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-The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Prince of Anahuac, by James A. Porter
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
-almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
-
-
-Title: A Prince of Anahuac
-       A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec Empire
-
-Author: James A. Porter
-
-Release Date: December 24, 2012 [EBook #41698]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A PRINCE OF ANAHUAC ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by Peter Vachuska, Chuck Greif, additional
-illustrations from The Internet Archive (TIA) and the
-Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
-
-
-
-
-
-
-[Illustration: LAKE TEZCUCO, 1400 +]
-
-
-A PRINCE OF ANAHUAC
-
-A HISTORI-TRADITIONAL STORY
-ANTEDATING THE AZTEC EMPIRE
-
-
-BY
-
-JAMES A. PORTER
-
-
-GALION, OHIO
-THE CRAWFORD COMPANY
-PUBLISHERS
-
-CINCINNATI
-Press of C. T. Krebbiel
-248-250 WALNUT STREET
-
-Copyright, 1894, by James A. Porter.
-All Rights Reserved.
-
-
-
-
-Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected
-without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have
-been retained as printed. The Table of Contents was not present in
-the original text and has been produced for the reader's convenience.
-Text printed in italics is noted with underscores (_italics_).
-Diacritical marks that cannot be represented in plain text are shown
-in the following manner where "x" stands in for the letter: [=x]
-letter with macron above.
-
-
-
-
-CONTENTS
-
-        PREFACE
-
-        INTRODUCTION
-
-              CHAPTER
-
-            I          XXI
-           II         XXII
-          III        XXIII
-           IV         XXIV
-            V          XXV
-           VI         XXVI
-          VII        XXVII
-         VIII       XXVIII
-           IX         XXIX
-            X          XXX
-           XI         XXXI
-          XII        XXXII
-         XIII       XXXIII
-          XIV        XXXIV
-           XV         XXXV
-          XVI        XXXVI
-         XVII       XXXVII
-        XVIII      XXXVIII
-          XIX        XXXIX
-           XX           XL
-
-
-
-
-PREFACE.
-
-
-In placing this volume before the public we would ask the critical
-reader to regard with leniency its imperfections, in view of the fact
-that an exigency, arising through serious misfortune to the writer,
-made the issue a necessity.
-
-The narrative is based upon the Tezcucan historian, Ixtlilxochitl's,
-brief account of the overthrow of his ancestral government by
-Tezozomoc, the Tepanec king, in 1418; and its restoration, under
-Prince Nezahualcoyotl, eight or ten years later.
-
-The wonderful experience of Nezahualcoyotl--Hungry Fox--(abbreviated,
-for convenience, to 'Hualcoyotl) is made the nucleus around which the
-story is woven. So far as possible, the incidents related of him, his
-condemnation to death by Maxtla, the son and successor of Tezozomoc,
-his remarkable escapes therefrom, and other personal trials, have been
-given in accordance with the historian's account. The descriptive
-portions, including what relates to the country and manners of the
-people, are based upon conclusions drawn from reading a traditional
-history, and, therefore, to some extent, hypothetical; yet are, no
-doubt, quite as correct as a great deal of what has been written and
-put out as authentic.
-
-The narrative is a representation of the writer's conception as to how
-the triumph of Tezcuco over her oppressors might have been brought
-about, together with such incidental situations and characterization as
-appear best suited to make it attractive. Whether or not success has
-been attained in the work, the public must decide.
-
-The characters introduced, with the exception of Hualcoyotl and Maxtla,
-which are historical, are fictitious, created to meet the exigencies of
-the situations.
-
-The pronunciation of names will be greatly simplified by the reader
-bearing in mind that x and ch are convertible, the sound of sh being
-substituted, as in Ix, which is pronounced Ish; Teochma--Te-osh-ma;
-Xochitl--Zosh-itl, and Ixtlilchoatl--Ish-thlil-sho-atl. S being an
-unused letter, z is frequently given a soft sound, as in tzin, which is
-pronounced tsin; Euetzin--U-et-sin; Oza--Os-a; Itzalmo--I-tsal-mo, and
-Itlza--I-tel-sa. H is silent, as in Hualcoyotl, which is pronounced
-U-al-co-yotl; Hualla--U-al-la, and maquahuitl--ma-ka-u-itl.
-
-With these brief explanations we conclude our preface, hoping that our
-labor has not been in vain, but that the production of it may furnish
-some instruction and a few hours' pleasurable pastime.
-
-THE AUTHOR.
-
-
-
-
-INTRODUCTION.
-
-
-The great valley of Anahuac--the valley of Mexico--if not now, was once
-a grand and beautiful spot, such as is rarely found upon the face of
-our terraqueous globe. When nearest its natural state, in the time when
-its inhabitants directed their efforts to beautifying and not to
-marring it, it might well have been denominated an Eden. We refer to
-that period in its transition which covered a century or two prior to
-the fall of Montezuma.
-
-The majority of the people of Anahuac were not, strictly speaking,
-Aztecs, but became so by centralization: the Montezumas and their
-immediate predecessors becoming, by the trend of events, masters of the
-situation.
-
-The great Aztec empire had scarcely a half century of existence, and
-was preceded by a condition of things in which tribal distinction
-prevailed, the Aztec being only one of many tribes, and not greatly
-superior, if superior at all, to some of its neighbors. In fact, the
-Aztecs, prior to the overthrow of the Tepanec empire, unquestionably
-occupied a position of inferiority. From this time on, however, their
-power and influence may be said to have rapidly increased, until their
-supremacy was assured in the formation of an empire with their ruling
-prince at its head.
-
-That the reader, who is not informed with respect to the Anahuacans and
-the conditions which prevailed among them, may be better prepared for
-an intelligent perusal of our story, the following brief account of
-them is presented.
-
-They were a remarkable people, in many respects; and, when the lack of
-opportunities which hindered, and the peculiar conditions which
-influenced them, are taken into account, were wonderfully intelligent
-and well advanced in civilization. Although of the Indian race, they
-had nothing in common with their red brethren of the north in their
-habits and manners.
-
-Their religion was based on an incongruous and exaggerated mythology,
-which, through the influence of superstition and the machinations of a
-perniciously insinuating priesthood, resulted in idol worship and the
-terribly vitiating practice of human sacrifice. They believed in a
-supreme being, whom they supplicated, but in an indirect way. They were
-unable to conceive of a personal unity so comprehensive in attributes
-of perfection as is the Great Creator and Savior of man, and,
-therefore, supplicated through inferior ministers--presiding deities,
-represented in great images set up in their teocallis--temples.
-
-They had a system of education, which embraced a traditional history,
-astronomy, mechanics, arithmetic, and a means of communicating ideas by
-written signs, designated hieroglyphical painting, which was imparted
-to the youth through the medium of a public school, under the
-management of the priesthood.
-
-Their domestic habits, and the rules regulating intercourse between the
-sexes, were most advantageous for the women. They, unlike their red
-sisters of the north, and, we might add, some of the whiter ones of
-Europe, were required to do no labor that was counted the man's, but
-were left strictly to the performance of their domestic duties. They
-were treated with the greatest consideration, especially by their
-husbands; and, when sought after in marriage, were courted in a manner
-truly chivalrous.
-
-Of their young women we quote from a well-known and authentic writer:
-"The Aztec maiden was treated by her parents with a tenderness from
-which all reserve was banished.... They conjured her to preserve
-simplicity in her manners and conversation, uniform neatness in her
-attire, with strict attention to personal cleanliness. They inculcated
-modesty as the great ornament of a woman, and implicit reverence for
-her husband a duty."
-
-When circumstances would allow of it the women beguiled the time in the
-lighter work of adornment; or, not infrequently, passed it in quiet
-indolence. It is said of them that they were quite pretty, not at all
-like what may be seen to-day in their miserable descendants. Their long
-and profuse black hair was usually confined by a web of some kind, or
-adorned with wreaths of flowers, or strings of glittering beads, formed
-from the precious metals and the richer gems of stone and pearl. A
-scarf was sometimes worn upon the head, the fashion or design of which
-we will not attempt to describe. There is scarcely anything said by
-writers of their dress. We may infer, however, that it was worn with a
-view to convenience, neatness, and show. The prevailing skirt, we dare
-say, was of a length which did not hamper the movement, but was,
-nevertheless, a work of art, as were the jackets and leggings which
-were worn by the higher classes, in which elaboration and richness of
-decoration were often indulged to a degree approaching gorgeousness.
-
-The sexes shared alike in occasions of festivity. They indulged in
-banqueting and other social gatherings, which were conducted with
-elegance and a remarkable degree of refinement. We quote briefly on
-this point: "The halls were scented with perfumes and the courts
-strewed with odoriferous flowers, which were distributed in profusion
-among the guests as they arrived. Cotton napkins and ewers of water
-were placed before them as they took their seats at the board; for
-the venerable ceremony of ablution before and after eating was
-punctiliously observed." Here is evidence of an elevated social
-condition, and certainly would indicate the obtaining of a high regard
-for forms in which love of the beautiful is shown and a commendable
-decency inculcated.
-
-They smoked tobacco and indulged in intoxicants--marks of civilization,
-but to become drunken was a disgrace, which was punishable in the
-young.
-
-The governments were in some instances republican in the manner of
-operating them, though subject to the rule of a prince whose position
-and rights were inherited, and who was surrounded by a class of persons
-dignified as nobles. However, the disposition of the king had much to
-do with restricting or extending the privileges of his subjects, which
-occasionally resulted in despotism, as in the case of the Tepanecs.
-
-The people were encouraged to become producers, especially in the
-matter of agriculture. This branch of industry was closely studied,
-and, considering the disadvantages labored under by the farmer in the
-absence of draft animals, was very successfully conducted. They
-appeared to understand the management of the ground, the dryness of
-which was relieved by irrigation.
-
-The principal products of the farm were maize, cacao (chocolate), and a
-variety of garden vegetables--the food supply--while cotton and maguey
-furnished the material from which various kinds of cloth and paper were
-produced, and we are told the land teemed with an abundance thereof.
-
-Slavery existed in various phases, the conditions being fixed according
-to the circumstances governing the case. Much of the labor was, of
-course, done by this class of persons.
-
-The forests were carefully preserved and heavy penalties imposed to
-prevent their destruction.
-
-The men were not permitted to pass their time in idleness, but were
-furnished employment by the government in the promotion of public
-improvements, such as the building of great aqueducts and highways, and
-expansive public edifices, palaces and temples, an example of public
-economy worthy of imitation by the more enlightened people of the
-world.
-
-Polygamy was practiced according to the means and inclination of the
-individual. It was mostly confined to the nobility, however.
-
-With all their severity the laws protected a man completely in his
-personal rights, not only as a proprietor and master, but as a slave.
-
-The marriage relation was regarded with the greatest reverence and
-adhered to with fidelity.
-
-The sovereign was especially protected in his marital affairs, death
-being visited upon the man who in the least degree usurped his place in
-the affections of a wife or one chosen to be a wife, and the woman
-concerned, we infer, was not held guiltless, but on the other hand was
-counted _particeps criminis_.
-
-With these few references and the information with which the narrative
-abounds, the reader, we feel, will be enabled to proceed intelligently
-and with satisfaction in its perusal.
-
-
-
-
-A PRINCE OF ANAHUAC.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I.
-
-
-In a private and secluded apartment of his ancestral palace sat
-Huälc[=o]y[=o]tl,[1] the then reduced prince of Tezcuco, deeply
-engrossed in the mysteries of some hieroglyphical manuscript lying on a
-table before him. While thus engaged, his personal servant, Oz[=a],
-appeared at the door of his apartment, and paused in an attitude of
-waiting. The prince, happening to look up, saw him, and said:
-
-          [1] See Preface with reference to pronunciation of names.
-
-"What is your errand, Oza?"
-
-"If it will please my master, Itzalmo would have speech with him,"
-replied he.
-
-"Bid Itzalmo come; and, Oza, stand without; I may want you."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-In the early part of the fifteenth century, and about one hundred years
-prior to the conquest of Mexico by Cortes, the Anahuac was just
-entering on its "Golden Era." It bloomed then, as it never has since,
-with an almost endless variety of tropical vegetation, and under the
-skillful hand of its inhabitants was made to appear like a vast park
-or garden. Its cities were marvelous in the peculiarity of their
-construction. On its lakes were beautiful floating gardens; emparked
-villas--charming landscapes within a landscape--dotted it over, and
-groves of magnificent forest trees--the oak, cypress, and other
-timbers, which raised their imposing heights toward heaven--stood
-sentinel, as it were, over the beautiful vales and lakes below.
-
-Of the many tribes of people then occupying the Anahuac, the Tezcucans,
-Tepanecs, Mexicans (Aztecs), and Tlacopans were among the larger and
-most prominent. Our narrative has to do with all these, but more
-particularly with the first named, who were the descendants of the
-Acolhuans, whose advent to the Anahuac took place near the close of the
-twelfth century, and nearly simultaneously with that of the Mexicans
-and Chichimecs--the latter, possibly, the race from which sprang the
-Tepanecs and others of the more savage tribes.
-
-The Acolhuans were a mild and peaceably disposed people, and
-intelligently superior. Their descendants, the Tezcucans, so called
-from the name of their chief city, inherited their admirable
-characteristics, and sustained their superiority for intelligence.
-
-The laws which governed the Tezcucans, as a nation, were, comparatively
-speaking, just and equitable, having in them little of an oppressive
-nature, which can not be said of some of the other tribes. A few years
-previous to the time at which our story opens they were a happy and
-prosperous people, and were ruled by a king who had a kind and generous
-disposition, and who always held the welfare of his subjects of first
-importance, for which he was greatly beloved by them. Their seat of
-government was Tezcuco, a populous city at that time, situated on the
-eastern border of Lake Tezcuco, nearly northeast, across the lake, from
-Tenochtitlan--the Mexican capital.
-
-The city of Tezcuco, if not at that time the most royal capital on the
-lake, was perhaps the oldest and largest; and noted especially for its
-intelligence and order. Besides its teachers and scholars it had its
-artisans; the latter hardly less skilled than were those of the proud
-city of Azcapozalco, a rival and the capital of its greatest enemy and
-despoiler. Its buildings were substantial; its palace commodious; its
-temples commensurate with the demands of their votaries, while its
-_tianguez_ (market place) was broad and ample.
-
-About the year 1418 the king of the Tepanecs found cause for declaring
-war on the Tezcucans, and a bitterly contested struggle ensued, which
-terminated in the overthrow of the government and subjugation of the
-people of the latter, and the massacre of their good king, together
-with many of his nobles.
-
-Among those who escaped the death-dealing hand of the victors was the
-king's son, the young prince Hualcoyotl, heir to the Tezcucan crown. He
-was present at the bloody and disastrous ending of the strife; but,
-being concealed among the branches of a sheltering tree, from which
-position he witnessed the cruel murder of his father, he was not
-discovered by the foe. He was captured later, however, and thrown into
-a dungeon in his own city, where, though closely guarded, he remained
-only a short time, his friends effecting his escape by the substitution
-of another person, who willingly gave his life in his young master's
-stead. He fled to the city of Tenochtitlan, where he found refuge with
-friends. After a time he was permitted, through the influence of the
-Mexican king, who was friendly toward his people, to return to Tezcuco
-and his ancestral palace, on condition that he would live a retired and
-secluded life. He was there taken charge of and instructed by an old
-tutor named Itzalmo, who had been his preceptor previous to the
-overthrow of his country and death of his father.
-
-Hualcoyotl was about sixteen years old when he went into retirement. He
-was unusually bright, and gave promise, in his deportment and youthful
-precociousness, of reaching a splendid manhood. Eight years passed by,
-during which period he remained in undisturbed seclusion, acquiring
-knowledge and wisdom under the skillful training of the good Itzalmo,
-and finding, in his hours of leisure, divertisement in the society of a
-few chosen companions. He had not disappointed the expectations of his
-friends, but, at the age of twenty-four, had ripened into a man of
-surpassing physical and intellectual force--a worthy representative of
-a noble line of princes. His adherents recognized in him their future
-king--their hope of deliverance from Tepanec usurpation.
-
-About this time, 1426, the even tenor of the prince's life was
-interrupted by the sudden and unexpected death of the destroyer of
-Tezcucan independence--the old king, Tezozomoc, at Azcapozalco, the
-Tepanec capital.
-
-The government of this nation, and its subjugated provinces, would now
-devolve upon Prince Maxtla, the deceased king's son, who was looked
-upon as a very unscrupulous and dangerous man--more so, if possible,
-than was his father, whose rule had always been despotic and
-tyrannical, especially over his foreign vassals.
-
-But to return to the prince's apartment.
-
-The servant retired with his master's message, and Itzalmo came soon
-after. Advancing before Hualcoyotl, the old vassal dropped on one knee
-in salutation.
-
-"Arise, Itzalmo," said the prince, kindly. "You have requested speech
-with me. Hualcoyotl is pleased to grant any favor you may ask which is
-his to bestow. Of what would you speak?"
-
-"Hualcoyotl, the prince, is very kind. If it please him, his servant
-would speak of the king."
-
-"What of the king, good friend?"
-
-"The king is dead."
-
-"The king dead, you say? How came the news?"
-
-"By special courier but now."
-
-Hualcoyotl's countenance took on a grave and thoughtful expression.
-After a short pause he remarked:
-
-"Maxtla will be king."
