The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 29, 1894, Page N\A, Image 1
TH? STJMTSK WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850,
"Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's ?and Truth's."
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jone, 13 66
Consolidated Aag. 2,1881.
SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1894.
New Series-Vol. X1T. No. 5.
Published Every Wednesday,
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COFTR>CMT, ma, ar rn? AUTHOR.
CHAPTER XV.
THE KAMTSG OF THE BRIDES.
' Kow? sante months passed between the
dato of my naming as thc god Tezcat and
the entry of the Spaniards into Mexico,
and dozing all this space the city was in a
ferment. Again and again Montezuma
gent embassies to Cortes, bearing with
them vast treasures of gold and gems as
presents and at the same time praying
him to withdraw, for this' foolish prince
did not understand that by displaying so
'much wealth he flew a lure which must
surely bring the falcon on himself. To
these embassadors Cortes returned courte
bus answers, together with presents of
small value, and that was alL
: Then the advance began, and the .em?
peror learned with dismay of the conquest
of the warlike tribe of the Tlascalans, who,
though they were Montezuma's bitter and
hereditary foes, yet made a stand against
the white man. Next came the tidings
that from enemies the conquered Tlasca
lans ha&jfecmr^li|aiy of
the apac?Kd, and ftat thousands ot their
fiercest warriors were advancing with him
upon thc sacred city of Cholula. Awhile
passed, and it was. inown that Cholula
also had been given to massacre, and that
tile holy, or rather the unholy, gods had
been torn from their shrines. Marvelous
tales were told of the Spaniards, bf theil
'courage and their might of the armor
that they wore, the thunder that theil
weapons made in battle, and the fierce
beasts which they bestrode. Once two
heads of white men taken in a skirmish
were sent to Montezuma-fierce looking
heads, great and hairy, and with them the '
bead of a horse. When Montezuma saw
. these ghastly relics, he almost fainted with
?fear. Still he caused them to be set up on
jprnnaclefl of the great temple and proc?
lamation to be made that this fate await?
ed every invader of the land.
I Meanwhile all was confusion in his pol?
icies. Day by day councils were held of
the nobles, of high priests and of neigh?
boring and friendly kings. Some advised
'one thing, some another, and the end of it
was hesitation and folly. Ah, had Monte?
zuma listened to the voice of that great
man Guatemoc, Anahnac would not have
been a Spanish fief today! For Guatemoc
prayed him again and yet again to put
away his fears and declare open war upon
the Tecles before it was too late-to cease
from making gifts and sending embassies,
to gather his countless armies and smite the
foe in thei mountain passes. But Montezu?
ma would answer; "To what end, nephew?
How can I straggle against these men
when the gods themselves have declared
for them? Surely the gods can take their
own parts if they wish it, and, if they will
not, for myself and my own fate I do not
care, but alas for my people, alas for the
women, and the children, the aged and the
weak!"
Then he would cover his face and moan
and weep like a child, and Guatemoc
would pass from his presence dumb with
fury at the folly of so great a king, but
helpless to remedy it, for, like myself,
Gautemoc believed that Montezuma had
been smitten with a madness sent from
heaven to bring the land to ruin.
The people were distraught with fear of
the future, but not the tess on that ac?
count, or perhaps because of it, they
plunged with fervor into pleasures, alter?
nating them with religious ceremonies.
In those days no feast was neglected, and
no altar lacked .its victim. Like a river
that quickens its Sow as it draws near the
precipice over which it must fall, so the
people of Mexico, foreseeing rain, awoke,
as it were, and lived as they bad never lived
before. Ail day long the cries of victims
came from a hundred temple tops, and all
night the sounds of revelry were heard
among .t?? streets. "Let us eat and
drink," liier said, "for the gods of thc; sea
are upon us, and tomorrow we die. " JS' ow
women who had been held virtuous proved
themselves wantons, and men whose
names were honest showed themselves
knaves, and none cried fie upon them. Aye,
even children were seen drunken in the
streets, which is an abomination among
the Aztecs.
