to tender his
allegiance, and asked that four white men should be sent to escort
him to the town. As soon as they got to him two of them were
murdered, but the other two managed to escape and made their way
back. Don Juan marched, with fifty of his men and several thousand
Indian allies, to attack the treacherous chief. There was a
desperate battle, our allies fled, but the soldiers stood their
ground and--thanks to the aid of the Blessed Virgin--resisted all
the attacks made upon them. But eight of the men were slain, and
Juan himself was mortally wounded. The Indian prisoners taken said
that the attack, like that at Cholula, had been made by the orders
of Montezuma.
"You may do us good service by finding out what are the intentions
of the Mexicans. Therefore, by all means, carry out your intention
of going across to Tezcuco. The young king is a nephew of the
emperor, but he has suffered much at Montezuma's hands, and has
been stripped of the greater part of his father's dominions. He
can, therefore, hardly be friendly to him at heart. At any rate you
may be able to learn, in conversation with him, what are his
sentiments towards us. Tezcuco was long the rival of Mexico, and as
the alliance of the Tlascalans has proved of the greatest advantage
to us, still more should we benefit if the Tezcucans were our
friends. If we have to retire from Mexico, we might take refuge
there.
"At any rate, if nothing else comes of it, you might learn from the
king whether he is aware of any treachery meditated against us. He
saved you, Malinche says, from Montezuma and the priests, once; and
would be likely, therefore, to warn you, did he know that danger
was impending."
When Marina had translated this, Roger at once agreed to do his
best to discover if any treachery were meant.
"You had best go in disguise," Cortez said. "Donna Marina will make
arrangements for a canoe to be here, after nightfall; and by
staining your face, and putting on the attire of an Aztec
noble--for which we have ample materials at hand--would not be
noticed as you pass through the throng of yon boats on the lake. It
would be best that you did not go as a Spanish soldier. You might
be arrested on the road, and perhaps carried away and sacrificed at
one of the altars. Once at Tezcuco you must, of course, act in the
matter as you think best."
Marina--who was not, like the Spaniards, confined to the
palace--had no difficulty in arranging for a canoe; and as soon as
it became dark, Roger, dressed as an Aztec cazique, and with his
face slightly stained, took his place in it. The lake was thronged
with canoes, but the craft in which he was seated passed without
notice through them, and after two hours' paddling reached Tezcuco.
Telling the natives that they were to wait for his return, however
long that might be, Roger proceeded to the palace. Avoiding the
principal streets and squares, where his unusual height would
attract attention, he passed unquestioned into the palace amid the
throng of chiefs and nobles who were entering or leaving it, and
made his way to the apartment of Cuitcatl. It was empty but,
clapping his hand, the attendant who had before waited upon him
entered. As Roger's attire was similar to the one he had worn while
at Tezcuco, the man recognized him at once.
Roger bade him go in search of Cuitcatl, and tell him privately
that he was there, and beg him to come. In a few minutes Cuitcatl
entered the room, and greeted Roger most heartily.
"I am glad, indeed, to see you, my friend; and Cacama and the queen
and the princess will rejoice, also. There was great anxiety for
you after your first escape, for the emperor was furious when he
heard that you had slipped off. The priests had assured him that
the sacrifice of a white man, to the god of war, would ensure his
aid and protection against the white invaders. Runners were
dispatched in scores to every town and village, and although I knew
that Bathalda was familiar with every foot of the country, and
would give his life for you if needs be, it seemed impossible that
you should be able to make your way through.
"Then came the news of your fight in the hills; how you had a bow
that carried arrows to an unheard-of distance; and how, in a
hand-to-hand fight, you had prevailed against a score of our
soldiers. After that, you seemed lost. The officers commanding the
troops were convinced that you had not descended the eastern slopes
of the mountains; and the spies, which were watching every movement
of the white men on the coast, reported that no white man had
joined them. Therefore, it was supposed that you must have returned
west of the range of hills, and every town and village was
searched, and every grove and plantation examined.
"We were all very anxious for you, and it was not until a week
after we had the news of the wonderful defeat of the Tlascalans, by
the white men, that Bathalda returned with the message you sent us,
and the news that you had joined the white men there.
"Since then we have, of course, heard nothing of you. Cacama said
that he did not see you when he met Malinzin; but of course he did
not examine the faces of the white soldiers, being occupied solely
with their chief and the officers round him. But we all felt
assured that we should hear from you, shortly.
"So, you have resumed your Aztec dress?"
"I thought it better to do so, for the purpose of coming here,"
Roger replied; "for if the priests want a victim so sorely, it
seemed to me that, if I ventured to leave the palace dressed in my
Spanish garb, I might be seized and carried off."
"You are quite right," Cuitcatl agreed. "The priests are furious
against you all, and I cannot altogether blame them. Your general
may, as he says, come as an ambassador from his king to Montezuma;
and if he had orders to come to his court, at all costs, he was not
to blame if he fought his way whenever he was opposed; but this
does not justify him in insulting our religion, and even assaulting
and hurling down our gods, at every opportunity. He even tried to
persuade the emperor that our gods were false; and spoke insolently
of them, yesterday, when Montezuma conducted him, at his request,
into the holy shrines. Cacama was one of the strongest advisors
that a peaceful reception should be accorded to the white visitors,
but even he is being greatly turned against them, by their conduct
towards our gods.
"Come, I will take you to the royal apartments, and leave you in a
room where no one will enter, until I inform Cacama that you are
here."
A few minutes later the young king entered the apartment where
Cuitcatl had placed Roger, and embraced him with real affection.