-
-"Yes, Maxtla is already king," replied Itzalmo; "crowned by his
-father's hand--an event greatly to be deplored, surely; and well might
-we ask, O Prince, what will be the issue?"
-
-"An inauspicious succession, good friend, to say the least; and one
-full of painful uncertainty," spoke the master; and, after a brief
-silence, he suddenly said; "Itzalmo, thou hast excellent command of thy
-knowledge--thou art wise; I would know what is in thy mind. What
-discernest thou in the old king's death? How will it effect our
-people's condition?"
-
-"Hualcoyotl is the son of a noble father, and, like he was wont to do,
-gives his first thoughts to his people. Be assured, O Prince, that no
-good, but evil only, will come to Tezcuco from Maxtla. He is an
-unscrupulous prince, and hath not the fear of the gods in his heart.
-The oppressor's hand has been very heavy--the weight of it will not
-grow lighter; the shackles which bind us are galling--they will not be
-loosed." The old man's voice grew sadly eloquent. Raising his eyes and
-looking off as if in contemplation of his enthralled and unhappy
-country, he exclaimed: "Tezcuco, O Tezcuco! Thou art indeed distressed;
-and the end is not!"
-
-"Itzalmo, good friend, it is not a cheerful picture you hold up before
-me in this perplexing hour, and I fear greatly that you have not
-overdrawn. What would you advise? For eight years you have been like a
-father to Hualcoyotl--yes, for eight years your hand has pointed out
-the way, and it has been Hualcoyotl's pleasure to walk therein. Speak,
-Itzalmo, good friend; I repeat: what would you advise?"
-
-"It is a troublesome question you would have me answer. Time has not
-been given me in which to consider. At best, we can only wait and
-watch. A few days may enlighten us much in regard to Maxtla's
-disposition and purpose; especially with reference to yourself. Our
-friends at the king's palace will be sleeplessly vigilant; his every
-movement will be closely watched, and, if of a menacing character,
-reported immediately."
-
-"You speak truly, Itzalmo, when you say we can only wait and watch. Our
-hands are indeed helpless. But do not let us anticipate troubles--they
-come fast enough. Have done with that, then, and look at this,"
-returned the prince, calling the old preceptor's attention to the
-manuscript on the table, which proved to be the work of his own hand,
-and of which he desired a critical inspection by Itzalmo.
-
-After a close scrutiny of the manuscript the old tutor said, showing
-his gratification and approval:
-
-"Hualcoyotl has done well. The pupil has become a master, and Itzalmo's
-labors, as his instructor, are about at an end. The builder has not
-builded in vain, and his heart rejoices that it is so."
-
-"Hualcoyotl has been fortunate in the matter of an instructor, if in
-nothing else. Itzalmo has been a faithful teacher, and his reward shall
-be commensurate, the gods befriending us," replied the prince, in
-grateful tones.
-
-"May the gods befriend you, good master, not for my sake, but for your
-own and that of your oppressed people!" prayerfully responded the old
-tutor.
-
-"Your words are overkind, Itzalmo, good friend; and they will be
-remembered with gratitude," returned the prince, feelingly.
-
-Having accomplished the object of his visit to the apartment of
-Hualcoyotl, Itzalmo saluted him and withdrew.
-
-When left to himself the prince became thoughtful for a time, when he
-was suddenly reminded that his servant was without, waiting for orders.
-He struck, lightly, a small, bell-shaped instrument suspended near him,
-and Oza immediately appeared in the doorway.
-
-"Oza," spoke the master, "ask the tzin[2] Euet to favor me with his
-presence."
-
-          [2] A word synonymous with "lord."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Tzin Euet, or Euetzin, was the son of a once prominent Tezcucan noble,
-Euzelmozin, who was a close friend of the late king of Tezcuco, and a
-high official in his court; and who shared, with many others, the fate
-of his royal master on the sanguinary field, where the best blood of a
-nation was shed to satisfy the instinctive cruelty of a barbarian
-tyrant.
-
-When the young prince Hualcoyotl went into retirement it was thought
-necessary that he should have a companion, about his own age, who would
-be to him an attendant and associate, whose duty it would be to
-relieve, by his presence, the monotony of his seclusion.
-
-From the close official relation of the fathers and the intimacy of the
-families grew a warm and lasting friendship between the boys; and, as a
-result, Hualcoyotl's choice of a companion fell upon tzin Euet.
-
-The young tzin was a student; and, under the direction of Itzalmo and
-the favor of the prince, had spent the years in perfecting his
-education.
-
-A genuine affection had gradually come between the young men, and they
-were more like brothers than else.
-
-They were physically unlike; Euetzin being of medium height, yet of no
-inferior mould, with a light cast of complexion; while the prince was
-tall, muscular and dark. In age there was about a year's difference,
-Hualcoyotl being the senior. They were fine specimens of their race.
-
-Oza delivered his master's message to the tzin, who promptly responded.
-The young lord never forgot that his friend was also his prince, and
-always saluted him profoundly when they met, which he did on entering
-his apartment.
-
-"Thanks, noble tzin, for your promptness in coming to my relief. I am
-wearied of my work, and would have exercise. Will you go with me to the
-court?" kindly spoke the prince.
-
-"With gladness, O Prince. You ought to know by now that your slightest
-wish is a law unto your friends, especially to myself, in whom
-obedience to you is the fullness of pleasure, born of affection,"
-answered Euetzin, his countenance beaming with an expression which
-emphasized his words.
-
-"Euetzin, I believe you; for without affection a friendship so true as
-yours could not exist. But come; let us to the court."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The ancestral palace of the Tezcucan princes at this period was not to
-be compared with what it was later, yet was, presumably, an expansive
-structure, if not massive, built on three sides of a court, the court
-terminating at the rear of it in a beautifully arranged garden.
-
-In the front, or main portion, of the palace were the audience hall and
-council chamber; also various other apartments, among them those
-intended for the private use of the king and his numerous household;
-many of which, after the subversion of the government and death of the
-king, fell into disuse by the dispersion of the occupants.
-
-In one of the back wings which extended along the side of the court,
-were the culinary establishment, banqueting hall, and, communicating
-with the latter, saloons, or reception rooms. There were other
-apartments connected with this wing for the accommodation of servants,
-the ordinary vassals of the king, of whom there were a very great
-number in his time, but which were now reduced to the actual
-necessities of the prince and his companions.
-
-In the other wing of the palace was an extensive conservatory, where
-were cultivated the choicest flowers and shrubs to be found in the
-valley, of which there was no lack. The Anahuacans took great delight
-in floral displays, and no home was complete without its flowers.
-
-When the prince and his companion reached the court they found some of
-their attendants playing at ball. This was one of Hualcoyotl's favorite
-means of obtaining exercise and relief from the depressing effects of
-his enforced seclusion, and they immediately joined in the game.
-
-After indulging in the sport to their satisfaction the prince requested
-Euetzin to withdraw with him to the rear of the court, where they found
-a pleasant retreat and protection from the sun's heat in an inviting
-arbor, which was especially arranged for their comfort and enjoyment in
-leisure hours. When they were at ease the prince said:
-
-"Are you aware, tzin Euet, that the king is dead?"
-
-"Yes, Prince. Itzalmo informed me soon after receiving the message."
-
-"Itzalmo is of opinion that the coming of Maxtla to the throne will, if
-anything, add to the distress of our people. I have great regard for
-his sagacity, yet withal, being deeply concerned personally, I would
-have your opinion also, tzin Euet, and have brought you here to obtain
-it. You may be able to throw some light on the matter, and, by so
-doing, change the present aspect of it. Maxtla is king; and, as we have
-reason to believe, a king without scruples, and not to be relied on.
-Were Tezcuco in position to demand the restoration of her rights as a
-nation we would know how to proceed; but she is not, and we are left
-with only one alternative, that of submission. Thus unhappily
-environed, our only recourse is to seek to mollify the king. How to do
-this, friend Euet, is the present and very important question."
-
-Hualcoyotl paused, and looked inquiringly at the tzin.
-
-"Yourself, O Prince, will be the one most affected by the change of
-rulers, and through you the new king must be mollified, if such a thing
-be possible. I fear very much that any overtures in that direction will
-be met by a scornful rejection, especially with reference to your own
-case," was Euetzin's rather discouraging reply.
-
-"On what grounds, tzin Euet, do you rest your fears?"
-
-"On the character of the man who now becomes the wrongful ruler of our
-people. His exceedingly bad record as a young man--a record full of
-meanness, largely made up of diabolism and cruelty, evidence of which
-is not lacking, furnishes sufficient grounds for fear and apprehension.
-I will venture an assertion, O Prince, which may seem overstrong to
-you, yet I feel confident I do not err in my conclusions. It does not
-require a prophet to foretell a thing when the conditions portend it.
-You, O Hualcoyotl, the rightful prince of Tezcuco, and Maxtla, the
-king, can not both continue to live under the same government. Mark me
-well! Sooner or later you will be compelled to fly or suffer death."
-
-It was with a pale, stern face the tzin uttered his concluding words.
-The prince looked at him in amazement, considering the enormity implied
-in the prediction; yet, when he spoke, it was with perfect calmness.
-
-"You undoubtedly believe what you say, my dear tzin; yet I am slow to
-think myself so obnoxious to the king as your words imply."
-
-"You are obnoxious to him, noble prince, to the extent of being feared.
-He is a jealous and suspicious man, in addition to his many other
-faults, and will brook no possible rival to his authority over Tezcuco.
-While Hualcoyotl, the beloved prince of an enslaved people, lives, and
-is, in a measure, at liberty, Maxtla will not rest in security.
-Believe, O noblest of friends, I beg you, that I would not unduly
-excite you in this matter; but being deeply impressed with the thought
-that your life is in jeopardy, I am impelled to raise my voice in
-warning."
-
-After a moment's pause the prince said:
-
-"Tzin Euet, I must know to a certainty if your apprehensions of peril
-to myself are correct. Have you any plan to offer? You seem to have
-given the matter thought. What would you do?" inquired Hualcoyotl,
-showing unusual concern.
-
-"I would go to Azcapozalco, and into the king's presence at once, and
-offer him allegiance. If he contemplates harm to you he will show it.
-He will not dare to molest you openly without cause. Your return may be
-fraught with danger, yet it is worth the hazard to learn his mind,"
-replied the tzin.
-
-"The past has taught me, Euetzin, that your opinions are usually well
-grounded. The character established by Prince Maxtla in the past, as
-you say, is sufficient cause for apprehension. Your words have stirred
-me deeply, and I think I will act upon them; though, before doing so, I
-must have time for thought. Say nothing to anyone of what is in your
-mind respecting this matter, not even to Itzalmo; he would only oppose
-my going before the king," returned the prince; and continuing, he
-said: "I pray your judgment may be in error this once; though, looking
-at it as you do, I fear the worst."
-
-The young men, feeling somewhat dejected, very soon left the arbor and
-returned, each to his own apartment.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II.
-
-
-Lake Tezcuco, the principal one of several situated in the great valley
-of Mexico, four and three quarter centuries ago, when the present
-Mexican capital (then Tenochtitlan) stood a league or more within its
-borders, was quite an inland body of water, covering well on to four
-hundred square miles of surface. Since that time this lake has shrunken
-to a remarkable degree, leaving the great valley city, and the sites of
-others now reduced to insignificance, miles away from it.
-
-At the time to which our narrative refers nearly all the chief cities
-of Anahuac were situated on its shores, among which was the Tepanec
-capital, Azcapozalco, located near the northwest corner of the lake. To
-this city we now have occasion to turn briefly.
-
-Azcapozalco was designated as the royal city, which, if it signified
-anything, meant that in the time of its ascendency it was the most
-magnificent seat of government on the lake, if not on the Anahuac. It
-was a city of walls we are told, and must have boasted of elegant
-structures of stone and sun-dried brick, which suggests the idea of
-towering temples, a grand palace and court, and extensive avenues,
-where swarmed an aggressive and busy population. Its artificers, it is
-said, were superior in skill to those of any other city on the great
-plateau, which meant much, when we consider that among these were to be
-found jewelers who could unify metals so perfectly as to represent
-objects, harmoniously variegated, by alternately intermixing of silver
-and gold.
-
-Of their weavers we may speak equally well.
-
-The ancient Mexicans were the first people to use the cochineal for
-purposes of coloring, which, after the conquest, was introduced into
-Europe by the Spaniards. Their weavers were enabled with it to make the
-products of the loom not only brilliant but beautiful.
-
-The fineness of their fabrics varied in texture as well as in dye, the
-most finished being made of cotton, one of their principal products,
-with which was interwoven the finest animal hair, forming a web fit to
-be worn by a king.
-
-A royal city, we may well believe, was Azcapozalco, when Maxtla, the
-tyrant rival of Prince Hualcoyotl, became the arbiter of its destiny.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Maxtla was seated on his throne, in the audience hall of his palace,
-surrounded by his chiefs and advisers--nobles of his realm, holding
-conference with them regarding the duties of their respective
-positions, and arranging other matters pertaining to his new and
-exalted station.
-
-The king was a man of medium stature, with a well-rounded physique,
-swarthy complexion, and very course features. His eyes were small and
-black, and lighted up with a gleam of cunning and ferocity, which gave
-to his countenance a decidedly disagreeable expression, and one that
-boded no good to those whom he might deem his enemies.
-
-The costume he wore consisted of a loose-fitting tunic and leggings
-made to fit his limbs closely to below the calf; the whole wrought from
-the finest cotton fabrics and ornamented with trimmings of gold. Over
-his shoulders was carelessly worn a rich mantle of featherwork. His
-feet were incased in sandals made from the skin of some wild animal;
-while on his head rested a crown formed of precious metals, and
-ornamented with gems and a _penache_ of richly colored feathers.
-
-His chiefs were similarly dressed, excepting the crown, but in a less
-gaudy manner.
-
-A pause had fallen on the assembly, which was interrupted by the
-entrance of a herald, who announced Prince Hualcoyotl as desiring
-audience with the king. The mention of the prince's name caused no
-little commotion among the king's attendants. A cloud of disapproval
-came over Maxtla's face, and the evil expression upon it was
-intensified. After a moment's hesitation he directed that the prince be
-admitted.
-
-On entering the hall, Hualcoyotl advanced before the king and saluted
-him in the accustomed manner: kneeling on one knee, placing his right
-hand on the ground and then to his forehead. While in this position he
-laid at the scowling Maxtla's feet an offering of flowers, which was
-emblematic of his peaceful intentions. The king gave a momentary glance
-at the prostrate prince, and then, with malice and hatred depicted on
-his countenance, silently and haughtily turned his back upon him. This
-action on the part of Maxtla was highly significant: it was intended as
-a humiliation to the prince, and signified that his offering was
-rejected; also, that no favor might be expected by him from the throne.
-
-Hualcoyotl rose to his feet deeply moved by the conduct of the king;
-and, after a moment's hesitation, quietly walked out of the hall. As he
-left the door he was accosted by one of the king's attendants, who
-begged him to withdraw from the palace and city, and return to his own
-as quickly as possible, for his life was in great danger. He was soon
-on the road to Tezcuco, where he arrived safely, but much perturbed in
-spirit and perplexed in mind.
-
-He went immediately to his private apartment, and summoned Euetzin into
-his presence. In a very short time the tzin appeared, and, after
-saluting him, said:
-
-"I am here in answer to your summons, noble prince, and would know your
-pleasure."
-
-"Be at ease, good friend," returned Hualcoyotl, gravely, motioning the
-tzin to a seat. A brief silence followed, which was broken by the
-prince.
-
-"Euetzin," he began, fixing his passion-lit eyes on his friend, "the
-wisdom and penetration of an older head than might be expected has been
-given to you, as my appearance before the king has proven."
-
-"You have seen the king?" inquiringly interrupted the tzin.
-
-"I have," answered the prince, reflectively, looking beyond. Another
-short pause intervened, and recovering himself he continued, adopting a
-manner of expression peculiar to his race.
-
-"The lion is loosed, and the fire of anger is in his heart; the fox
-must be wary, or his cunning may not save him. Do you interpret in
-these words the nature of my reception by the king?"
-
-"I do, and know that I read him truly."
-
-"You did, most truly. In accordance with your opinion and advice I went
-before the king, and in the presence of his assembled chiefs tendered
-my fealty and peace offering to his majesty with the accustomed
-formalities. My offerings were rejected, and I, the Prince of Tezcuco,
-was spurned by him in the most humiliating manner, and compelled like a
-coward to slink from his presence under the infliction of the
-indignity, without the power to resent it. Euetzin, something must be
-done, and quickly; for Maxtla evidently contemplates harm to myself,
-his supposed rival, and will stop at nothing short of my destruction.
-It must be victory for Tezcuco or death for her prince, as it now
-appears."
-
-Euetzin felt that a reply was expected and said:
-
-"Hualcoyotl, the son of our lamented king, can rely upon his friends in
-any emergency. They are devoted to their country and prince, and only
-await an opportunity to avenge the wrongs which have been laid upon
-them."