The emperor had moved his household
from Chaped tepee to the palace in the
grew square facing the temple, and this
palace was a town in itself, for every night
mare thangi, OOO human beings slept be?
neath its roof, not to speak of the dwarfs
and. monsters and the hundreds of wild
birds and beasts in cages. Here every day
I f casted ..with whom I would, and when I
was weary of feasting it was my custom to
sally out - into the streets playing on the
lute, for by now I had in some degree mas?
tered that hateful instrument, dressed in
shining apparel and attended by a crowd
of ^nobles and royal pages. Then the nobles
would rush from the houses shouting and
doing me reverence, the children pelted me
with flowers,and thc maidersdanced before
me, kissing my hands anu feet, till at
length I was attended by a mob 1,000
strong. And I also danced and shouted
like any viDagc fool, for I think that a
kind of mad humor, or perhaps it was the
drunkenness of worshir>, entered into me
in those days; also I sought to forget my
griefs; I desired to forget that I was doomed
to tho sacrifice, and that ev?ry day brought
me nearer to the red knife of the priest.
In those days, had it not been for the
tender kindness of Otomie, I think that
my heart would have broken or I should
have slain myself. But. this err** oynA
beauteous lady was ever at hand to choc
me in a thousand ways, and now an
again she would let fall some vague word
of hope that set my pulses bounding,
talked much with Otomie, instructing he
in the matters of my faith and many otb
er things, as I had done by Marina, who
we now heard, was the mistress and intei
preter of Cortes, the Spanish leader. She
for her part, listened gravely, watching
me the while with her tender eyes, but n
more, for of all women Otomie was th
most modest, as she was the proudest am
most beautiful So matters went on un
?1 the Spaniards had left Choi ula on thei
road to Mexico. It was then that I chancel
one morning to be sitting in the gardens
my lute in hand, and having my attend
ant nobles and tutors gathered at a re
spectral difame behind me. Fron
where I KA I could see the entrance to th
cour* In which the emperor met his coun
eil daily, and I noted that when the prince
had gone the priests began to come, an<
after them a number of very lovely girls
attended by women of middle age. Pres
ently Guatemoc, the prince, who nov
smiled but rarely, came up to me smiling
and asked me if I knew what was doini
yonder. I replied that I knew nothing
ania cared Monte
zuma was gathering a peculiar treasure tc
send to his masters, the Spaniards. ''Be?
ware how you speak, Teule," answerec
the prince haughtily. 44 Your words maj
be true, and yet, did I not love you, yon
should ne them even though you hold thc
spirit of Tezcat. Alas, " he added, stamp?
ing on the ground, ''alas, that my uncle's
madness should make it possible that such
words can be spoken! Oh, were I the em?
peror of Anahuac, in. a single week tnt
head of every Teole in Coolala should
deck a pinnacle of yonder temple!''
4'Beware how you speak, prince, " I an?
swered, mocking bim, "for there arc those
who, did they hear, might cause you to rue
your words. Still one day yon may be
emperor, and then we shall see how you
will deal with the Teales-at least .ethers
will see, though I shall not - But what is
it now? Does Montezuma choose new
wives?" " " :'V
"He chooses wives, but not for himself.
You know, Teole, that your time grows
short. Montezuma and thc priests name
those who must be given to you to wife."
44Given me*to wif?T' I said, startingt?
mir feet. 44To me whose bride is. death!
What have I tojdo with love br marriage
I tefco income few short weeks must grace
an altar? "?h, Guatemoc, you say you love
me, and once I ssved you. Did you love
me, surely you would save me now as you
swore todo."
44I swore that I would give my life for
yours, Teule, if it lay in my power, and
j that oath I would keep, for all do not set
so high a store on life as you, my friend
I Bat I cannot help you. You are dedicated
! to the gods, and didi die a hundred times
j it would not save you from your fate,
j Nothing can save you except the hand of
; heaven if it wills. Therefore^ Teule, make
merry while you may and die bravely
when you must. Your case is no worse
than minc and that of many others, for
death awaits ns all Farewell."