"Truly, I am glad to see you again, Roger Hawkshaw. I am glad to
see you for yourself, and I hail you as a counselor, in the strange
pass to which we have come. Here are Maclutha, and my sister,
Amenche."
The queen and the princess entered as he spoke, and each gave Roger
their hand; which, bowing deeply, he raised to his lips, having
before told them that this was the salutation, among his own
people, to ladies of high rank.
"We did not think, Roger Hawkshaw, when we last parted, that we
should meet again so soon. Who could have believed then that the
little band of white men, of whose arrival upon the coast we had
heard, would have made their way on to the capital, when the
emperor was bent upon preventing their coming? We have trembled for
you, and have prayed the gods to protect you; and greatly did we
rejoice when we heard, from Cuitcatl's follower, that you had
surmounted all your dangers safely, and joined the whites.
"It has been a strange time here, since you left. I have been, for
the most part, at the capital. The news that came, from day to day,
of the progress of the whites filled everyone with surprise, and
consternation.
"We of the council met daily, but Montezuma passed his time at the
shrines and among the priests. He was a brave warrior and a great
general, once, but he is no longer himself. My father's prophecy
seems to have unmanned him, and he has given himself up wholly to
superstition. I believe in our gods, and pay them due honor; but I
do not hold that a man should not think for himself, or that he
should trust wholly in the priests, who are but men like ourselves;
and who are, methinks, but poor judges of worldly affairs, though
wise and learned in matters concerning religion. Montezuma thinks
otherwise, and the result is that no orders have been issued, no
determination arrived at, and we have the disgrace of seeing a
handful of strangers installed in the capital.
"Mind, my counsels have always been that they should be conducted
honorably from the coast, and treated as ambassadors; but we have
done neither one thing nor the other. They have been loaded with
gifts, but forbidden to come here. Yet since they came, in spite of
orders, we have seemed as if we feared to meet them; and I blush at
the thought of the treacherous plan to destroy them, at Cholula.
"The gods had prophesied that they would find their grave there.
But the gods were wrong; and it may be that the God of the whites
is more powerful than ours. If not, how is it that they did not
avenge the indignities offered to them by the whites, at Cempoalla,
where their images were hurled down from their altars? And at
Cholula, where the most sacred of all the temples was attacked and
captured, and the emblem of the White God set up on its summit?
"You yourself, Roger Hawkshaw, warned us against these Spaniards.
You said that they were cruel masters to the people they had
conquered, and above all things cruel in the matter of religion,
forcing all who came under their sway to accept their God, under
pain of death; and that they would slay even you, a white man like
themselves, did they know that you did not belong to their people.
Tell us what is to be done. Why are these men in our capital? What
are their objects? Brave and strong as they are, they cannot hope
to overcome a nation, or to force all Anahuac to forsake their own
gods and to accept the God of the whites."
"I know not what are the designs of Cortez, the leader whom you
call Malinzin. I should say the Spaniards are here with several
motives. In the first place, there is the desire for wealth and
spoil; in the second, religious ardor--the desire to bring all
within the pale of their Church; in the third place, the love of
adventure; and, lastly, the honor they will receive, at the hands
of their sovereign, for opening so rich an empire to his arms."
"You do not think, then, they intend to conquer us?"
"Cortez cannot think of doing so, with the means at his disposal,
Cacama; but doubtless he has sent home reports of the richness of
the country, and forces many times more numerous than those under
his command may be sent out to his assistance."
"Does he know that you have come hither?" Cacama asked suddenly.
"He does," Roger replied. "I could not leave the palace without
permission, and Malinche told him of the kindness I had experienced
at your hands. He himself is uneasy at the position in which he
finds himself, uncertain of Montezuma's intentions, and fearful of
an assault; and he bade me try to find out, as far as might be,
what was the general opinion respecting the Spaniards."
"The opinion of the ignorant," Cacama said, with a contemptuous
wave of the hand, "is worth nothing. They go where they are led.
They believe what they are last told. They shout when they are told
to shout. They have no opinion of their own, upon aught but what
relates to themselves.
"Among the nobles, the priests, and the learned there is much
division of opinion. At present we wait; but frankly, at any moment
a storm may follow the calm. The priests, who of course are
bitterly hostile to the strangers, are without doubt working, and
they have great power with all. But I should say that, on the
whole, you are safer here with me than you would be across the
water there. I do not mean that there is any immediate danger, but
you must remember that Montezuma has been insulted and humiliated,
and made to appear small in the sight of the people. He is one of
the proudest of men, and although at present he feigns friendship
with the Spaniards, a moment will come when he will revolt against
being thus bearded in his capital; and he has but to wave his hand
for these invaders to be wiped out.
"However, let us talk of other matters, at present. Of course, you
are not thinking of returning tonight?"
"I intended to do so, and the canoe in which I came is waiting for
me."
"We cannot think of letting you go," Cacama said, decidedly. "I
will send an official back, with a message from you saying that you
think you can do more, here, than by returning; and that you crave
leave to stay for the present, but that you will come over, in the
morning, and report to him all that you have learned here. You can
leave here soon after daybreak, see your general, and be back again
before the full heat of the day."
As Roger was in no hurry to return, Cuitcatl went out to dispatch
an official with the message to Cortez; or rather to Malinche, as
the message would then be delivered privately to him; whereas if
Cortez were asked for, the man might be brought into his presence
when engaged with some of his officers. Roger did not know whether
the fact of his being away from the palace had been made public,
for Cortez might consider it would cause discontent among some of
his followers, were it known that their last-joined recruit was
permitted to leave the town, whereas no one else was allowed to
stir beyond the limits of their quarters.