-
-"Your words, tzin Euet, are encouraging, for they strengthen an
-impression which I have hopefully entertained: that our people are
-still imbued with patriotism and love for their country, and may be led
-by incitement to do battle for its redemption. If our hope is not a
-vain one, which can only be ascertained by investigation, someone whose
-soul is in our cause must go abroad to inspire, arouse and prepare them
-for revolt. By my peculiar position I am unfortunately placed. I can
-not go to those with whom I would counsel, neither can they come to me;
-for my every movement will henceforth be under strict and secret
-surveillance. On you, therefore, my trusted friend, must fall the work
-which I would, but can not, do--the work of stimulating our people to
-action and organizing them into an army of resistance to the Tepanec
-despot, Maxtla. I need not inquire if you will do it; Euetzin is the
-son of Euzelmozin--that alone bespeaks his compliance."
-
-"My life, O Prince, is at your disposal. You have but to command and I
-will obey."
-
-"Spoken like the true Tezcucan that you are, noble Euet. That
-Hualcoyotl has not many more such loyal friends in his misfortune!"
-
-"The hour of need may discover to Hualcoyotl an army of friends not
-less worthy of trust than Euet," replied the tzin modestly.
-
-"Friends worthy and true, possibly--never but one Euet," returned the
-prince, with a look which voiced the affectionate esteem in which he
-held his companion.
-
-The tzin was considerably affected by the prince's fervent manner and
-language, and appeared confused for want of a suitable reply, which the
-latter observed, and, quickly continuing, reverted to the main question
-under consideration.
-
-"The mission on which you are about to go is a very dangerous one,"
-said he. "Should you be discovered, death would undoubtedly be the
-consequence."
-
-"I am aware of that, O Prince, yet I beg you will have no fears for my
-safety. I will choose my own companions, and, be assured, they will not
-be of the emissaries of Maxtla."
-
-"I believe you; and now, since you are to go, let there be no delay.
-Seek our friends and counsel with them. Learn the true feelings of our
-people, and, if possible, the number of our adherents available for
-soldiers; also, if so desirable an end may be attained, secure the
-cooperation of other states which are friendly to us. Work with the
-wisdom and judgment of which I know you to be possessed, and according
-to the success of your labors shall be your reward. May our nation
-rise, under your hand, from the ashes of her former greatness, is our
-most earnest prayer. Go as soon as you can arrange to do so, and may
-the gods of our fathers be with you and keep you. You will see your
-excellent mother and sister; bear to them, I pray you, my profound
-respect, and say that I would come to them could I do so with safety."
-
-Euetzin at leaving would have saluted the prince in the accustomed
-manner, but was stopped by him, and, instead, was received upon his
-breast in a strong embrace, which signified that he was, for the time
-at least, accepted as an equal in all respects.
-
-Realizing the very grave circumstances under which they were parting,
-the friends separated with feelings of deepest sadness.
-
-The prince's confidence in the loyalty and integrity of his friend was
-full and complete, as we have seen, and the sequel proved that it was
-wisely placed.
-
-When the tzin had withdrawn from the prince's apartment the latter fell
-into deep meditation, as was his wont in the recent past. His thoughts
-at length appeared to turn on his aged preceptor, for he spoke audibly,
-as if addressing someone:
-
-"Yes, the good Itzalmo must not be overlooked in this matter. He has
-been like a father to me, and should share fully in my confidence. His
-wisdom and sagacity may yet be of invaluable service to me, as they
-have been in the past."
-
-He arose and straightway sought the old servitor in his private
-apartment, where he found him poring over his hieroglyphics.
-Salutations were exchanged, and the prince proceeded to relate the
-particulars of his visit to the palace of Maxtla; also to express his
-fears as to the consequences liable to ensue, and his determination to
-meet them by a speedy preparation for resistance.
-
-Itzalmo was not pleased that the prince had gone before the king
-unknown to him, yet his solicitude was instantly aroused in his behalf,
-and a careful study of the situation followed.
-
-The old preceptor was a man of marked shrewdness and cunning, and more
-than a match for Maxtla if open violence was not resorted to. Friends,
-known to no one but himself, were to be found in the king's palace who
-quickly notified him when anything of importance occurred in his
-majesty's household or court. In this manner he was kept informed and
-always forewarned.
-
-Acquainted, as the old Tezcucan was, with the treacherous disposition
-of the Tepanecs, and Maxtla in particular, he felt that the strictest
-watchfulness would be necessary to avoid surprise. He had saved the
-prince from the wrath of the old king, and hoped he might be able to
-save him again, should the emergency arise. He therefore begged him to
-be discreet and trust to him.
-
-"You are young, O Prince, and with little experience to guide you," he
-said. "I pray you, be not incautious, but let your actions be governed
-by wisdom and understanding. Do not forget, O Hualcoyotl, that the
-destiny of a people rests with you. Listen to him who has counseled and
-shown you the way in the past. Itzalmo is your proven friend; he will
-do for you what no other can."
-
-The old man's earnestness was remarkable, and the prince felt it. He
-said:
-
-"Itzalmo, I know that I may trust you wholly; for have you not, indeed,
-proven it in many ways? Be assured, then, my ever faithful friend, that
-your counsel shall not be ignored. I will be guarded in what I do. You
-have my promise."
-
-As he concluded, the prince passed from the apartment of the loyal old
-vassal, the latter sending after him a prayerful benediction.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III.
-
-
-"Zelmonco is very lonesome, mother. How rarely does anything come to
-disturb the sameness of our lives. No change from day to day: only the
-voice of Nature, in the songs of birds and the murmur of the leaves, is
-heard; and, much as I love these sounds, they make me sad."
-
-These words were addressed by a young girl to an elderly appearing
-woman a short distance off, who was at the moment giving attention to a
-beautiful cluster of blooming rosebushes.
-
-"Yes, the villa does seem lonesome; still we have each other, my child,
-which is much to be thankful for," was answered.
-
-"True, mother; but that does not relieve the quietude of our home. I
-wish that Euet would come. He remains from us longer this time than
-usual. Do you think we may expect him soon?"
-
-"Euet does, indeed, stay from home longer than usual, but is no doubt
-detained. Still, I hope he will be here before the day is gone,"
-replied the elderly woman.
-
-The persons engaged thus in conversation were in the open air,
-strolling leisurely about, rearranging a disturbed bush or vine,
-plucking a flower here and a twig there, and drinking in the sweet
-perfumes rising from the odoriferous flowers and shrubs which met them
-at every turn. They were the mother and sister of Euetzin, the friend
-and companion of Prince Hualcoyotl, who were out for an hour's stroll
-in the beautiful grounds fronting their villa home--a place very dear
-to them for the sacred memories which clung around it; memories of
-other and happier days, when home associations and ties were unbroken
-and complete.
-
-Euzelmozin, the husband and father, as we have stated previously,
-perished with his king on the battle field, where Tezcucan liberty went
-down under the bloody hand of a cruel victor. He left them a beautiful
-home, however, with gold and other wealth sufficient to make them
-independent.
-
-By paying promptly the required tribute to the Tepanec king they were
-permitted to live undisturbed in their isolation.
-
-The mother, whose name was Teochma, had passed middle life. She still
-possessed a vigorous womanhood, and showed her age in the hair only,
-which was freely sprinkled over with gray.
-
-Itlza, the daughter, was fair and of medium size. About nineteen years
-had marked her young life, but, being a child of a sunny clime, she
-appeared older. She was not beautiful, yet upon her face there was a
-sweet, confiding look, which attracted and charmed the beholder,
-impressing his or her mind with a pleasing sense of acquaintanceship.
-The light of geniality beamed upon her countenance, and a spirit of
-mirthfulness sparkled up from the depths of two bright, laughing eyes.
-A pair of carmine-tinted lips, as delicately colored as the lovely rose
-she was carelessly twirling between her thumb and finger, backed by two
-perfect rows of pearly teeth, adorned a pretty, tempting mouth, which
-completed the charm and brightness of an otherwise plain face.
-
-They were dressed becomingly in the manner of their people. The
-character of their dress was not greatly dissimilar to that worn by the
-women of other Indian nations, except in its completeness. Among the
-higher classes of native Mexican women the costume was usually gorgeous
-in gay colors, and adorned with trimmings of gold and featherwork.
-
-The mother and sister of tzin Euet were the wife and daughter of a
-fallen Tezcucan noble; and, though robbed of the title of nobility,
-still endeavored to sustain, in their manner of living, the dignity of
-their former rank.
-
-Zelmonco villa, the home of the family, was situated on an eminence,
-about two leagues from Tezcuco, and commanded a fine view of the
-adjacent country and the city in the distance. Euetzin was in the habit
-of visiting it often, to enjoy, for a brief season, the society of his
-loved and honored mother and very dear sister.
-
-It becomes necessary at this point for us to return to the time of
-parting between the tzin and prince, which occurred some hours earlier
-than the incident which opens this chapter.
-
-On withdrawing from Hualcoyotl's apartment, Euetzin made a hasty
-preparation to leave the city. His first object was to pay a hurried
-visit to his mother and sister, and then go forward in the performance
-of his mission. When the necessary preparations for his departure were
-completed, he left the palace, going out through the court onto a
-thoroughfare, which he followed for some distance. On reaching the
-outskirts of the city he took a southeasterly course and walked briskly
-in the direction of his home. He had about six miles to go, but thought
-nothing of it. The Aztec mode of traveling was almost entirely
-pedestrial; in fact, none but the wealthy and the nobility traveled in
-any other way. The palanquin, a kind of chair, borne by slaves or hired
-servants, was their only conveyance--burden-bearing animals being
-unknown on the Anahuac previous to the advent of the conquerors. The
-men were, as a consequence, trained pedestrians from necessity and
-habit.
-
-As Euetzin neared the villa, the anxiety to see his loved ones grew
-upon him, and his movement became proportionately quicker. He had to
-pass up through the park to reach the house; and, anticipating he would
-find his mother and sister strolling there, carefully guarded his
-approach from observation, hoping to give them a sudden and pleasant
-surprise.
-
-The words addressed to his mother by Itlza, and the replies were
-distinctly heard by the tzin as he drew near.
-
-Itlza continued to address her mother:
-
-"Do you think, mother, that the old king's death will effect the prince
-in his retirement?" she asked.
-
-"Maxtla will be king; evil is in Maxtla's heart--the prince must
-beware," replied the mother.
-
-"Why does Hualcoyotl remain so passively a prisoner in his own palace?
-Is he a slave that he endures his restraint without an effort to obtain
-his freedom?" questioned Itlza, with much warmth.
-
-"I know of but one way by which he might gain his freedom, my child;
-and that is too terrible to think about."
-
-"You allude to a revolt, mother?"
-
-"Yes, it was that I had in mind; and yet, though it would bring sorrow
-to many hearts, and possibly to ours, I could not say my people nay
-should they attempt it, for they are but slaves to the Tepanec king,"
-replied the mother, in accents of sadness.
-
-"You speak truly, mother; for Euet would--" Itlza's half-formed
-sentence was here suddenly broken off. She was seized from behind and
-held firmly for a moment, while a hand was placed over her mouth. When
-she was released, she turned quickly to learn who her assailant was,
-and met the laughing face of her brother, who saluted her in a most
-loving manner and completed her unfinished sentence by saying:
-
-"Euet would that you drop so unpleasant a subject--there is only
-sadness in it."
-
-"A bad brother is Euet, to give his sister such a fright!" exclaimed
-she, pleasantly.
-
-The tzin answered her badinage with a closer embrace; and, releasing
-her, saluted his mother in an affectionate manner, who said:
-
-"Euet, my son, you are most welcome after so protracted an absence.
-Your sister and myself were beginning to wonder at your remaining away
-so long, and would in a little while have become uneasy about you."
-
-"My mother and sister are very good to remember me so kindly, but they
-should not forget that Euet is no longer a boy. A man's
-responsibilities are now his, and he has duties to perform which
-sometimes interfere very much with his plans for gratifying the
-cravings of his heart. I am not forgetful of the filial obligations
-which bind me with golden chords of love to my estimable mother and
-sweet sister; yet there are times, in the press of worldlier things,
-when even these most precious of all obligations are neglected."
-
-"You are right, my son; a mother's love is selfish. I had not
-considered well--but you are tired and need refreshment. Let us go in."
-
-As they moved toward the house the conversation was continued. The
-mother presently inquired:
-
-"How fares the good prince?"
-
-"The prince is well, though somewhat dejected at the turn affairs have
-taken since the old king's death, of which you have already heard,"
-answered the tzin.
-
-"Yes, the news of his death has spread quickly. Your allusion to it
-prompts me to inquire about his successor. Maxtla has ascended the
-throne, I suppose, and now rules in his father's stead?" inquiringly
-returned the mother.
-
-"Maxtla is king," replied Euet; "and even now may be laying plans for
-the destruction of the prince."
-
-The faces of the mother and daughter quickly took on an expression of
-anxiety.
-
-Hualcoyotl had spent many of his boyhood hours at the home of his
-friend Euet, which had resulted in his holding a warm place in the
-heart of each member of the family. Itlza and her mother had not seen
-him for a number of years, yet in Euetzin was found a link which bound
-them still to their young friend of other and more auspicious times.
-
-"What are we to understand by those ominous words, my son?" inquired
-the mother in anxious tones.
-
-"Good mother, I will explain, but not now. My walk has made me
-ravenous, and I do not intend that even your anxiety for the prince
-shall deprive me of my supper," replied he, playfully.
-
-"How thoughtless of me to forget for a moment that you are hungry,"
-returned she, with maternal concern. "Itlza, see that refreshments are
-served immediately; and now, my son, you must pardon your mother for
-her negligence."
-
-"Thank my mother for her goodness, rather, in being thoughtful of my
-friend," replied the tzin, imprinting a filial kiss upon her brow.
-
-This act and the accompanying words were in a vein of affectionate
-mirthfulness which brought the mother's heart into her eyes, and she
-could only look her gratitude. The tzin led her to the board where
-refreshments were served, and mother and daughter were soon partaking
-of a spirit of cheerfulness which his presence imparted....
-
-The day was nearly spent; approaching night was beginning to cast her
-shadows over the earth, and her dusky mantle would soon envelope all.
-The family were seated in the spacious drawing-room of their home.
-Euetzin was relating the particulars of the prince's experience at the
-palace of the king, and his mother and sister were listening with the
-most intense interest to his recital. When he told of the prince's
-determination to prepare for resistance, and that he, the tzin, was
-then on his way to engage in inciting it, the mother could keep silent
-no longer, but cried out in anguish of heart:
-
-"Oh, my son, can it be that my fears are to be realized so soon, and
-must we indeed lose you?"
-
-"Be calm, good mother; do not make my duties heavier by inflicting
-greater sadness upon my heart. You would not counsel your boy to shrink
-from the call which must come, sooner or later, to every true son of
-Tezcuco? The prince has seen fit to send me as his representative among
-the people, and has charged me with a great and responsible duty. Shall
-the son of Euzelmozin cowardly shirk it, or shall he, like his lamented
-father, be fearless in the face of danger? What greater danger, O
-Teochma, my mother, could arise than that which now threatens the
-destruction of our prince, and a lower degradation for our deeply
-wronged country?"
-
-"Forgive me, my son, if I showed in my words a feeling of resentment to
-the fates that would rob me of my boy. You know your mother too well to
-believe that she would for a moment counsel you contrary to the
-dictates of patriotism. No, Euet; though my heart may bleed for the
-sorrow it will feel, yet would I say, go to your duty, perform it to
-the best of your ability, and prove yourself a worthy son of Zelmozin
-and Tezcuco."
-
-"Thanks, my noble mother; with your approval, so patriotically
-expressed, I will go out into the midst of dangers, fearing only to do
-wrong."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-When the morning came the tzin was gone, and the unwonted stillness of
-the villa told of saddened hearts within.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV.
-
-
-When suspicious jealousy culminates in anger it is but a step to
-malicious madness. In such a conflict of the passions reason is unable
-to hold its sway; especially is this true if the natural impulses of
-the heart are evil. The fatal step is taken and destruction inevitably
-follows upon the victim, and too often upon those who are innocently
-the cause.
-
-Maddened at the sight of his supposed rival, and no longer the
-unimpassioned arbiter of a king's court, Maxtla, immediately on the
-withdrawal of Prince Hualcoyotl, dismissed from his presence the chiefs
-and vassals about him, and retired to his own apartment, where, by
-giving way to the dominant passions of his nature, he wrought himself
-into a very demon. In his terrible anger he resolved that Hualcoyotl
-should die, and ordered a meeting of his privy council, whose duty it
-was to pass upon the decisions of the king, to take place at once.
-
-The council convened in a chamber set apart for that purpose. When the
-members were all seated the king addressed them. He appeared unusually
-stern and determined, and evidenced the deep, terrible, and inflexible
-purpose which moved him. He said:
-
-"Your king has commanded your presence here at this hour to obtain your
-approval to a decree of death, which he has laid upon one who is a
-menace to our authority. Hualcoyotl, the prince of Tezcuco, is the only
-surviving heir to the Tezcucan crown. While he is permitted to live the
-Tepanec supremacy over that nation will be as unstable as would a
-habitation on yonder burning mountain.[3] The voice of the murmuring
-wind is not more distinct than is the murmur of repining and
-disaffection which rises from among our subjugated vassals, the
-Tezcucans, who would have this prince to rule over them. Shall we fold
-our arms and wait for the storm of insurrection and rebellion, which
-his existence makes possible, to sweep down upon and overwhelm us, or
-shall we be wise in precluding the possibility of such an event by his
-removal? The desolation of our kingdom would no doubt be attempted, and
-possibly accomplished, should he be raised to power; and I warn you, if
-accomplished, more than Maxtla would find a grave beneath the ruins. We
-must strike, worthy chiefs, nobles, for self-preservation. Your king
-has decreed it--Hualcoyotl must die; are you prepared to approve the
-decision?"