When he had gone, I rose, and leaving
the gardens I passed into tho chamber
where it was my custom to give audience
to those who wished to look upon tho god
Tezcat, as they called me. Here I sat upon
my golden couch, inhaling the fumes of
tobacco, and as it chanced I was alone, for
none dared to enter that room unless I
gave them leave. Presently the chief of
my pages announced that one would speak
with me, and I bent my head, signifying
that the person should enter, for I was:
weary of my thoughts. The page with?
drew, and presently a veiled woman stood
before me. I looked at her wondering
and bade her draw her veil and speak.
She obeyed, and I saw that my visitor was
the Princess Otomie. Nowl rose amazed,
for it as not usual that she should visit me
thus alone. I guessed, therefore, that she
bad tidings or was following some custom
of which I was ignorant.
i4I pray you be seated," she said con?
fusedly. ''It is not Atting that you should
stand before me. ' ' * 'Why not, princess? ' '
j I answered. "If I had no respect for rank,
sorely beauty most claim it." ''A truce
to words," she replied, with a wave of her
slim hand. ''I come here, O Tezcat, ac?
cording to the ancient custom, because I
am charged with a message to you. Those
whom you shall wed aro chosen. I am
the bearer of their names." ''Speak on,
princess of the Otomie." "They are"
and she named three ladies whom I knew
to be among.the loveliest, in the land. "I
thought that there were four," I said,
with a bitter laugh. 44Am I to be de?
frauded of the foorth?" "There is a
fourth," she answered and was silent.
"Give me her name," I cried. l4One has
been found, O Tezcat, who has borne oth?
er titles than this you give her." Now
I looked at her questioningly, and she
spoke again in a low voice. "T, Otomie,
princess of tho Otomie, Alontezuxna's
daughter, am the fourth and the first."
"You!" I said, sinking back upon my
cushions. "You!" "Yes, L Listen. I
was chosen by the priests as the most love?
ly in the land, however unworthily. My
father, thc emperor, was angry and said
I that whatever befell I should never be the
wife of a captive who must die upon the
altar of sacrifice. But thc priests answer?
ed that this was no time for him to claim
exception for his blood, now when the gods
were wroth. Was the first lady in the
land to bc withheld from the god? they
asked. Then my father sighed and said
that it should bc as I willed. And I said
with the priests that now, in our sore dis?
tress, thc proud must humble themselves
to the dust, even to thc marrying of a cap?
tive slave who is named a god and doomed
to sacrifice.
''So I, princess of the Otomie, have con?
sented to become your wife, O Tezcat,
though perchance had I known all that I
read in your eyes this hour I should not
have consented. It may happen that in
this shame I hoped to find love if only for
one short hour, and that I purposed to
vary the custom of our people and to com?
plete my marriage by tho side of the victim
on tho altar, as, if I will, I have thc riprht
to do. But I see well that I am not wel?
come, and though it is too late to go back
upon my word have no fear. There an;
others, and 1 shall not trouble you. I
have given my message. Is it your pleas?
ure that I should go? Thc solemn cere?
mony of wedlock will bc on the twelfth
day from now, O Tezcat."
Now I rose from my scat and took her j
hand, saying:
"I thank you, Otomie for your noble- i
ness of mind. Had it not been for thc !
comfort and friendship which you and j
Guatemoc, your cousin, have given me I
think that ero now I should be dead So J
you desire to comfort mc to the last It
seems that you even purposed to die with
ma How am I to interpret this, Otomie?
In our land a woman would need to love
a man after no common fashion before she
consented to share such a bed as awaits
me on yonder pyramid. And yet I may
scarcely think that you, whom kings have
sued for, can place your heart so low.
How am I to read the writing of your
words, princess of the Otomie?"
"Bead it with your heart," she whis?
pered low, and I felt her hand tremble in
my own.
I looked at her beauty. It was great. I
thought of her devotion, a devotion that
did not shrink from the most horrible of
deaths, and a wind of feeling which was
akin to love swept through my soul But
even as I looked and thought I remember?
ed the English garden and the English
maid from whom I had parted beneath
the beech at Ditchingham and the words
that we had spoken then. Doubtless she
still lived and was true to me. While I
lived should I not keep true at heart to
her? If I must wed these Indian girls, I
must wed them, but if once I told Otomie
I loved her then I broke my troth, and
with nothing less would she bc satisfied.
And yet, though I was deeply moved and
the temptation was great, I had not come
to this. "Be seated, Otomie, " I said, "and
listen to me. You see this golden token?"
And I drew Lily's posy ring from my hand.
"And you see the writing within it" She
bent her head, but did not speak, and I saw
that there was fear in her eyes.
"I will read you the words, Otomie,"
And I translated into the Aztec tongue
the quaint couplet:
Heart to heart.
Though far apart.
Then at last she spoke, "What does the
writing mean?" she said. "I can only
read in pictures, Teule. "
"It means, Otomie, that in the far land
whence I come there is a woman who loves
me and who is my love."
"Is she your wife then?"
"She is not my wife, Otomie, but she
is vowed to mc in marriage."
"She is vowed to you in marriage," she
answered bitterly. "Why, then, we are
equal, for so am L Teule. But there is
this difference between us-you love her,
and me you do not love. That is what
you would make clear tome. Spare me
more words. I understand it alL Still it
seems to me that if I have lost she is also
in the path of loss. Great seas roll be?
tween you and this love of yours, Teule
seas of water, and the altar of sacrifice,
and tho nothingness of death. Kow let
me ga Tour wife I must be, for there is
no escape, but I shall not trouble you over
**is she your wife then?*
much, and it will soon be done with.
Then you may seek your desire in tho
houses of tho stars whither you must wan?
der, and it is my prayer that you shall
win it
"AU these months I have been planning
to find hopo for you, and I thought that
I had found it But it was built upon
a false belief, and it is ended. Had you
been able to say from your heart that you
loved me it might have been well for both
of us. Should you be able to say it before
the end it may still be well. But I do not
ask you to say it and beware how you tell
me a lie. I leave you, Teule, but before I
go I will say that I honor you more in this
hour than I have honored you before, be?
cause you have dared to speak thc truth to
me, Montezuma's daughter, when a lie
had been so easy and so safe. That woman
beyond the seas should be grateful to you,
but though I bear her no ill will between
me and her there is a struggle to the death.
Wc are strangers to each other, and stran?
gers wc shall remain, but she has touched
your hand as I touch it now. You link
us together and are our bond of enmity.
Farewell, my husband that is to be."
Then, rising, Otomie cast her veil about
her face and. passed slowly from the cham?
ber, leaving mp much disturbed. It was
a bold deed to have rejected the proffered
love of this queen among women, and
now that I had done so I was not altogeth?
er glad. Would Lily, I wondered, havo
offered to descend from such state to cast
off the purple of her royal rank that she
might lie at my side on ?ie red stone of
sacrifice? Perhaps not, for this fierce fidel?
ity is only to bc found in women of anoth?
er breed. These daughters of the sun love
wholly when they love at all, and as they
love they hate. They ask no priest to con?
secrate their vows, nor if these become
hateful will they be bound by them fat?
ality's sake. Their own desire is their
law, but while it rules them they follow
it unflinchingly, and if need be they seek
its consummation in the gates of death,
or, failing that, forgetfulness.
CHAPTER XVI.
TIIE FOUR GODDESSES.
Some weary time went by, and at last
came tho day of the entry into Mexico of
Cortes and his conquerors. Xow, of ail
the doings of the Spaniards after they oc?
cupied thc city I do not propose to speak
at length, for these are matters of history,
and I have my own story to telL So 1
shall only write of those of them with
which I was concerned myself. I did not
seo thc meeting between Montezuma and
Cortes, though I saw the emperor set out
to it clad like Solomon in his glory and
surrounded by his nobles. But 1 am sure
of this-that no slave led to the sacrifice
carried a heavier heart in his breast that
that of Montezuma on this unlucky day,
for now his folly had ruined him, and I
think he knew that ho was going to his
doom.