-
-          [3] Popocatepetl.
-
-The members of the council felt that the king was in no humor to brook
-opposition, and as it was a personal as well as public consideration
-with them the decree was confirmed.
-
-It was decided, in accordance with the wishes of the king, to have
-the prince put out of the way in a quiet manner. Agreeable to this
-decision, arrangements were made for a private party to be given by one
-of the king's officers in Tezcuco, to which the prince was to have a
-cordial and pressing invitation, and at which he was to be secretly put
-to death.
-
-Itzalmo was informed of the diabolical plotting of the conspirators by
-a friend who was close to the king, and shrewdly defeated their design
-to assassinate his young master; but tradition says another perished in
-his stead.
-
-The failure of the plan to entrap the prince so enraged the king that
-he threw off all disguise and publicly proclaimed the decree condemning
-him to death. The execution of the mandate was imposed upon one of his
-chief officers, who was ordered to go with a party of soldiers to
-Tezcuco, and there to enter the palace, seize the prince and put him to
-death.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-On the second day subsequent to the one on which the attempt was made
-to create an opportunity in which to assassinate the prince--the
-consummation of which was prevented by the old preceptor's cunning,
-Hualcoyotl was seated alone in his private apartment. There was a
-notable change in his appearance. The past few days, with their
-important and, to him, momentous events, had made him seem older. The
-youthfulness and freshness of his former self were gone, and the
-sternness of a determined man had settled upon him.
-
-The tzin had been gone several days, and the importance of his mission
-under the light of recent developments was greatly heightened. The
-prince felt that his friend's prediction relative to the king's
-probable conduct toward himself was likely to be verified; yet he hoped
-for time, that organized resistance might be effected before extreme
-measures were resorted to by his enemy. Still he was not sanguine: the
-uncertainty of the situation because of the meagerness of knowledge
-possessed regarding the temper and disposition of his people was a
-source of discouragement. A consciousness of his present helpless
-state, also, had its depressing effect. Hope, however, supported by a
-strong faith in the patriotism of his immediate friends sustained him.
-He could not work, and had fallen into one of his thoughtful moods. His
-countenance was ever expressive of his emotions, the character of his
-thoughts being clearly reflected upon it. Now a dark cloud would cover
-his face, its shadows deepened and intensified by the flashes of angry
-light which gleamed from his dark eyes, plainly showing the feelings
-which agitated his troubled and fearless soul. Again, the subduing
-influence of more gentle thoughts would follow, and the hard lines upon
-his countenance would pass away, giving place to a softened expression
-which clearly said the nobler man within had risen, and that thoughts
-according with his better nature held his mind.
-
-Love of country, pity for his oppressed people, sorrow for those whose
-loss he mourned, and affection for his immediate friends and companions
-were ruling passions in him, and could not be repressed for any great
-length of time. So he sat and pondered, trains of thought the while,
-ladened with bitter and sweet, coursing their way across his active
-brain, till suddenly he exclaimed: "Beware! O Maxtla, perfidious
-monster; the hunted ocelotl[4] may turn and rend you." With these
-words, which broke the spell, Hualcoyotl awoke from his reverie, little
-dreaming that at that very moment death was on his track and closely
-stealing to take him unaware.
-
-          [4] The Mexican tiger-cat.
-
-The news of the issuing of the king's decree condemning the prince to
-death had just reached Itzalmo; and, almost at the same moment in which
-Hualcoyotl uttered the exclamation which broke in on his reverie, a
-servant approached his door to say that the watchful old servitor
-wished to communicate with him.
-
-"Inform Itzalmo that I will see him in his own apartment," said the
-prince, in answer to the message.
-
-Hualcoyotl was greatly surprised on entering the old man's room to find
-him very much agitated, and at once surmised that something of a very
-serious nature was the matter; for Itzalmo was ever dignified and
-composed in his demeanor, seldom permitting anything to visibly disturb
-him. After the accustomed civilities he addressed the prince:
-
-"I have just received startling intelligence from our friends at the
-palace of Maxtla to the effect, most noble prince, that your life is in
-imminent peril. The failure of the king's plan to entrap you two days
-since has so enraged his majesty that he has thrown off all restraint,
-and publicly proclaims your existence a menace to his authority, and
-that it must be terminated. He has ordered an officer with a number of
-soldiers to come here and murder you--yes, murder you in your own
-palace. Your only safety lies in flight. Go at once, O Prince; for they
-may come at any moment."
-
-Hualcoyotl's habitual serenity was somewhat shaken by the knowledge of
-his public condemnation to death; but it was only for a moment, for he
-quickly recovered, and when Itzalmo finished speaking, said:
-
-"You are a true friend to me, Itzalmo, but in your anxiety for the
-safety of your prince forget your teachings. What you propose might be
-the best thing to do; such a course, however, would not be in
-accordance with my training; neither would it meet the approval of my
-feelings. No, good friend, I'll turn my back upon no man. Let them
-come--I will remain to receive them."
-
-"You, O Hualcoyotl, prince of Tezcuco, forget your duty to your people,
-and remember only your pride of honor," remonstrated Itzalmo.
-
-"My dear, good friend, I forget nothing, except that I am Maxtla's
-slave," returned the prince, with flashing eyes. "If the gods forsake
-us not," continued he, "Hualcoyotl, prince of Tezcuco, will yet meet
-this monster king on equal terms, and when he does, the skill at arms
-which thou hast taught shall serve him well; or, failing, leave him a
-lifeless thing at Maxtla's feet! A truce to further discussion of the
-matter except as to where and how these assassins are to be received."
-
-Itzalmo was greatly discouraged by the prince's refusal to fly the
-palace, but not less determined to do all in his power to save him. It
-was agreed that he should repair to the court and engage in a game of
-ball, trusting to his good luck and the cunning of the old tutor to
-deliver him from the dangers which encompassed him.
-
-When the soldiers arrived they were received in the palace and informed
-that Hualcoyotl was playing at ball in the court. This had the desired
-effect of leading the officer to infer that he had found the prince and
-his household ignorant of the contemplated assassination of the former;
-thus rendering it less difficult for Itzalmo to further and accomplish
-any meditated plan looking to the frustration of the murderous design
-upon his young master's life.
-
-When the soldiers reached the court they were received in a very
-courteous manner by the prince, who said:
-
-"The soldiers of Maxtla, the king, do me great honor in visiting my
-palace at this time, and will add to my pleasure if they will enter
-with me and partake of refreshments to relieve the fatigue of their
-journey."
-
-The prince's demeanor was dignified and fearless, and his speech the
-essence of suavity, which threw the officer off his guard, who, feeling
-secure in the ultimate accomplishment of his purpose, replied:
-
-"Hualcoyotl, the prince, honors the king's service in extending to his
-soldiers the hospitality of his board, and as the soldiers of the king
-are not unlike other men, but, like other men, require sustenance, they
-accept the kind invitation."
-
-The prince led the way to the banqueting hall, where the party was
-seated and refreshments ordered to be served. The refreshments were
-brought from an adjoining saloon, between which and the banqueting hall
-was a broad, arched doorway, with hangings, or portieres, richly
-adorned with gold and other trimmings, now drawn to each side and held
-by ornamental holders.
-
-It was the custom of the natives of Anahuac, when an honored guest was
-being entertained, to place a burning censer in a conspicuous place and
-feed it with aromatics during the time of entertainment. The censer, on
-this occasion, was placed in the doorway between the banqueting hall
-and saloon.
-
-While the party were engaged in eating and drinking, the prince
-suddenly had occasion to call a servant. No servant responded to the
-call, however, which seemed to arouse his ire. With an impatient
-gesture he arose from his place at the board and passed to the saloon
-as if in search of one. As he left the hall a fresh supply of aromatics
-was thrown into the censer, sending up dense clouds of incense, which
-enveloped him and filled the doorway, thus obscuring his movements from
-the eyes of the soldiers. At this moment a servant entered from another
-direction, as if in answer to the prince's summons.
-
-"Did my master call?" he inquired.
-
-"He did," replied the officer, "and is now in search of you."
-
-The servant busied himself about the table for a short time, and then
-took a position at a respectful distance, apparently waiting his
-master's return.
-
-The minutes went by and the prince did not return. It suddenly dawned
-upon the mind of the officer that something was being done to thwart
-him--that he had been duped; and, quickly rising from his seat, he
-rushed into the saloon, followed by his men. No trace of the prince was
-found, and a general search of the palace was ordered. It proved
-fruitless, however, for the prince was not discovered, nor could
-anything be learned from the servants concerning him. He had vanished,
-to all appearances, in the clouds of incense which enveloped him as he
-passed from the banqueting hall to the saloon.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V.
-
-
-Among the many ruins of ancient Mexico, and not the least of interest
-and wonder, were those of the great aqueducts, by means of which vast
-quantities of water were brought from distant points to supply an
-extensive system of irrigation, and, presumably, the palaces and villas
-of the rulers and their wealthy adherents.
-
-The Tezcucan palace, while Hualcoyotl's father was yet a prosperous and
-independent sovereign, was furnished with all the advantages
-attainable, among which was an abundant supply of water, brought into
-the palace through a large conduit, or earthen pipe. After the
-subjugation of the Tezcucans, and death of their king, this pipe fell
-into disuse and ruin.
-
-There was a passageway leading from within the palace to the abandoned
-conduit, which was concealed by a secret door. In this outlet Itzalmo
-saw a sure avenue of deliverance for his young master, and devised a
-plan of escape for him through its offered adaptedness, which was
-successfully carried out, as recorded at the close of the last chapter.
-
-The plan of escape, so ingeniously devised by the old preceptor, was
-communicated to the prince, who, after being again urged to save
-himself for the sake of his people, concluded to acquiesce; for he
-began to realize that death certainly awaited him should he remain,
-while in the plan of Itzalmo there was hope, a strong argument against
-his false notion of defiance in the face of such overwhelming odds.
-
-When Hualcoyotl left the banqueting hall and entered the saloon he was
-hurried to and through the secret door into the passageway and on to
-the conduit, where he found present security. It was not his purpose to
-reenter the palace, but to follow the pipe to a point where an opening
-had, in the gradual decay of the structure, appeared in its side, and
-from there make his escape. To do this was not an easy task, for he had
-a considerable distance to go, and the pipe being too small to permit
-him to rise, he was compelled to proceed in a crawling manner, and,
-frequently, to work his way through accumulated obstructions. After
-much vexatious toiling he found himself nearing the opening in the
-conduit, through which he expected to make his exit. A flood of light,
-most welcome, was streaming in through the breach, the sight of which
-freshened his flagging energies and relieved the arduousness of his
-advance. The goal was finally reached, and just beyond was freedom--to
-him, however, a freedom to be gained only under cover of darkness.
-
-It had been arranged that the prince should remain in the conduit until
-night, when, at a preconcerted signal, to be given by his faithful and
-trusted attendant, Oza, to assure him that the way was clear, he should
-come forth and be conducted to a place of safety.
-
-The time passed tediously to the anxious fugitive in his close
-quarters, and he was beginning to feel the effect of it on his
-endurance, when his attention was attracted by a sound not unfamiliar.
-A short period of silence ensued, and then followed the signal to quit
-the conduit. He was quickly at Oza's side, of whom he inquired:
-
-"Whither do we go?"
-
-"To the cottage of Kan, the weaver. Let my master follow his servant,"
-cautiously replied Oza, moving noiselessly away.
-
-While Hualcoyotl was waiting in the conduit for night to come to his
-relief, a former vassal and ardent adherent of his father's, a weaver
-of _nequen_ (maguey cloth) by the name of Kan, who lived on the
-outskirts of the city, was seen and consulted with reference to his
-safety. The weaver immediately interested himself in the son of his old
-master, and proposed that he be brought to his cottage, where he could
-remain until a better and safer refuge was found for him. The proposal
-was gladly acceded to, and the fugitive, at leaving the conduit, was
-conducted to his house, where he was made comfortable and secure for
-the time being.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The officer who had charge of the expedition to the Tezcucan palace,
-with a view to taking Hualcoyotl's life, was greatly chagrined at the
-effectual manner in which he was tricked. After exhausting his
-ingenuity in futile efforts to find a clue to the prince's mysterious
-disappearance, he placed a guard over the palace and returned in haste
-to his master, the king, to whom he reported the failure of his
-mission, but in such manner as to save his own head, which would no
-doubt have been required of him for his incautiousness, had the king
-been correctly informed.
-
-Maxtla became greatly enraged when he learned of the failure of the
-expedition and escape of his hated rival. Troops of armed men were
-ordered to scour the country in every direction in search of him, and,
-in addition, a large reward was offered for his capture, dead or alive.
-The hand of a noble lady, and a rich domain to accompany it, was
-promised to whoever should take him, regardless of the captor's
-previous condition in life.
-
-The perils to which the prince was being subjected by his powerful
-enemy, and the persistent efforts made to destroy him, were becoming
-generally known. Among his friends--the Tezcucans, who were deeply
-incensed at the unjust treatment of their favorite--a latent hatred of
-everything Tepanec was being wrought into a feeling of antagonism,
-which was rapidly engendering a spirit of resistance to the relentless
-and malicious persecutor.
-
-"Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad," was assuredly
-exemplified in the brief and despotic career of the tyrant Maxtla; for
-by his unkingly conduct toward the unoffending Hualcoyotl he was
-digging a pit, so to speak, broad and deep, which would engulf not only
-himself, but his nation as well, of whose proud capital, the royal city
-of Azcapozalco, no vestige would remain to mark the spot whereon it
-stood; nor track, nor trace of all the mighty host of those o'er whom
-by right he ruled, but only waste and desolated space, on which, to
-emphasize a conqueror's hate, it was decreed the slave-man's mart
-should be.[5]
-
-          [5] NOTE.--The royal city of Azcapozalco was razed
-          to the ground, and the wasted territory was henceforth
-          reserved as the great slave-mart for the nations of
-          Anahuac.--_Prescott_.
-
-Some days subsequent to the coming of Hualcoyotl to the weaver's
-cottage a band of soldiers appeared in its vicinity. Every house was
-being searched, and it was soon learned that he was the object of the
-search. Measures were immediately taken to prevent his discovery.
-
-When two of the soldiers presently entered Kan's place they found him
-busily engaged at his work, preparing the fibers of maguey for the
-loom, a quantity of which was lying in piles about him. One of the men,
-addressing him, said:
-
-"The soldiers of the king are searching for Hualcoyotl, the fugitive
-prince, who is thought to be hiding somewhere in this part of the city.
-We are here to look through your cottage, weaver."
-
-"The soldiers of the king know their duty, and must perform it, though
-it will avail them nothing to search my place. Kan, the weaver, has
-other business to occupy his time than that of hiding royal
-aristocrats, who would take no more account of his life than they would
-of an ocelotl's," was the curt and not inapt reply.
-
-"There is truth in what you say, weaver," returned the soldier. "Small
-value is put upon a man's life by them, especially if he is in their
-way."
-
-Without further delay he proceeded, with his companion, to search the
-few apartments of the cottage, giving them a thorough examination.
-
-Kan never worked more diligently than he did while the soldiers were
-looking through his place. The fibers of the maguey fairly flew through
-his hands, and higher and wider grew the pile of thready stuff at his
-left. Although his movements were rapid, he showed no evidence of
-disquiet. His countenance wore its customary stern look, and yet,
-beneath, there was poignant solicitude for his royal charge. It appears
-to have been a characteristic of his people to forget self in their
-devotion to others. He took no account of his own personal risk: the
-penalty he incurred in harboring the fugitive--a penalty the measure of
-which would depend on the caprice of a suspicious and tyrannizing king.
-
-After a protracted search into all the nooks and secret places about
-the weaver's premises, the men returned to the room in which he was
-working. This room was quite plain, without recess or other receptacle
-where a man might have found concealment. The spokesman looked
-critically over it, and said:
-
-"The fugitive is surely not hiding with you, friend; for we find
-nothing of a suspicious character about your house. Sorry we were
-obliged to trouble you, but orders must be obeyed."
-
-"Right, soldier!" returned Kan. "You have performed your duty, and no
-harm has been done."
-
-The weaver spoke with affected carelessness, which he did not feel, for
-every moment which the soldiers spent in the room was one of anxiety to
-him.
-
-Casting his eyes over the apartment once more, the soldier said:
-
-"Since everything with you appears straight and satisfactory, we'll
-relieve you of our presence. Good luck to you, weaver."
-
-"The same to the soldiers of the king," replied Kan, with a supreme
-effort at indifference, as the searchers turned to leave his place.
-
-The party was hardly beyond the curtained doorway when the weaver's
-assumed carelessness gave place to cautiousness.
-
-"Hist! do not stir!" he ejaculated guardedly. Rising, he went to a
-small window, a safe point from which to watch the soldiers' movements.
-When he was satisfied they would not return, and that all present
-danger was past, he went to the pile of selected fibers, which had
-grown so rapidly under his supreme efforts while the soldiers were
-searching his place, and, lifting them, said:
-
-"You may rise now from your uncomfortable position. The soldiers seem
-to be satisfied with their search of my premises, and are gone."