Afterward, toward evening, I saw the
emperor come back in his golden litter and
pass over to the palace built by Axa, Iiis
father, that stood opposite to and some 500
paces from Iiis own, facing the western
gate of the temple Presently I heard thc
sound of a multitude shouting, and amid
lt the tramp of horses and armed soldiers,
and from a seat in my chamber I saw thc
Spaniards advance down the great street,
and my heart beat at the sight of Chris?
tian men. In front, clad in rich armor.
redo their leader, Cortes, a man of middle
size, but noble bearing, with thoughtful
eyes that noted everything, and after him
some, few on horseback, but thc most of
them on foot, marching his little army of
conquerors, stuing about them with bold,
wondering eyes and jesting to each other
in Castilian. They wore but a handful,
bronzed by the sun and scarred by battle,
some of them ill armed and almost in rags,
and looking on them I could not but mar?
vel at the indomitable courage that had
enabled them to pierce their way through
hostile thousands, sickness and war, even
to the home of Montezuma's power.
By the side of Cortes, holding his stir?
rup in her hand, walked a beautiful In?
dian woman dressed in white robes and
m
By the side of Cortes walked a beautiful
Indian woman?
crowned with flowers. As she passed the
palace she turned her face. I knew her at
once. It was my friend Marina, who had
now attained the greatness which she de?
sired, and who, notwithstanding all the
evil that she had brought upon her coun?
try, looked most happy in it and in her
master's love.
As the Spaniards went by I searched
their faces one by one, with the vague hope
of hate, for, though it might well chance
that death had put us out of each other's
reach, I half thought to see De Garcia
among the number of thc conquerors.
Such a quest as theirs, with its promise of
blood and gold and to his evil heart should
it be in his power to join it, and a strange
instinct told me that he was not dead.
But neither dead nor living was he among
those men who entered Mexico that day.
That night I saw Guatemoc and asked
him how things went
"Well for the kite that roosts in the
dove's nest," he answered, with a bitter
laugh, "but very ill for the dove Monte?
zuma, my uncle, has been cooing yonder,"
and he pointed to the palace of Axa, "and
the captain of the Teules has cooed in an?
swer, but though ho tried to hide it I
could hear the hawk's shriek in his pi?
geon's note. Ere long there will be merry
doings in T en oe ti tl an. "
He was right Within a week Montezu?
ma was treacherously seized by the Span?
iards and kept a prisoner in their quar?
ters, watched day and night by their sol?
diers. Then came event upon event Cer?
tain lords on the coast lands, having kill
ed some Spaniards, were summoned to
Mexico by the instigation of Cortes. They
came and were burned alive in tho court?
yard of thc palace. Nor was this all, for
Montezuma, their monarch, was forced to
witness tho execution with fetters on his
ankles. So low had the emperor of thc
Aztecs fallen that he must bear chains Uko
a common felon. After this insult he
1 swore allegiance to thc King of Spain and
even contrived to capture Cacama, the lord
of Tezcuco, by treachery and to deliver
him into thc hands of the Spaniards on
whom he would have made war. To them
also he gave up all the hoarded gold and
treasure of tho empire to the value of hun?
dreds of thousands of English pounds. AU
this the nation bore, for it was stupefied
and still obeyed the commands of its cap?
tive king. But when he suffered the
Spaniards to worship thc true God in one
of the sanctuaries of tho great temple a
murmur of discontent and sullen fury rose
among the thousands of thc Aztecs. It
filled thc air, it could be heard wherever
men were gathered, and ?ts sound was like
that of a distant angry sea. The hour of
the breaking of the tempest was at hand.
Now, all this while my life went on as
before, save that I was not aUowd to go
outside the walls of thc palace, for it was
feared lest I should find some means of
intercourse with thc Spaniards, who did
not know that a man of white blood was
confined there and doomed to sacrifice;
also in these days I saw little of thc prin?
cess Otomie, the chief of my destined
brides, who since our strange love scene j
had5 avoided me, and when we met at
feasts or in thc gardens spoke to mc only j
on indifferent matters or of tho affairs of j
state. At length came the day of my mar- i
riage. It was, I remember, thc night be?
fore the massacre of the 600 Aztec nobles
on thc occasion of the festival of HuitzcL
On this my wedding day I was treated
with great circumstance and worshiped
like a god by the highest in the city, who
came in to do mc reverence and burned in?
cense before me till I was weary of the
smell of it, for though such sorrow was on
thc land thc priests would abate no jot of
their ceremonies dr cruelties, and great
hopes were held that I, being of thc race of
Teulas, my sacrifice would avert the anger
of thc gods. At sunset I was entertained
with a splendid feast that lasted two hours
or more, and at its end all thc company
rose and shouted as with one voice:
"Glory to thee, O Tezcat! Happy art
thou here on earth, happy mayst thou be
in the houses of thc sun. When thou com?
est hither, remember that wc dealt well by
thee, giving theo of our best and intercede
for us that our sins may be forgiven. Glo?
ry to thee, O Tezcat!"
Then two of thc chief nobles came for?
ward, and taking torches lcd mc to a mag?
nificent chamber that I had never seen be?
fore. Hero they changed my apparel, in?
vesting mo in robes which were still moro
splendid than any that I had worn hither?
to, being made of the finest embroidered
cotton and of thc glittering feathers of the
humming bird. On my head they set
wreaths of flowers, and about my neck
and wrists emeralds of vast size and value,
and a sorry popinjay I looked in this attire,
that seemed moro suited to a woman's
beauty than to me.
When I was arrayed, suddenly thc torch?
es were extinguished, and for awhile there
was silence. Then in the distance I heard
women's voices singing a bridal song that
was beautiful enough after its fashion,
though I forbear to write it down. The
singing ceased, and there carno a sound of
rustling robes and of low whispering.
Then a'man's voice spoke, saying:
"Are ye there, ye chosen of heaven?"
And a woman's voice-I thought it was
that of Otomie-answered:
"We are hero."
"O maidens of Anahuac, " said the man,
speaking from the darkness, "and you, O
Tezcat, god among the gods, listen to my
words. Maidens, a great honor has been
done to you, for by the very choice of
heaven you have been endowed with the
names, the loveliness and the virtues of
the four great goddesses and chosen to
abide awhile at the side of this god, your
maker and your master, who has been
pleased to visit tis for a space before he
seeks his home in the habitations of the
sun. See that you show yourselves wor?
thy'of this honor. Comfort him and cher?
ish him, that he may forget his glory in
your kindness, and when he returns tonis
own place may take with him grateful
memories and a good report of your peo?
ple. You have but a little while to live
at his side in this life, for already, like
those of a caged bird, the wings of his
spirit beat against the bars of the flesh,
and soon he will shake himself free from
us and you. Yet if you will it is allowed
to one of you to accompany him to his
home, sharing his flight to the houses of
the sun. But to all of you, whether you
go also or whether you stay to mourn him
dining your life days, I say love and cher?
ish him, be tender and gentle toward him,
for otherwise ruin shall overtake you here
and hereafter, and you and all of us will
be ill spoken of in heaven. And you, O
Tezcat, we pray of you to accept these
maidens, who bear the names and wear
the charms of your celestial consorts,
for there are none more beautiful or better
born in the realms of Anahuac, and among
them is numbered the daughter of our
king. They are not perfect indeed, for
perfection is known to you in the heaven?
ly kingdoms only, since these ladies are
but shadows and symbols of the divine
goddesses, your true wives, and here there
are no perfect women. Alas, we have none
better to offer you, and it is our hope that
when it pleases you to pass hence you will
think kindly of the women of this land
and from on high bless them with your
blessing, because your memory of these
who were called your wives on earth is
pleasant."
The voice paused, then spoke again:
"Women, in your own divine names of
Xochi, Xilo, A tia and Clixto, and in the
name of all the gods, I wed you to Tezcat,
the creator, to sojourn with him during
his stay on earth. The god incarnate takes
you in marriage whom he himself created,
that the symbol may bc perfect and the
mystery fulfilled. Yet, lest your joy should
be too full, look now on that which shall
be."
As the voice spoke these wojrds many
torches sprang into flame at the far end
of the great chamber, revealing a dreadful
sight, for there, stretched upon a stone of
sacrifice, was the body of aman, but wheth?
er the man lived or was modeled in wax
I do not know to this hour, though un?
less he was painted I think that he must
have been fashioned in wax, since his skin
shone white like mine. At the least, his
limbs and head were held by Ave priests,
and a sixth stood over him clasping a
knife of obsidian in his two hands. It
flashed on high, and as it gleamed the
torches were extinguished. Then came
tho dull echo of a blow and a sound of
groans, and all was still till once more thc
brides broke out into their marriage song
-a strange chant, and a wild and sweet,
though after what I had seen and heard it
had little power to move ma
They sang on in tho darkness ever more
loudly till presently a single torch was lit
at the end of the chamber, then another
and another, though I could not see who
lit them, and the room was a flare of light.