-
-The prince rose from the floor, on which he had been lying beneath the
-pile of fibers, and, glancing at his greatly disordered apparel, said,
-in a soliloquizing manner:
-
-"Hualcoyotl is indeed fallen. I never expected to reach a state so far
-beneath my manhood as this; but, since it is for country and freedom,
-submission must be the rule, however humiliating the conditions."
-Fixing his eyes on the weaver, he continued: "Your reply to the
-soldier, Kan, in which you referred to royal aristocrats and the
-indifference usually shown by them for the lives of their subjects, has
-taught me a valuable lesson--one that I will not soon forget. It is too
-true that rulers are often disposed to hold the lives of their subjects
-lightly. Should it be my good fortune to regain my heritage, Kan and
-his words, so aptly spoken, shall not be forgotten."
-
-"I pray, O Prince, that you will believe me. The words were not spoken
-out of disrespect, but to mislead the soldier that his search might not
-be too close." Spoken humbly and out of fear that he had given offense.
-"Kan is only one of many," he continued, "who would delight in serving
-and honoring Hualcoyotl as their king."
-
-"It does not matter, Kan, what prompted the use of the words," replied
-the prince, kindly; "they were well said and timely, and you need have
-no regrets for having uttered them. At this moment I may be indebted to
-them for my liberty, if not my life. But let them pass; I would not
-they were unsaid. My escape from detection was narrow, indeed," he went
-on; "and due, my faithful friend, to your sagacity alone. I can no
-longer consent to your life and home being put in jeopardy on my
-account. There is no place in Tezcuco that will furnish me a safe
-retreat--my flight must be resumed. I will go into the mountains, in
-the direction of Tlascala, where refuge may be found in their
-fastnesses until my people are ready to avenge themselves on the
-authors of their degradation. If you will find a way, Kan, to inform
-Oza that I would see him, you will confer a favor which may be the last
-you will have an opportunity to bestow upon your unfortunate guest."
-The prince's closing words expressed deep dejection, and Kan hastened
-to answer by way of encouragement:
-
-"May the son of my murdered master be mistaken in that, is the prayer
-of Kan. May he live to deliver his people from the power of the hated
-Maxtla, and be crowned king in the place of his noble father!"
-
-"You have my thanks, Kan, for your kind and prayerful words; and, now,
-let Oza be summoned and preparations made for my departure to-night."
-
-Oza came, and on being informed of the prince's purpose, became greatly
-worried over it. That he should go off to the mountains alone was not
-to be thought of for a moment. He was willing and ready to share his
-master's hardships, and insisted on being permitted to do so with so
-much earnestness and show of fealty that Hualcoyotl finally consented
-that he should, for a few days at least.
-
-The preparations for their departure were speedily consummated,
-including a visit by Oza to the palace; and night, which was to shield
-them in their flight, was waited for in patient silence.
-
-When the hour came for leaving, the prince bade his preserver a kind
-good-bye, with promises of future remembrance, and, with Oza for a
-companion, went out into the darkness--a fugitive from an unjust
-condemnation.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI.
-
-
-Off from Lake Tezcuco, in the direction of Tlascala, the country is
-rough and mountainous, and, at the time in which our story is laid, was
-a wild and woody district. We are not informed as to what nation or
-nations then possessed this territory; but, from the fact that it was a
-common hunting-ground, and frequently invaded by bands of soldiers,
-irrespective of tribal connections, it may be inferred that it was
-regarded neutral. Since this phase of the question is best suited to
-our purpose, we accept it as the true one.
-
-Notwithstanding the wildness of the country, it had its denizens,
-though few in number and sparsely located. There were narrow, level
-stretches of ground-plateaus, found here and there on the range,
-sometimes extending for miles around the base of a mountain, or along
-the cliffs and crags which abounded. These plateaus, in most cases,
-were places of habitation; the men occupying them being of a class who
-preferred the life of a free mountaineer to living in the thickly
-settled districts. The territory was extensive, and game, consisting of
-wild fowl and small animals, was abundant. Herein was the charm which
-made a life there one of preference to those who found a home upon it.
-The occupation of the inhabitants was, therefore, chiefly that of
-hunting; and it may be added, in this connection, that many of the
-markets of the valley towns and cities were indebted to them for their
-supply of wild meats.
-
-Some of the more thrifty and accumulative residents cultivated the
-plateaus on which they had fixed their habitations. When such was the
-case the mountaineer divided his time between farming and hunting; and,
-in some instances, a surprising degree of prosperity and comfort was
-the result. The better class prided themselves on their hospitality,
-and often carried it to a fault, to the truth of which hunters from the
-valley, and others who made excursions into the district, were ever
-ready to bear witness.
-
-The most prominent person living in this mountainous region, and one
-who will hold a conspicuous place in our narrative, was a man named
-Tezcot, who did farming, besides being a most successful hunter. He was
-a person of intelligence, and showed in his intercourse with men that
-he had been well trained in his youth. He was never heard to refer to
-his early life, and all that could be learned of it was, that, for
-causes best known to himself, he had cut loose from his people, and,
-with his young wife, sought and found a home among the free hunters of
-the mountains.
-
-As the years passed, this man grew in the estimation of his fellow
-mountaineers, until his position among them became one of preeminence.
-His goodness of heart, integrity of purpose, and excellent judgment
-made him a wise counselor. He was, consequently, consulted on all
-questions of importance. His advice was invariably good, and his
-decisions on questions referred to him for adjustment were always
-acquiesced in. As a result, peace and harmony prevailed where confusion
-and discord might otherwise have been expected. He was nominally the
-hunters' chief, ruling them by the power of his wisdom, integrity, and
-kindness.
-
-Tezcot's dwelling was, comparatively, of a superior character. It was
-constructed of stone, and thatched with maguey leaves, and contained
-several apartments designed for supplying the needs of a family.
-Commodious porches protected its front and rear from the heat of a
-tropical sun, and furnished a pleasant retreat in leisure hours for the
-inmates. It was, altogether, a very convenient mountain home.
-
-In addition to the dwelling there were quarters for servants, whom the
-mountaineer kept to perform the necessary labor about the place.[6]
-
-          [6] NOTE.--Voluntary servitude obtained among the
-          Anahuacans, and of this class were those who served with
-          Tezcot, the hunter.
-
-The farm work was conducted mostly by an experienced and trusted
-vassal, while much of the master's time was spent on the mountains in
-pursuit of game.
-
-Tezcot's household consisted of himself, his wife, and two daughters.
-The eldest daughter, who was about eighteen years of age, was a fine
-specimen of the Indian maiden, the pride of her immediate friends, and
-an object of admiration to all who knew her. She was known among the
-denizens of the range as the "Mountain Princess," to which appellation
-she was certainly entitled, if personal graces and womanly charms,
-together with the prominence of her father, counted in the elemental
-forces which fixed upon her a title so expressive of the high esteem in
-which she was held. Mitla was the name bestowed upon this nymph of the
-hills by her parents, and by which she will hereafter be known.
-
-The second daughter of the hunter was not so queenly as her sister,
-and, being the younger, was looked upon as little more than a child.
-Her fifteen years were not sufficient to gain for her the consideration
-accorded the "Mountain Princess." Oxletta, or Oxie, as she was called,
-was an agreeable and comely appearing girl, and gave promise of
-developing into a splendid woman.
-
-The mother was not an old woman, and still possessed much of the
-attractiveness and vivacity which had undoubtedly distinguished her in
-the bloom of womanhood. From her the daughters inherited much of the
-comeliness which marked them as objects of admiration and esteem. Her
-name was Xochitl, signifying wild flower, which evidenced, in its
-application, no small degree of loveliness even in the first years of
-her life. She was called "Zoei" by her acquaintances, and it fitted her
-well, so expressive of affection and gentleness, prominent
-characteristics of her disposition.
-
-The daughters were given all the advantages possible under the isolated
-circumstances with which they were surrounded. The father and mother
-were fairly well educated, and through their efforts the girls became
-proficient in many things. Aside from being instructed in the history
-and traditions of their race, they were well trained in domestic
-affairs.
-
-It is said of the Aztec women that they were adepts in the culinary
-arts. Their tables, when the occasion required it, we are informed,
-were replete with deliciously prepared sauces, confections, and other
-delicacies, which would have tempted the most fastidious epicurian
-palate; and Zoei, the good wife of the hunter Tezcot, was not an
-exception.
-
-Spinning, embroidery, and featherwork were also considered essential
-accomplishments, in which the sisters were thoroughly instructed by
-their mother.
-
-Featherwork was an art of peculiar interest to the Anahuacans, and they
-greatly excelled in it. Abundant material for its practice was always
-at hand in the beautiful plumage of the myriads of tropical birds: the
-parrot, the hummingbird, the pheasant, and many others of the feathered
-tribes which might be named, congruous to that latitude and country.
-
-In addition to her other attainments, Mitla was a fine archer, and was
-often to be found on the mountains in pursuit of its practice.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-It was evening, and the twilight was rapidly verging into night. At
-this hour three persons might have been seen wending their way around
-the southwestern slope of the mountain at the base of which stood the
-dwelling of Tezcot, the hunter. The fast fading light of the departing
-day penetrated with its crimson-tinted rays the thickly standing trees,
-throwing sombre shadows athwart the pathway of the sojourners, warning
-them of the nearness of night. It was evident, from the rapid movement
-of the party, that they were not unfamiliar with the rough trail they
-trod. They were moving along in single file. In the lead was a man of
-large mold, who, though apparently past middle life, was yet in the
-prime of manhood. Upon his back was strapped a javelin and bow, with an
-accompanying quiver, which, with his general appearance and dress,
-distinguished him as a hunter. His companions were following closely
-behind him, bearing a heavy burden between them, the end of the pole or
-support of the burden resting on a shoulder of each. They were silent
-as the noiseless forest through which they moved. Not a sound was heard
-save the measured tramp of their feet as they hastened on. Finally
-emerging onto the plateau, and seemingly relieved from the sense of
-solitude with which the deep silence of the forest had impressed them,
-the hunter said:
-
-"It is a heavy load ye bear, lads; but the end is near, and ye'll soon
-be rid of it."
-
-"Yes, master," said the foremost man; "it is, indeed, a heavy load, and
-would try us greatly to go much farther."
-
-"Think what is ahead of ye yonder: a bracing meal, and, by my life, ye
-shall have a refreshing mug of _pulque_[7] to wash it down. D'ye hear?"
-returned the hunter, encouragingly.
-
-          [7] NOTE.--An intoxicant, made from the juice of maguey,
-          pronounced pull-k[=e]--a drink much used by the Mexicans to
-          this day.
-
-"Ah, good master, you are very kind," answered the man.
-
-"If to be mindful of a willing hand is kindness, then be it so, lad,"
-was the hunter's benignant reply.
-
-The hunter and his companions were now moving along the border of a
-narrow stretch of level ground, which extended far around the mountain.
-They suddenly rounded a sharp point which brought into view a dwelling,
-from which a faint glimmer of light penetrated the gathering darkness.
-The dwelling was the home of Tezcot, and the advancing hunter the
-mountaineer himself, accompanied by two servants, returning from a
-hunting excursion.
-
-As the party approached the house, Tezcot saw that a man, who proved to
-be a strange hunter, occupied the front porch alone. When near enough
-to speak he stopped, his attendants passing on. Addressing the
-stranger, he said:
-
-"Hail, friend! Peace and good-cheer to thee, and welcome to such fare
-as may be found in this, my mountain home. I am Tezcot. Who art thou?"
-
-The stranger arose and, saluting, answered:
-
-"The gods be with you and yours, most liberal of hosts. Cacami, a
-Tezcucan hunter, is he whom the good genii have directed to this
-excellent mountain home, where the tired applicant for nourishment and
-rest is ever met by generous impulses and unrestrained hospitality."
-
-Tezcot scanned the stranger with not a little curiosity at hearing his
-gracious speech. The language bespoke him more than a mere hunter. He
-was a young man, and, from appearances, one enjoying superior
-advantages. The mountaineer was very much pleased at hearing words so
-eulogistic of himself and his, and could not repress his gratification.
-It was his chief pleasure to be reminded that he was generous and
-hospitable. He replied:
-
-"Your speech commends us, friend, and we pray it may be deserved. We
-can say of a truth, and not boastingly, that no man ever turned from
-Tezcot's door hungry or weary."
-
-"What you say needs no proof, generous host; it is but an echo of the
-voice of those who have eaten of your bread and drank of your excellent
-pulque. No man, in or out of the valley, hath in so great a degree the
-esteem and good will of the hunters of Anahuac as yourself. With them
-Tezcot is counted the prince of hosts, and a chief among men," added
-the stranger, warmly.
-
-"I see, O Tezcucan, whence comes your favorable opinion of us,"
-returned Tezcot. "A word of praise from our good friends in the valley
-is not less pleasing because it comes to us in this way. May the
-favorable impressions of us you bring with you not suffer by personal
-contact."
-
-This dialogue was carried on standing, the mountaineer in the meantime
-relieving himself of his hunter's outfit. He now suggested that they be
-seated, and after being so he turned to his guest and inquired:
-
-"Is this your first visit to these parts?"
-
-"To this locality, yes; to the mountains, no. For several years I have
-made occasional incursions to the district in pursuit of that charm
-which sometimes leads the best of men--as in your own case--to choose
-for a home the most solitary scenes," replied the Tezcucan.
-
-"A wonderful fascination, truly, is found in the life we lead, or how
-could we endure its solitude?" answered the mountaineer reflectively;
-and again, "You are not one who hunts for profit, I judge?" he added,
-interrogatively.
-
-"No, for pleasure only; still I sometimes sell, or permit my men to do
-so, when we secure more game than we want."
-
-"You are not alone, then?"
-
-"No; I have two attendants who are being cared for by your servants.
-Your good wife has already looked after their comforts."
-
-"And, be assured, O Tezcucan, that they will suffer no discomfort while
-under her care," returned Tezcot, showing his appreciation of his
-wife's excellence. He then added: "Referring to them, by the way,
-reminds me that others are needing refreshment. Zoei!" he called.
-
-"Well, Tezcot, what is it?" came back from within.
-
-"My jacket hangs limp as a dead hare's leg. Haven't ye something to put
-under it, eh?"
-
-"Yes, supper is ready. Bring our guest and come."
-
-Rising, Tezcot turned to the stranger, and said:
-
-"Come, friend, you are doubtless as ready as myself to dispatch a good
-sized block of well prepared supper. There is nothing like a sharp
-appetite and a well loaded board to make a man satisfied with himself
-and all the world."
-
-"A philosophical utterance, certainly," returned the Tezcucan,
-following his host into the house.
-
-The evening meal consisted of maize bread, cold meats of game, fruit,
-and chocolate. The hunter's favorite mug of pulque, which he always
-relished after a day on the mountains, was in its place near him, while
-one was immediately passed to the guest.
-
-Tezcot was here reminded of his promise to his men, and ordered a glass
-of the beverage for each taken to them; then taking his own from the
-board, he said:
-
-"Drink, friend, and let our drinking be a pledge of future good will
-between us."
-
-"Most cheerfully, kind host; and may I not add for myself, your
-excellent family as well?"
-
-The mother smiled and the daughters blushed, while the host and his
-guest quaffed their pulque with keen and appreciative gusto.
-
-"Superb!" exclaimed the Tezcucan. "Your friends do not overestimate the
-quality of your pulque, and I shall join their ranks at once."
-
-"We are glad it pleases you. Your appreciation is our recompense,"
-returned Tezcot, much gratified. "And, now," he continued, "let us try
-some of the substantials."
-
-The suggestion was equivalent to a command, and all went to eating.
-
-When the meal was fairly begun, Mitla gathered sufficient courage to
-say:
-
-"Father, tell us about your hunt to-day. From the quantity of game
-brought in, good luck must have attended you."
-
-"Yes, the day was fine, and brought us extra good luck," he answered,
-and then paused to indulge his keen appetite for a moment. "Game was
-plentiful," he went on, "and we secured quite a bunch. There were some
-fine targets for testing an archer's skill, which would have delighted
-your heart, child, could you have been with us."
-
-Mitla was the hunter's favorite, as was Oxie the favorite of her
-mother. The father's preference arose from the fact that Mitla, like
-himself, loved the mountains and their forest solitudes.
-
-In reply to her father's reference to herself, she said:
-
-"How much it would have delighted me, could I have been with you, I can
-not express; but you know how dearly I love to use my bow and arrow;
-let that speak for me. You often tell me, however, father, that I am
-too tender-hearted to engage in hunting."
-
-"Yes, that's a fact, Mit, and I'm not sorry for it. I would not that ye
-were disposed to be cruel, for ye are a woman," he replied, in approval
-of her weakness, or, more fittingly, her innate sympathy.
-
-"Your daughter is a fine archer, I infer?" remarked the Tezcucan
-inquiringly, addressing the mountaineer.
-
-"Her arrow is true--I might say unerring," replied the father proudly.
-"And yet few know that she is an archer, at all."
-
-"My father, you see, is a little extravagant in his praise of my
-archery," interrupted Mitla.
-
-"He, no doubt, has reasons for being so," said Cacami. "It is a
-delightful accomplishment, and I'm sure you realize much pleasure from
-it. I am not unskilled in the use of the bow, and greatly enjoy its
-employment." Turning to the younger sister, he continued: "You, my
-young friend--Oxie, I believe, do not engage in its practice?"