Now the altar, the victim and the priests
were all gone. There was no one left in
the place except myself and my four
brides. They were tall and lovely wom?
en, all of them clad in white bridal robes
starred over with gems and flowers and
wearing on theil brows the emblems of
thc four goddesses, but Otomie was thc
stateliest and most beautiful of thc four
and seemed in truth a goddess. One by
one they drew near to me, smiling and
sighing, and kneeling before me kissed !
my hand, saying:
"I have been chosen to be your wife for
a space, Tezcat, happy maid that I am. j
I May thc gods grant that I become pleasing j
to your sight, so that you may love me as :
I worship you.
Then she who had spoken would draw !
back again out of earshot, and the next j
would take her place.
Last of all came Otomie. She knelt and j
said the words, then added in a low voice:
"Having spoken to you as the bride and
goddess to the husband and the god Tez- !
cat, now, O Teule, I speak as the woman I
to the man. You do not love mc, Teule; j
therefore, if ic is your will, let us be di- I
vorced of our own act who were wed by i
thc command of others, for so I shall be i
spared some shame. These are friends to
me and will not betray us. " And she nod-' ?
ded toward her companion brides.
"As you will, Otomie," I answered j
briefly.
"I thank you for your kindness, Teule, " j
she said, smiling sadly, and withdrew, j
making obeisance, looking so stately and
so sweet as she went that again my heart I
was shaken as though with love. Now, j
from that night till the dreadful hour of j
sacrifice no kiss or tender word passed be- ;
tween me and the princess of the Otomie. j
And yet our friendship and affection grew j
daily, for we talked much together, and I i
sought to turn her heart to the true king !
of heaven. But this was not easy, for,
like her fathe- Montezuma, Otomie clung '
to the gods of her people, though she hat- j
ed the priests, and, save where the victims j
were the foes of her country, shrank from ?
the rites of human sacrifice, which she said !
were instituted by thc pabas, since in
the early days there were no men offer- j :
ed on the altars of the gods, but flowers j :
only. Baily it grew and ripened till, al- ! '
though I scarcely knew it, at length in ! :
my heart, after Lily, I loved her l>etter '
than any ono on earth. As for the other j
women,.though they were gentle and beau- :
Highest of all in Leavening Pow
Ro>l
AB&OLUT
tiful, I'soon learned to hate them. Still I
feasted and reveled with them, partly since
I must, or bring them to a miserable death
because they failed to please me, and part?
ly that I might drown my terrors in drink
and pleasure, for let it be remembered that
the days left me on earth were few, and
the awful end drew near.
The day following the celebration of my
marriage was that of the shameless mas?
sacre of 600 of the Aztec nobles by the or?
der of the hidalgo Alvarado, whom Cortes
had left in command of the Spaniards,
for at this time Cortes was absent on the
coast lands, whither he had gone to make
war on Narvaez, who had been sent to sub?
due him by his enemy, Velasquez, the
governor of Cuba.
On this day was celebrated the feast of
Huitzeh that was held with sacrifice, songs
and dances in the great court of the tem?
ple, that court which was surrounded by
a wall carved over with the writhing
shapes of snakes. It chanced that on this
morning before he went to join in the fes?
tival Guatemoc, the prince, came to see
me on a visit of ceremony.
I asked him if he intended to take part
in the feast, as the splendor of his apparel
brought me to believe.
"Yes," he answered, "but why do you
ask?"
"Because, were I you, Guatemoc, I
would not go. Say, now, will the dancers
be armed?"
"No, it i3 not usual."
"They will be unarmed, Guatemoc, and
they are the flower of the land. Unarmed
they will dance in yonder inclosed space,
and the Teules will watch them armed.