-
-"No, my sister's excellence and my own awkwardness have always
-discouraged me, so I have given up trying," she answered a little
-ruefully.
-
-"Oxie, if not an archer, has other accomplishments really more
-womanly," spoke the mother, joining in the conversation to defend her
-favorite.
-
-"Your daughters are both, without doubt, worthy of all praise, each for
-those accomplishments best suited to her disposition," replied Cacami
-with tact, addressing his hostess.
-
-"Good girls, friend, both of them," interrupted Tezcot, stripping the
-meat from the bone of a pheasant; "differently constituted, that's
-all." Then abruptly turning the subject, he said: "Have you been
-successful, Cacami, in chasing the charm to which you alluded this
-evening, the charm which we of the mountains find in pursuing the
-hunter's calling?"
-
-"You may be assured, O Tezcot, that I have no cause for complaint. My
-success has always been very satisfactory," replied Cacami; and
-continuing, he inquired: "How do you hunters manage to dispose of your
-game aside from what you consume?"
-
-"Take or send it to the nearest market. My men will go in after another
-day to dispose of our surplus, which is now quite large," replied the
-mountaineer.
-
-"I brought in a fine lot with me to-night, and as I never carry game
-from a worthy host's door, you may consider it a part of your surplus,
-which I hope will obviate the necessity of your going to the mountains
-to-morrow, thus affording you a day's rest," said Cacami, evidently
-bent on meeting the generosity of his host.
-
-"It requires no such sacrifice, O Cacami, to prove your heartiness of
-will. We can not allow it," remonstrated Tezcot. "No, no, my friend,
-you must not think of it."
-
-"I have so decided, good host, and beg that you will allow me to have
-my way," returned Cacami respectfully, but in a manner that settled the
-question.
-
-"Well, friend, you seem bent on carrying out your purpose, which we
-hope is not prompted by any doubt of the unselfishness of our
-hospitality," said the hunter, feeling that his cherished reputation
-for generosity was being questioned.
-
-"Not at all, most hospitable of men. On the contrary, the giving of the
-game is intended as a trifling mark of my appreciation of your
-unequaled liberality," urged Cacami. "The value of game, to me, is
-gone," he continued, "when I have it in hand. It is the pursuit of it,
-and not its possession, which brings satisfaction, excepting when I can
-dispose of it in the way I propose; then it does become of value, not
-intrinsically, but for the pleasure it returns when thus bestowed."
-
-"You are kind, very kind, Cacami," rejoined the hunter, relenting. "And
-since you will have it so, be assured it shall not be lost to you."
-
-"And why should it be counted lost at all? Does the hospitality of the
-great-hearted Tezcot amount to so little? The game is an insignificant
-return, I assure you, for the gratification it will afford me to recall
-having eaten of your bread and drunken of your pulque," returned Cacami
-warmly.
-
-Supper was here concluded, and, yielding to the Tezcucan's fervency,
-Tezcot said:
-
-"So be it, friend; providing, however, that you remain our guest
-another day, and join Mit and me in a short excursion on the mountain."
-
-"That I will most cheerfully do, and count the day happily spent,"
-responded Cacami graciously.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The majority of the little group we have introduced in this
-chapter--the home of the hunter's chief and the adjacent mountains,
-will figure extensively in this narrative. With our brief sketch of the
-persons presented, we leave the reader to perfect the individuality of
-each, forgetting for the moment to what race they belonged. An eminent
-mountaineer hunter, a man of noble impulses, proficient in everything
-required of him; an excellent wife and mother, who was a worthy
-companion to the father of her children; two beautiful maidens, who,
-though of directly opposite temperaments, were equally devoted in their
-home relations--an exceptional family, together with their Tezcucan
-guest, a young man whom the reader, we hope, will find an agreeable
-accession to the _personnel_ of our story.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII.
-
-
-The laws by which the nations of Anahuac were governed were
-comprehensive as well as very severe. Every subject was expected to
-have knowledge of them, and the people were, accordingly, instructed in
-them by means of hieroglyphical paintings.
-
-Crimes against society were punished with slavery or death, according
-to the magnitude of the offense. Theft and robbery were placed in this
-category, and met with the severest punishment. If the accused was
-found guilty, his fate was sealed; there was no escape from the
-penalty, so rigidly were the laws enforced.
-
-These conditions, together with the strict surveillance of the military
-police, made it hazardous for any one to be abroad at night, unless
-adequate reason for it could be made apparent.
-
-Protected in this thorough manner, the people had no fear of
-depredators, and took no precautions against them. No bolts, bars or
-other fastenings, as a protection, were to be found on their doors,
-when doors were used; in fact, more times than otherwise, only a
-curtain shielded the privacy of a home from the outside world. They
-felt as secure with an open door as the most enlightened Christian
-citizen would amid the highest order of civilization, behind his locks
-and bolts, supplemented by the latest improved burglar-alarm.
-
-We now return to Zelmonco villa. We find it wrapped in deepest silence;
-the inmates are lost in the oblivion of sleep; the birds that make glad
-its environs under the light of day are perched in confidence and
-security on their chosen limb. The hour is that in which Nature wraps
-with sleep her children closest 'round about--the midnight hour, silent
-and solemn.
-
-At this unseemly time two shadowy forms steal noiselessly into the park
-at the foot of the hill, and pause in an attitude of listening. No
-sound is heard, save the beating of a heart by each. After satisfying
-themselves that no living thing is astir within their hearing, they
-move cautiously up toward the house; and presently, when near its
-entrance, pass within the protecting shadow of a thickly foliaged tree
-and stop.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Before leaving the weaver's cottage, Hualcoyotl had decided to stop at
-Zelmonco villa, where he purposed remaining over one day, while Oza
-would be sent on to communicate with a good friend--a loyal Tezcucan
-who lived a short day's journey toward the mountains--to inform him of
-the prince's perilous situation and desire to find shelter and
-concealment with him for a few hours.
-
-The night was not dark, for the stars were shining very brightly, as
-they always seem to in the clear sky of that sunny clime. To the
-fugitives their luster appeared to be remarkably brilliant, causing
-them to shun the roadways for fear of discovery and arrest; as a
-consequence, halts and frequent change of course made their progress
-slow, and the hour of their arrival at the villa late.
-
-The reader has, no doubt, guessed who it was that entered Zelmonco park
-at midnight, and, passing up to the villa, paused in the shadow of a
-tree near its entrance.
-
-The prince's breathing, when they stopped--for it was he and his
-attendant--was somewhat labored. The long and arduous walk from the
-city, and the effort required to gain the summit of the hill on which
-the villa stood, had severely tested the strength of his wind; which,
-from long confinement and inactivity, had become, in some degree,
-ennervated. He quickly regained his composure, and, while they yet
-stood within the tree's shadow, his thoughts turned upon himself and
-his peculiarly discouraging situation. He mentally soliloquized: "Like
-a rudderless boat on yonder lake, left to the caprice of the elements,
-tossed hither and thither by wind and wave, I am out in the world, a
-fugitive, condemned, driven, I know not whither! Oh, would that I could
-forecast my destiny and know it, though the worst should be revealed!"
-After a moment's pause he continued: "Yet, perhaps, it is better as it
-is: The Great Unseen will keep me if there is a purpose in my life!"
-Turning to Oza he said, in a subdued voice:
-
-"There is safety in this house, the home of Euetzin, for a short time,
-if we might enter. Stand you here, while I endeavor to secure the
-attention of someone." He cautiously advanced to the door, which he
-found ajar, and gave two or three raps. No answer being obtained, the
-raps were repeated a little louder.
-
-"Who raps?" suddenly inquired a voice from within.
-
-"A friend of tzin Euet, who would communicate with Teochma, his
-mother," answered the prince, with caution.
-
-"Stand inside, I will call her," returned the voice, and its owner, as
-the prince entered, went to summon his mistress.
-
-The person who answered the prince's knock was a slave, whose
-sleeping-place, for convenience, was near the door.
-
-In a few minutes the tzin's mother appeared, bearing a lighted taper.
-When she saw the muffled figure near the entrance, she paused and
-inquired:
-
-"Who seeks to communicate with Teochma?"
-
-"One who is a fugitive, with a price upon his life, comes to ask of
-Teochma shelter for a short time, until the way is made clear for him
-to go on," was answered.
-
-"Prince Hualcoyotl!"
-
-"Sh! Have a care, O Teochma; speak not that name so loud, even here,
-beneath this friendly roof. Walls do not always confine the voice's
-sound, and the winds are treacherous. Should that name be borne to
-traitorous ears, and my presence in your house be made known to my
-pursuers, desolation would surely come upon it, and distress to those
-it shelters."
-
-The prince had dropped the mantle from about his face, and while he yet
-spoke Teochma saw that it was indeed the royal friend of her son. From
-custom she was about to offer him obeisance, but he quickly interposed,
-and said entreatingly:
-
-"No, Teochma, do not so. Let the good mother of Euetzin treat as a
-servant, rather, him who stands in her presence. When the winds cease
-to bear upon their wings the cry of my enslaved and degraded people for
-deliverance, which rises hourly from a thousand homes, then, and not
-till then, may he to whom you would do honor receive the homage due his
-station!" He bowed himself before her in salutation, and continued:
-"Thus may it be in this hour, good mother of my friend--and mine, I
-could wish, O Teochma!"
-
-"Rise, my son; it is not fit that you should humble yourself in this
-manner. Teochma is grateful for your condescension, and is pleased to
-welcome you to a shelter in her home." Hualcoyotl arose, and she
-continued: "But come, enter here and be seated," saying which, she
-motioned for him to pass to an adjoining room.
-
-"Give me yet a moment, good Teochma. There is one without, an
-attendant, who waits to be called. If it please you, I will bid him
-come in."
-
-"Assuredly, my son, bid him come."
-
-The door, which the prince had closed, was quietly opened, and Oza
-directed to enter.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The Anahuacans of the fifteenth century were well skilled in art, both
-mechanical and decorative. With tools of bronze, made from an alloy of
-tin and copper, they were enabled, by the use of a flinty powder, to
-shape the hardest substances into articles of use and adornment.
-
-Vessels of gold and silver were moulded and fashioned by them, having
-upon them representations of birds, animals, flowers, and other
-objects; and it is said of their goldsmiths that they could blend the
-metals in such a manner as to represent the feathers of a bird or the
-scales of a fish, alternately, in gold and silver.
-
-With their natural fondness for display, and the inexhaustible supply
-of material for its indulgence at their command, it is not surprising
-that the homes of the nobility and wealthy were gorgeously magnificent
-in furnishment, especially in the matter of adornment. And, withal,
-though none of the modern appliances for the promotion of elegance and
-ease, which now distinguish the mansions of the opulent, were then at
-hand, their abodes were not without comfort for the physical man.
-
-As in this age, a reception, or drawing-room was an indispensable
-apartment in the dwellings of the higher classes, and the completeness
-of its design and arrangement usually indicated not only the wealth and
-position of the owner, but, also, the taste and accomplishments of the
-occupants.
-
-The room into which the prince and his attendant were conducted was a
-model apartment of its kind, and deserves from us at least a passing
-notice.
-
-The floor was almost hidden under a profusion of mats and gaily wrought
-rugs. Fancy stools and comfortable divans were placed about the room in
-a kind of orderly disorder, relieving it from any appearance of disuse
-or exclusiveness. Across one corner of the room stood an especially
-attractive divan, over which was a glittering canopy, suspended from
-the beak of a dead _quanhtli_ (eagle.) From its elevated perch the
-bird's appearance was so natural that the first glance at it would
-cause the observer to hesitate before taking a seat beneath it. A
-second thought, however, would dispel the momentary delusion. Spread
-out on this divan was the preserved and decorated skin of a Mexican
-tiger-cat.
-
-The walls were adorned with gorgeous and beautiful hangings, the
-scintillating glimmer of the reflected light of the taper upon them, as
-they were gently moved by the force of a passing draught of air,
-producing a very agreeable effect.
-
-In every nook and corner were to be seen vases of odorous flowers, and
-images of animals or birds.
-
-On a wall-shelf, at one side of the room, was a peculiarly attractive
-pot of flowers, over which, suspended by a thread of gold so fine that
-it required a sharp eye to detect it, was poised a golden-hued
-hummingbird, apparently about to thrust its prying nib into the
-unexplored recesses of a half opened flower just below it.
-
-In a conspicuous place on the wall was a showy piece of feather-work,
-in which was blended the plumage of many birds. There were in it the
-changeful hues of the parrot, the brilliant colors of the pheasant, and
-others less attractive, all woven into a perfect representation of
-beautiful mosaic.
-
-As the prince took a seat his quick eye observed the exquisite
-surroundings; and through it all he saw Teochma's experienced hand. His
-mind reverted quickly to other times--his boyhood, and the home where
-once ruled a beloved mother, not less accomplished than Teochma. After
-a moment's silent contemplation of the apartment and its attractions,
-some of which were still familiar to him, he turned to his hostess and
-said:
-
-"The span of years which separate this hour from the past, when--a
-joyous, happy boy--I stood within this room, with no visible cloud upon
-the bright horizon of my future to warn me of the approaching storm and
-subsequent night of sorrow and despair which has followed, seems but a
-delusion--a horrible dream, from which I have only this moment
-awakened. And yet, O Teochma, my waking may be likened to a lucid
-interval in the mind of one crazed by delirium or the confusion of
-reason; for soon the gloom of my impending doom will hold and wrap me
-about, and this sweet reflection of the happy past be obscured in the
-blackness of darkness again."
-
-He paused, and, taking advantage of the pause, Teochma said:
-
-"Your presence here at this hour, and the purport of your words, tell
-me that you are in trouble. Hualcoyotl the boy is lost in Hualcoyotl
-the stately prince; and our love for the former in profound esteem and
-respect for the latter. Teochma is your loyal subject and friend; no
-assistance which is within her power to render shall be withheld from
-you. Speak, good friend, as would my own son Euet, and make your wants
-known, that we may serve you."
-
-"I was sure of your sympathy and assistance, else I had not come this
-way. The fidelity of Teochma, and hers, to the cause of the unfortunate
-Hualcoyotl is a source of deepest gratitude to him. May the hour come
-when he can express his gratitude more fittingly than by weak words!"
-
-Here followed a narration of as much of his late experience as was
-necessary to make his situation known.
-
-Teochma's sympathies were much excited, and the prince was assured of a
-welcome shelter and concealment at the villa for as long a time as he
-desired.
-
-"I can only risk a stop of a few hours," said he; "just long enough for
-my attendant to make arrangements for me a few leagues ahead. The
-emissaries of Maxtla may yet consider it worth while to pay you a visit
-in their search for me. Should they do so, no knowledge of my having
-been here at this time must reach them; for they are heartless, and
-might cause you serious trouble, if nothing more."
-
-He turned to Oza, and gave him the necessary instructions regarding
-what he was expected to do; and told him to go at once, and perform the
-mission quickly as possible. The man cheerfully acquiesced in his
-master's plans, and, after partaking of refreshments, set out on his
-journey.
-
-The prince was conducted to an apartment in a retired portion of the
-villa, where he soon found forgetfulness in sleep.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII.
-
-
-The morning broke over the beautiful Anahuac in loveliness and
-splendor. Nature, in all her forms, sent forth anthems of praise to the
-Almighty Creator. The forests rang with a medley of happy sounds, which
-rose from myriads of living things--the warbling of the inimitable
-mockingbird, and the trill and coo of its less melodious neighbors; the
-chirp and bark of the frisking little animals, together with the
-incessant whir and hum of the insect hosts--a grand chorus of
-thanksgiving, spontaneously rendered by an indiscriminate multitude of
-God's inferior creatures, all filled with the unalloyed happiness of an
-unconsciousness of evil, an unconsciousness which is denied to man, who
-is created in the image of his Maker, and endowed with that supreme
-attribute, the power to reason.
-
-Such was the morning, and the waking it brought, of the day which
-followed the arrival of Hualcoyotl at Zelmonco villa.
-
-The summons of a servant awoke the prince to a realization of his
-surroundings. Sounds of joy and life fell upon his ear from without,
-and stirred his soul with an emotion of sadness.
-
-"Why should I be so environed," he soliloquized, "while all the rest of
-the world are happy and free? No, not all; my people are neither," he
-quickly added, as they rose up before his mind's eye in reproval.
-"Yet," he further added, "their lot is preferable to mine."
-
-Shaking off his unhappy feelings, he performed his morning ablutions
-and clothed himself preparatory to going into the presence of his
-hostess.
-
-When he appeared at the door of his apartment he found a servant there,
-who had been sent to conduct him to the eating-room, where breakfast
-was waiting, and, better still, the little girl, now grown to woman's
-stature, with whom he had romped and raced the hillsides over a hundred
-times in the years of his happy boyhood, also waiting to receive him.
-But how different were their positions and circumstances at this
-meeting. Not children, but man and woman, stood face to face.
-
-"Itlza!" exclaimed he, with surprise and admiration depicted on his
-countenance and expressed in his voice, advancing toward her at the
-same time.
-
-A momentary confusion came over the maiden, and she stood undecided how
-to act. The last time she saw him he was only a youth and she scarcely
-more than a child. Now he was a great, strong man, with intellectual
-superiority stamped on every feature, and dignity in every motion,
-while she had bloomed into a coy and blushing young woman, a sufficient
-cause for confusion in one so little acquainted with the world as she.
-He saw her embarrassment, and coming close to her, said:
-
-"Has the little girl I once knew so well, and for whom I held a most
-tender regard, but who has now grown away from me, no word of welcome
-for her childhood friend?"
-
-This gave Itlza time to recover, and she began a reply by saying:
-
-"Our noble prince--"
-
-"No, no; Itlza! address me not thus," he said, quickly interrupting
-her, and speaking earnestly. "I pray you, call me anything but that in
-this hour of a renewal of our friendship. I like it not, coming from
-your lips."
-
-"Hualcoyotl, then, if it please you," she replied, smiling at his
-earnestness.
-
-"That is better, for it has in it the echo of a friendship I do not
-forget," said he, interrupting her again; "a friendship, the memory of
-which is very dear to me."
-
-"You are very good, not to have forgotten your little friend after so
-long a time," she replied. "Since I realize the change which has come
-to both of us, it seems like a dream to have known you. Hualcoyotl, who
-stands before me now, is not the Hualcoyotl I remember; he was only a
-boy. When I saw you enter, confusion came upon me; I knew not whether I
-should salute you as our prince, or greet you as an old friend."
-
-She had recovered her composure, and spoke with ease.
-
-"Your surprise was not greater than my own when I beheld, not my little
-girl friend of other years, but a pretty young woman waiting to receive
-me," was his gallant reply.
-
-"There, now, don't let the breakfast spoil because of too many fine
-words. Come, sit you down, my son; and you, my daughter, order the
-chocolate," said the mother, not at all displeased at the gallantry
-shown her child by the distinguished guest.
-
-"Yes, mother," returned Itlza, going to execute the command, at the
-same time looking very happy.
-
-The eyes of the prince followed her admiringly as she left the room,
-and he remarked:
-
-"The years have, indeed, wrought changes in us all, but in Itlza the
-greater. She has grown into an admirable woman."
-
-"Yes," replied the gratified mother. "She has changed much in the last
-few years."
-
-The return to the room, at this moment, of the object of their remarks,
-cut off further allusion to her. She took her seat at the board, and,
-after customary formalities, the morning repast was begun.
-
-The prince had made no reference to his friend, the tzin; but was,
-nevertheless, much concerned about him, and, without further delay,
-inquired:
-
-"Teochma, I would hear something of Euetzin. Have you any knowledge of
-his whereabouts?"
-
-"Not of a certainty. He expected to be in Tlacopan about this time, if
-nothing should occur to occasion delay."
-
-"I wish that I might see him; but driven, as I am, to hasten on, I can
-not hope to be so fortunate." After a short pause he continued: "How
-long did he stop with you on his way out?"
-
-"Only one evening--a brief stay, indeed; too brief to satisfy a
-mother's heart," answered Teochma.
-
-"Yes, the time, no doubt, seemed very short to you," returned
-Hualcoyotl, "but the errand on which he has gone is of too great
-importance to admit of delay, and no one realizes it more than he."
-
-"We do not underrate his mission, noble friend, yet feel our
-deprivation none the less," replied the mother.
-
-"I believe you, good Teochma; and, be assured, if our cause is
-triumphant, the reward shall be commensurate."
-
-"Why should a reward be looked for by anyone in a revolt against
-Tepanec oppression, save the deliverance of our people? The hope of
-freedom for Tezcuco, and the privilege of helping to gain it, ought to
-be a sufficient reward, and I am sure it would be for my brother Euet,"
-said Itlza with a fervency which was a surprise to the prince. He
-looked at her well pleased, and said:
-
-"You are a true and loyal daughter of Tezcuco, Itlza, and I thank you
-for your patriotic words. They are as pure gold, and could only emanate
-from the heart of a child of Zelmozin and Teochma." As he spoke the
-prince's eyes were fixed upon her with an expression of admiration and
-deep sincerity.
-
-"Hualcoyotl gives me entirely too much credit for my bit of enthusiasm.
-It is not deserving of so much praise as he has seen fit to bestow upon
-it," replied she, somewhat confused by the earnestness of his language.
-
-"Your feelings, which prompt you to depreciate the very laudable
-sentiment which you so forcibly expressed, and of which I could not
-withhold my approval, are only natural; they could not be otherwise,
-yet do not alter the case. I am glad the words were spoken in my
-presence, and I shall remember them because they were yours," he
-gallantly responded.
-
-The prince was deeply and favorably impressed with the artlessness and
-womanly bearing of his young friend, and had circumstances permitted
-him to follow the lead of the thoughts which at that moment filled his
-mind he would certainly have studied to win her love. The affections
-which held the heart of the boy for the little girl had not died out.
-His hungry heart was quickly ablaze from the smouldering spark when
-fanned by the coy and winsome smile of Itlza, but he would not, then,
-situated as he was, build on a hope which in all probability could
-never be realized; still, he made a mental resolve, should fortune
-favor his cause, to claim the charming Itlza for his queen.
-
-In the conversation which followed, the prince appreciating the danger
-which menaced his peace of mind, and which he felt was already yielding
-to the subtle influence of Itlza's presence, gave his attention more
-closely to Teochma. The topics of conversation varied, but finally
-reverted to the tzin. As they arose from their seats at the conclusion
-of breakfast, the prince said:
-
-"I have faith in your noble son, good Teochma, and believe he will yet
-occupy a high place among the warriors of his people. Considering him a
-born leader of men, I have entrusted my future interests to his hands
-with a perfect confidence. If he should fail, it will be because he has
-undertaken an impossibility. But, Teochma, good mother of my friend, do
-not be discouraged; he will not fail."
-
-"Your faith in my son is very gratifying. We will hope, with you, for
-the best," she replied.
-
-The prince retired to his room, where he sat long, meditating on the
-possibilities of the future; and as the panoramic pages of fantasy
-passed athwart his brain, a picture not unlike the laughing face of
-Itlza beamed upon him from everyone.
-
-The day passed in solitude to him. He would not risk exposure, and,
-therefore, remained in close seclusion.
-
-Night and darkness came at last, and soon after Oza made his
-appearance.
-
-At an early hour the fugitives took their departure from the villa.
-
-When about to leave, the prince said, as a further encouragement to his
-friends:
-
-"Have courage, good Teochma." Then turning to Itlza, he continued with
-a fervency he did not try to conceal: "And you, my boyhood's sweet
-child friend, continue faithful to the cause for which, in golden
-words, you have proven your devotion."
-
-Addressing both, he spoke hopefully: "The darkness of the night is but
-the obscurance of the sun, the giver of light; so the darkness of this
-hour in our country's enthrallment, let us hope, but precedes the dawn
-of a bright and glorious day for her. Farewell, dear friends. May the
-gods of our fathers shield and keep you!"
-
-He turned away, and a moment later was gone.
-
-The mother and daughter were again alone; and thus we leave them to
-contemplate, in sad silence, the rapidly changing conditions of their
-lives.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX.
-
-
-The close and intimate relation of tutor and pupil, which was sustained
-between Itzalmo and Hualcoyotl for so long a period, gives the
-character of the former a certain degree of prominence. We, therefore,
-at this point, return to the Tezcucan palace to follow for a brief time
-the fortunes, or more fittingly the misfortunes, of the old servitor.
-
-By reason of the peculiar and unfortunate circumstances which
-surrounded him, the old preceptor was brought under the malicious
-displeasure of the king, and caused to suffer for his fidelity to his
-young master. Before entering on an account of what befell him, a few
-preliminary references will be necessary.
-
-The king's officer, after reporting the failure of the expedition sent
-out to destroy Hualcoyotl, returned to Tezcuco and established himself
-in the palace with a view to prosecuting the search for him.
-
-The attendants of the prince's limited household were not disturbed,
-except being required to serve the officer and his men.
-
-Itzalmo retired to his apartment, out of which he was seldom seen.
-
-The idea that the prince was concealed somewhere in the palace was soon
-abandoned, and for a few days nothing occurred to cause commotion or
-interrupt the quiet of the place. Thus matters stood, when one morning
-a soldier accidentally came upon the secret door through which the
-prince made his escape. The discovery was reported to the officer, who,
-after making a thorough investigation, in turn reported it to the king.
-
-The officer, in advising the king of the discovery, also reported
-Itzalmo as, in his opinion, having knowledge of the prince's
-whereabouts. Maxtla instructed him to question the old man with a view
-to gaining such information as would lead to the capture of the
-fugitive. If he refused to impart the desired information, the officer
-was ordered to bring him before his majesty.
-
-Itzalmo was kept posted with reference to the prince's movements, and
-was aware of his having gone to seek refuge in the mountains. He was
-sorely troubled because of the perils to which his _protégé_ would be
-exposed, and he no longer at hand to advise and assist him. No thought
-of impending danger to himself had entered his mind. His concern for
-his young master had caused him to entirely overlook such a
-contingency.
-
-It was about noon of the day following that on which Hualcoyotl left
-the weaver's cottage that the old Tezcucan received a summons to appear
-before the king's officer. He was at once aroused to a realization of
-the fact that peril might be threatening him. The impression that such
-was the case came with so much force that he hesitated for a moment, in
-indecision, as to what course he should pursue. It was only for a
-moment, for, on second thought, he decided to answer the summons, but
-did so with the gravest apprehension. When he entered the officer's
-presence, that individual said:
-
-"You are Itzalmo, Prince Hualcoyotl's instructor and adviser, are you
-not?"
-
-"I have been, for many years, the prince's preceptor," he replied.
-
-"You have been more than a preceptor to him; you have not only taught,
-but directed him by your counsel, and have at all times stood sentinel
-over his person. It was you who effected his escape, thus placing
-yourself in opposition to the king, in defiance of his authority.
-Further than this, I am of opinion that you know where he is concealed,
-and have so reported to the king. The secret of his sudden
-disappearance is at last in our possession. The hidden door through
-which he quit the palace has been disclosed, and the concealed
-passageway explored, leaving no doubt as to how he eluded us. As yours
-was the directing hand, we advise you to secure immunity from the
-penalty of your conduct by revealing to the king the prince's hiding
-place. By doing so you will remain undisturbed in your present
-quarters; otherwise, the orders are to take you before the king."
-
-"If such are your orders, your duty is plain; perform it. I am in your
-power," was Itzalmo's calm reply.
-
-"You refuse to impart the information, do you?" questioned the officer.
-
-"You are answered, for you have said it."
-
-"Such being your decision, you will get ready to accompany me to the
-king's palace at once. Here, soldier," he called to one of his men,
-"attend Itzalmo to his apartment, and when he is ready, return with him
-to this room. Do not tarry, old man," said he, again addressing
-Itzalmo. "There is no time to lose, for the day is already more than
-half gone."
-
-Guarded by the soldier, Itzalmo went to his room, where he made a
-hurried preparation to go to Azcapozalco, before the king. When he was
-ready he was reconducted to the officer's presence, and after a short
-delay placed in charge of two men, who, with him between them, followed
-the officer from the palace.
-
-The distance from Tezcuco to the Tepanec capital was not great, and
-yet, to a pedestrian, quite a journey. While to the soldiers it was
-only pastime to travel it, to Itzalmo, who was unaccustomed to walking,
-it was long and tiresome.
-
-The day was well spent when the party set out, and only a few leagues
-were covered when darkness overtook them. The officer was not disposed
-to do any traveling after night came on, so on coming to a station
-where persons going to and from the capital were wont to stop, he put
-up. This was a great relief to Itzalmo, for it divided the journey and
-gave him a full night's rest.
-
-They were on the road again at an early hour the next morning, and
-arrived at their destination late in the afternoon, after a hard day's
-travel. On arriving at the palace grounds, the officer led the way
-through a spacious court into the building, going directly to the
-audience hall, which was found closed, the king and his council having
-retired.
-
-A messenger was dispatched to inform the king of the arrival from
-Tezcuco of the officer with Itzalmo.
-
-Maxtla was found in his private apartments, walking back and forth
-across the floor in a disturbed and agitated state of mind. It might
-well have been said of him: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
-He was beginning to realize that his course would prove disastrous to
-his authority should he fail in his designs upon the life of his rival.
-He was angered to the verge of desperation by the humiliation and
-chagrin he felt in consequence of the failure of all his attempts to
-destroy the prince. The good Itzalmo had, indeed, fallen under
-calamitous circumstances, and could expect only the direst consequences
-because of his loyalty to his royal pupil.
-
-The king's slaves were near at hand, listening for his slightest
-command, ready to execute it instantly.
-
-The messenger was announced, and, on coming into the presence of his
-master, prostrated himself before him, at the same time delivering the
-message.
-
-"Arise," said Maxtla, "and return; say that the king will attend."
-
-The messenger withdrew, and the king, after summoning his council,
-followed. He entered the audience hall, and ascended to his seat on the
-throne. A moment later his advisers filed in, and took their accustomed
-places about him. Itzalmo's official conductor now advanced before the
-throne, and, making his obeisance, said:
-
-"The orders of the king, with reference to the old instructor of the
-Tezcucan prince, have been obeyed. He has refused to impart to your
-servant the information asked for, and has been brought here to appear
-before your majesty. What is my master's pleasure, concerning him?"
-
-"We would question the old Tezcucan. You will present him before us."
-
-When Itzalmo's official conductor went forward to learn the king's
-pleasure with reference to the disposal of his charge he left him in
-care of the two soldiers. While awaiting the officer's return the tired
-prisoner was permitted to sit down. The journey had left its impress of
-weariness upon him, and even a moment off his feet was a welcome
-relief.
-
-The old man entertained no hope of clemency, for it was not in his
-nature to be else than loyal to his young master, which would bring
-upon him the infliction of a most terrible doom--a death of purposely
-protracted agony. Yet, as he sat there dumb and motionless, he
-presented a perfect picture of stoicism. If a thought in anticipation
-of his impending fate disturbed his mind he did not show it. Such a
-mind as his, however, could not possibly avoid dwelling upon the
-possibilities of the hour; and it naturally followed that, under the
-exhibition of supreme indifference which he presented, there was an
-active intelligence present, the run of which no move or sign attested.
-
-The officer presently returned, and Itzalmo was told to arise and
-follow. A few steps brought him to the throne, where he was presented
-before the king and his council. He appeared haggard and worn, yet his
-bearing was firm and dignified. He did not forget his duty as a
-subject, though an unwilling one, but saluted the king in the usual
-manner.
-
-Maxtla bade him rise, and said:
-
-"We are told that you are Itzalmo, the person who has been tutor and
-counselor to the prince of Tezcuco. Are we correctly informed?"
-
-"Itzalmo is before the king. He has been the preceptor and servant of
-Hualcoyotl, the prince," he answered, decorously.
-
-"We know what your relation to the prince has been, and think you have
-served him well," replied Maxtla, rather mildly for him. He had an
-object, however, in dealing thus with his prisoner. "We also have
-reason to believe that his present place of concealment is known to
-you," he continued. "Your presence here is by our order, and the
-council's approval. We would obtain from you information which will
-lead to the royal fugitive's apprehension. Will you give it?" he
-concluded, a little more firmly.
-
-"I am before your majesty because your officer failed to gain the
-information you want. Itzalmo is not a woman. Let that suffice for his
-answer," he replied fearlessly.
-
-"You will give us the information we want, or suffer the consequence of
-your obstinacy," returned the king, his anger rising. "Your hand, old
-man, has been the one to defeat, in every instance, the efforts made to
-destroy the disturber of our peace. You have forfeited our clemency;
-yet if you will tell us where the prince may be found, your life shall
-be spared; you shall go free, and have great riches beside. Will you
-speak the words which shall give you life, liberty, and wealth, or will
-you persist in being obstinate, and bring upon yourself the
-consequences of your treasonable conduct?"
-
-"Maxtla is a mighty king; Itzalmo an old man, whose life is of little
-account to anyone, least of all to himself. Was his life a thousand
-times more valuable than it is, it would yet be as many times too small
-a price to purchase that which you ask. Itzalmo has lived true to his
-prince, and will die as he has lived. Let Maxtla do his worst; I have
-spoken," was the heroic reply of the old Tezcucan.
-
-"You forget, old man, in whose presence you are, and to whom you speak.
-Know you, that a word from us would consign you to the sacrifice? Have
-a care, or your age may not save you," said the tyrant, his face
-darkening with suppressed passion. He paused and looked with an angry
-scowl upon the brave and silent man before him. "Hark you, Itzalmo," he
-continued, "and mark well what I say; if you give us not the
-information we have asked for, it is our decree that you shall starve;
-yes, rot, in the lowest and foulest dungeon at our disposal. For the
-last time I ask, will you divulge the prince's hiding place?" The
-rising wrath of the tyrant was fearful to behold, and would have shaken
-the firmness of a less courageous man than Itzalmo; but his answer was
-in keeping with his character.
-
-"The threats of Maxtla are to Itzalmo as the play of the idle winds,"
-said he. "The king may kill, but he can not force Itzalmo to turn
-traitor to his prince. Clemency I do not expect, but death. I am done."
-
-"Take the insolent traitor hence, and put him where the light of the
-sun will never reach him. There let him die the death, if he will, inch
-by inch. Away with him ere in our wrath we strike him dead," fairly
-roared the infuriated and disappointed despot.
-
-Itzalmo was half dragged from the presence of the king and his council,
-out of the audience chamber, and down a massive stairway to a wide hall
-below; thence back to a narrow, paved court at the rear of the palace.