Now, how would it be if these chanced to
pick a quarrel with the nobles?"
"I do not know why you should speak
thus,- Teule, for surely these white men
are not cowardly murderers. Still I take
your words as an omen, and though the
feast must be held, for see, already the
nobles gather, I will not share in it."
"You are wise, Guatemoc," I said "I
am sure that you are wise."
Afterward Otomie, Guatemoc and I
went into the garden of the palace and sat
upon the crest of a small pyramid, a teo
calli in miniature that Montezuma had
built for a place of outlook on the market
and the court? of the temple. From this
spot we saw the dancing of the Aztec no?
bles and heard the song of the musicians.
It was a gay sight, for in the bright sun?
light their feather dresses flashed like coats
of gems, and none would have guessed
how it was to end. Mingling with the
dancers were groups of Spaniards clad in
mail and armed with swords and match?
locks, but I noted that as the time went
on these men separated from the Indians
and began to cluster like bees about the
gates and at various points under the shad?
ow of the wall of serpents.
"Now, what may this mean?" I said to
Guatemoc, and as I spoke I saw a Span?
iard wave a white cloth in the air. Then
in an instant, before thc cloth had ceased
to flutter, a smoke arose from every side,
and with it came the sound of thc firing
of matchlocks. Everywhere among the
dancers men fell dead or wounded, but the
mass of them, unharmed as yet, huddled
themselves together like frightened sheep
and stood silent and terror stricken. Then
thc Spaniards, shouting thc name of their
patron saint, as it is their custom to do
when they have some such wickedness in
hand, drew their swords, and rushing on
the unarmed Aztec nobles began to kill
them. Now some shrieked and fled, and
some stood still till they were cut down;
but, whether they staid cr ran, the end
was thc same, for the gates were guarded,
and the walls were too high tc climb.
There they were slaughtered, every man
of them, and may God, who sccs it all,
reward their murderers. It was soon over*
Within 10 minutes of thc waving of the
cloth those 600 men were stretched upon
the pavement dead or dying, and with,
shouts of victory thc Spaniards were dc
spoiling their corpses of thc rich orna?
ments they had worn. <
Then I turned to Guatemoc and said,.
"It seems that you did well not to join in
yonder revel."
But Guatemoc made no answer. He
stared at the dead and those who had mur?
dered them and said nothing. Only Oto?
mie spoke "You Christians arc a gentle
people," she said, with a bitter laugh. "It,
is thus that you repay cur hospitality
Now, I trust that Montezuma, my fathdr,"
is pleased with his guests. Ah. were I he,
every man of them should lie cn the stone
of sacrifice! If our gods are devils, as you
say, what arc those who worship yours?" .
Then at length Guatemoc said: "Only
one thing remains tous, and that is venge?
ance. Montezuma has become a wom?
an, and I heed him no more. Nay. if it
were needful, I would kill him with mr
own hand. But two men are still left in
the land-Cuitlahua, my uncle, and my?
self. Now I goto summon our armies. "
And ho went.
All that night the city murmured like a
swarm of wasps, and next day at dawn,
so far as thc eye could reach, thc streets
and market place were lilied with tens of
thousands of armed warriors. They threw
themselves like a wave upon the walls of
thc palace of Axa, and like a wave from
a rock they were driven back again by the
fire of thc guns. Thrice they attacked, and
thrice they were repulsed. Then Monte?
zuma, thc woman king, appeared upon
the walls, praying them to desist, because,
forsooth, did they succeed, he himself
might perish. Even then they obeyed him,
so great was their reverence for his sacred
royalty, and for awhile attacked the Span?
iards no more. But further than this they
would not go. If Montezuma forbade them
to kill the Spaniards, at least they deter?
mined to starve them out, and from that
hour a strait blockade was kept up against
the palace. Hundreds of the Aztec soldiers
had been slain already, but the loss was
not all upon their side, for some of the
Spaniards and many of thc Tlascalans had
fallen into their hands. As for these un?
lucky prisoners, their end was swift, for
they were taken at once to thc temples of
the great teocalli and sacrificed there to
thc gods in the sight of t heir comrades.
Now it was that Cortes returned with
many more men, for he had conquered
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