-A flight of stairs led from this court to a hallway below, which ran
-far back under the building. The old Tezcucan was hurried down these
-stairs and along the hall to another stairway, which led still lower
-down to a subterranean passage. Here a light was obtained, and the
-party descended. When the passageway was gained, a turn to the left was
-made, and directly another. They went quite a distance before changing
-their course again, when they entered a narrow avenue leading to the
-right, at the end of which were located a number of dungeon cells. Into
-one of these Itzalmo was thrust, and informed that nothing but death or
-a compliance with the king's demands would deliver him from it.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X.
-
-
-The prince left Zelmonco villa with an added weight to the gloom which
-burdened his soul and saddened immeasurably his heart. A new feeling
-possessed him--a feeling which had been awakened by the charm of a
-contact with the object of his boyhood's affections. It seemed to have
-suddenly become a part of his being, arousing within him almost a sense
-of bitterness at his unhappy lot. His good sense, however, came to his
-support. While the sentiment which had aroused the disturbing feelings
-that oppressed him was not adverse to his sensibilities, but, on the
-contrary, one that he would have gladly encouraged; still, to yield to
-it at such a time, he felt, was unworthy of his manhood. He accordingly
-set his face toward the mountains, and turned his back upon the
-attractions which lured him from his purpose, and went forward to
-achieve the object for which he had started out--the present security
-of his person and life, and the ultimate liberation of his people.
-
-It was several leagues from the villa to the home of the loyal
-Tezcucan; yet, under ordinary circumstances, the distance could have
-been covered easily before morning, with time to spare; for the natives
-were a people who traveled very rapidly when the occasion required it.
-But the prince was a fugitive, fleeing from the emissaries of his
-relentless foe, and had to be continually on his guard against
-surprise. As a consequence his progress was greatly impeded, and
-daylight found him still on the road. However, he was not discovered,
-and his journey of the night finally ended in safety.
-
-By lying over through one day, and traveling one more night, the
-fugitives would arrive at a point where discovery by recognition was
-considered a very remote probability. This being the case, the balance
-of the journey could then be pursued by daylight with little fear of
-detection. Accordingly the prince and his companion rested and
-refreshed themselves at the house of the former's friend, until
-evening, when their journey was resumed.
-
-Another night on the road was gone through, which carried them well on
-their way toward the mountains. At the approach of the morning's dawn a
-secluded spot off from the highway was looked for, where a few hours'
-sleep could be had without fear of molestation. Such a spot was found,
-and the tired and travel-worn sojourners gave themselves over to
-recuperation in the forgetfulness of slumber.
-
-The sun was well up toward the meridian when they awoke from a
-refreshing sleep and resumed their journey.
-
-At the end of a league or more they came to a small hamlet where
-much-needed refreshments were procured. Being greatly invigorated by
-having partaken of a substantial meal, they proceeded on their way with
-increased confidence.
-
-Several leagues were covered without interruption, and the wayfarers
-were beginning to feel quite free from anxiety, when, about the third
-or fourth hour of the afternoon, their fancied security was disturbed
-and grave apprehension aroused by the appearance, in front of them, of
-a party of six Tepanec soldiers. They were near a bend in the road, and
-the approach of the soldiers was not observed until too late to avoid
-meeting them by turning aside. To have done this after being seen would
-have aroused suspicion in the minds of the advancing troop, and caused
-the immediate detention and possible recognition of the fugitives.
-Their only safety, under the circumstances, lay in going
-straightforward and taking the chances of discovery. When they came
-face to face with the soldiers, great was the prince's surprise and
-perturbation at recognizing in a member of the band one of his guests
-of the day on which he fled the palace. Should he be recognized he
-could scarcely hope to escape, as the only, means of defense he carried
-was a stout walking-stick, while Oza did not have even a stick. He
-realized fully the peril of the moment, and felt it to be more critical
-than any he had been called upon to pass through. Walking boldly
-forward, he passed the soldiers. That strange sense of uneasiness and
-uncertainty which is produced by the mingling of hope and
-apprehension--a feeling often experienced by those who are on the
-border between danger and safety, was upon him.
-
-"Halt!" came the stern command which broke the spell, and caused him to
-look back. "You are the one addressed," continued one of the soldiers,
-who appeared to be the leader of the band, in answer to the prince's
-inquiring look.
-
-"From whom comes the authority for halting a traveler thus on the
-highway?" demanded the prince, in return.
-
-"That, you shall quickly learn," answered the soldier. "From Maxtla,
-the king, comes the authority for halting you. You are the fugitive
-prince, Hualcoyotl, whom we have orders to secure, dead or alive. I now
-command you, in the king's name, to surrender. If you are not Prince
-Hualcoyotl, you will be quickly restored to liberty."
-
-"What reason have you for supposing that you now address the person of
-Prince Hualcoyotl?" inquired he.
-
-"This man," said the soldier, pointing to the one previously recognized
-by the prince, "is my informant. He saw you at your palace, he says,
-the day you escaped from the king's officer."
-
-"He is mistaken," returned the prince. "I am a chief, going on
-important business. You will do well not to detain me."
-
-As he said this, Hualcoyotl turned to move on.
-
-"Halt! or we will make your body a target for our arrows," called the
-soldier, imperatively, and his men brought their bows to place, to
-carry the threat into execution. At the same time the speaker advanced
-in the direction of the prince.
-
-"Stop, soldier!" exclaimed Hualcoyotl, in a voice of command which
-caused the warrior to pause. "Advance farther at your peril," he
-continued, swinging his heavy stick into position to defend himself.
-"The life of him who approaches me with evil intent shall pay the
-penalty of his temerity."
-
-"You can not escape us, Prince Hualcoyotl. The orders are to secure
-you, and you will have to yield," said the soldier.
-
-"Never! except by force. If you want me, take me," was the prince's
-defiant answer.
-
-"Then take you we will; alive if we can, dead if we must. Forward,
-men!" Two of the soldiers gave their attention to Oza, while the other
-four advanced quickly but cautiously upon the prince. A determined
-effort was made to get in on him, but without avail.
-
-Hualcoyotl was a strong man, vigorous and skillful, and being
-forewarned was not to be taken without a desperate struggle. The stout
-stick in his trained hand was a weapon to be feared. He succeeded in
-beating off his assailants, and stood eyeing them like a fierce animal
-at bay, grim and defiant.
-
-Oza was quickly secured by the two soldiers, who now came to the
-assistance of their comrades. Another advance was made upon the prince,
-the soldiers approaching him from every point. He met them with heavy,
-telling blows, and one of their number went down under his stick to
-rise no more. It was a fiercely contested struggle, and had the stick
-in the prince's hand been a more formidable weapon the soldiers would
-have found in him more than a match. But skill, backed by only a heavy
-walking stick, though wielded by a strong right arm, could not long
-hold out against such odds. He saw that he would be compelled to yield,
-and was about to do so, when, to his great astonishment, and the
-amazement of his assailants, a shout rang out upon the air at their
-very ears, which staggered the soldiers for the moment with confusion.
-Before they could recover they were attacked with the deadly Indian
-sword, the _maquahuitl_, in the hands of one who evidently knew how to
-use it. The struggle was quickly terminated. The suddenness of the
-onslaught, and its fatal result to two of the party, who were placed
-_hors de combat_, filled the survivors with consternation, which caused
-them to seek safety in flight. A number of arrows were sent after them
-by the newcomer, which had the effect of facilitating their departure,
-and they were soon out of sight.
-
-Oza was quickly released from his uncomfortable predicament, and found
-to have received no personal injury.
-
-Saluting his rescuer in a very humble manner, the prince said:
-
-"To whom are we indebted for our happy deliverance?"
-
-"To a hunter, only," replied the newcomer, who was none other than our
-recent acquaintance, Cacami, the Tezcucan hunter, whom we left enjoying
-the hospitality of the mountaineer, Tezcot, and who was now _en route_
-home. "Seeing you unfairly set upon by a troop of villainous Tepanec
-soldiers," he went on, "I thought I'd take a hand, and see how quickly
-fled the cowardly pack, except these three--" He paused to examine the
-fallen soldiers, to learn what was their condition, and then continued,
-"who, I fear, are past the aid of man."
-
-"Your coming, friend, was most timely; a moment later and we would have
-been in their power," said the prince.
-
-"That was about the situation, stranger, as I saw it," returned the
-hunter.
-
-"You have done us a very great service, and I regret that we are unable
-to suitably reward you. Words will not do it, which leaves us poor,
-indeed, at this moment. An expression of our deep gratitude is all we
-have to offer you. Inadequate as it is, it is sincere," spoke the
-prince, feelingly.
-
-"There is nothing to reward, friend, nor is there any call for an
-expression of gratitude. What I did for you I would do for another,
-under the same circumstances," replied Cacami, who was disposed to
-depreciate the service he had rendered the prince.
-
-"And yet you would be justified in pronouncing us ungrateful were we
-silent and unfeeling in the matter," said Hualcoyotl.
-
-"I only did my duty, stranger; that's all. So, say no more about it,"
-persisted the hunter.
-
-"You will at least give us your name," urged the prince. "We would be
-glad to know and remember it."
-
-Cacami looked at the dead soldiers, two of them victims of his own
-sword; and realizing the magnitude of his offence against the king,
-decided not to make himself known. He said, very courteously, in reply
-to the prince:
-
-"I do not doubt your gratitude, friend, for the service rendered you.
-It was done impulsively, and with unfortunate result to two of these
-men, lying here, dead, almost at our feet. I would not be remembered
-for such service, and beg that you will permit me to pass on unknown."
-
-"We will not press you, hunter, but deeply regret that your feelings
-lead you to withhold your name. You have done a greater service than
-you can at present be aware of," pursued the prince in tones which
-conveyed an impression of mystery. "Should you become known to us, we
-will, if in our power, reward you for it in a fitting manner."
-
-Cacami looked wonderingly at the prince, because of the hidden
-significance which was evident in his remark. He was, apparently, on
-the point of putting an inquiry, but suddenly changed his mind,
-answering only by a look of depreciation.
-
-The prince, casting his eyes in the direction taken by the retreating
-soldiers, continued, by saying:
-
-"Our assailants may return with assistance; I think we had better be
-gone. In parting from you, hunter, we would once more express our
-gratitude, with a hope that we may meet again, under more auspicious
-circumstances."
-
-"All right, stranger; I join you in the hope, but have no doubt that
-this little incident will have been forgotten then," returned Cacami.
-
-"No, that could not be; at least, not by one of us."
-
-With these words the prince turned away, and moved rapidly down the
-road, followed by his attendant.
-
-Cacami's appearance and outfit bespoke him the citizen hunter. The
-Indian sword (_maquahuitl_) he carried marked him as such, for hunters,
-as a class, did not carry that weapon, on account of its weight. He was
-undoubtedly a successful hunter if the game secured was taken into
-account. Standing some distance off from where he was were two men who
-proved to be his servants. They had charge of a fine collection of
-birds and small animals, which he had secured since leaving Tezcot's.
-The men appeared to be awaiting orders from him; for on being signaled
-to move up they did so promptly.
-
-The dead soldiers were moved to one side of the road by Cacami and his
-men, and left there to be disposed of by others, or, possibly, to
-become prey for carnivorous birds and beasts.
-
-So soon as the prince and Oza got beyond the bend in the highway and
-out of view, they betook themselves to the fields and woods for better
-protection. Hualcoyotl's confidence in his security was gone, and he
-again became the anxious and watchful fugitive.
-
-The mountains, in which refuge and safety were sought, were finally
-reached. In a fastness among the rocks the prince found a fairly
-comfortable retreat, and preparations were made for a temporary sojourn
-in it.
-
-The soldiers who escaped the deadly sword of the hunter, instead of
-returning to look after their unfortunate companions, hurried to the
-nearest point and reported their adventure to the military.
-
-This was the first information received by the Tepanec authorities of
-the prince's whereabouts. Troops were dispatched immediately in the
-direction of the mountains in pursuit of him, and his place of
-concealment soon became menaced by straggling bands of them, making the
-matter of procuring food a very serious one. It was hardly safe for the
-fugitives to venture out on the mountain, leaving out of the question
-the idea of going from it. For days they had nothing to eat except
-roots and berries; as a consequence, their situation became very
-distressing.
-
-The prince insisted that Oza should return to Tezcuco, and leave him to
-his fate, but the faithful slave would not hear to it.
-
-"Why sacrifice two lives, Oza, when one may be saved?" urged he.
-
-"It is useless to urge me, good master; I would be a base coward to
-leave you now," was the loyal answer.
-
-"As you please, but remember you are free to go whenever you so
-desire," said the generous prince.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI.
-
-
-The mission which tzin Euet had undertaken to perform was essentially
-one of secrecy. The fact that he was little known outside of Tezcuco
-was greatly to his advantage, making it unnecessary for him to lay
-aside his personality. He assumed the character of a trader prospecting
-for future business. His primary object was to obtain certain
-information which he could not secure except by contact with his fellow
-Tezcucans, and then only through their confidence, which he was very
-successful in gaining.
-
-The tzin was a young man of superior natural resources, and, being of
-an agreeable and affable disposition, his efforts were rewarded in a
-very satisfactory degree. He found the thoughtful men of his tribe,
-outside of Tezcuco, ready to talk sedition to anyone whom they could
-trust; and, as the sum of the tyrant's inhumanity grew in proportion
-with the passing of every sun, their language became more pronounced.
-
-The young agitator quickly came to the conclusion that the times were
-almost ripe for insurrection, and decided to proceed at an early day to
-practical measures--which meant the organization of an army of
-resistance.
-
-The attempted assassination of Hualcoyotl at his palace, and his sudden
-and mysterious disappearance, followed by the issuing of the king's
-proclamation, making him an outlaw with a price upon his life, when
-brought to the tzin's notice, caused him the deepest anxiety.
-Realizing, however, that his presence would be of no advantage to the
-fugitive, even could he reach him, he continued to prosecute his
-mission, holding, at all times, an open ear for further information
-regarding him. He obtained no additional intelligence of his friend,
-meanwhile, which worried him considerably; so much, indeed, that he
-decided, on arriving at Tlacopan, to return to Tezcuco in quest of it.
-He set out accordingly, and later on we find him at a small village
-within a short day's journey of his destination, where he has just
-entered a hostelry with a view to procuring supper and a night's
-lodging. On entering the hostelry he cast his eyes about him, as a
-person will at entering a public place, especially if a strange one.
-They fell upon a young man whose appearance was that of a hunter, and,
-for some undefinable cause--a congeniality of spirit possibly--which
-under peculiar conditions draws one person unconsciously toward
-another--his attention was instantly attracted to him. The young man
-was, seemingly, weary; for at the moment in which the tzin entered he
-was more sleeping than waking. He was disturbed by the look which was
-fixed upon him, and raised his eyes, revealing to us again the now
-familiar countenance of the hunter Cacami, who only a few hours before
-had saved, unawares, the life of the fugitive prince. An expression of
-inquiry came over his face, as much as to say: "Did you speak?"
-
-Euetzin moved near to where he sat, and addressed him.
-
-Cacami straightened himself up, and a conversation was opened.
-
-Following a few incidental remarks, the tzin said:
-
-"You appear to be a stranger here, like myself."
-
-"Yes, I am; entirely so. My home is more than a day's journey from this
-place," replied Cacami.
-
-"If I read you correctly, you are a Tezcucan," continued the tzin.
-
-"If a man at this time may make such a claim, yes. I live with my
-father, who resides about two leagues north of the city of Tezcuco."
-
-"Are you going to or from home?" inquired the tzin, hoping it might be
-the former, in which case he would have a companion for the rest of his
-journey.
-
-"I am homeward bound, and have only stopped for the night, intending to
-go on in the morning."
-
-"I am glad to hear you say that," replied the tzin, his face
-brightening. "My destination is Tezcuco, or near there," he continued,
-"and it would please me much to be permitted to join you for the
-remainder of my journey."
-
-"Nothing would suit me better; so let us consider it settled that we
-will travel together," replied Cacami, well pleased.
-
-"I find it very solitary traveling alone," pursued the inexperienced
-tzin. "A good companion is appreciable when one is on the road."
-
-"Yes, that is true; and yet I have learned that a person may become
-accustomed to traveling unattended."
-
-"You have the appearance of being a hunter; is that your occupation?"
-inquired Euetzin.
-
-"Not exactly. I am what you might call a citizen hunter. I do not hunt
-with the object of gain. My father is a wealthy farmer and trader;
-consequently there is no hurry for me to choose an occupation. Being
-inclined to the chase, I devote a part of my time in its pursuit."
-
-"You would make a fine soldier," remarked the tzin, his thoughts
-reverting to the subject in which he was immediately interested. "Have
-you never thought of the warrior's calling as being especially suitable
-for a man of your superior physique?"
-
-"Yes, I have thought of it," replied Cacami, at the same time looking
-searchingly at his questioner. "And should the future bring the
-opportunity which would make it agreeable for me to do so, I may adopt
-the calling. I would not be a soldier of the ranks, however, for I
-could not endure the drudgery of such a life. I engage in the practice
-of arms a great deal, and delight in the pursuit."
-
-"Then you are, no doubt, well skilled in using them."
-
-"Yes, especially in handling the javelin. I have given that arm much
-study, and think I may claim to be fairly good at throwing it. The bow
-and maquahuitl are not strange to me; I can use them when it is
-necessary," he replied, showing confidence in his skill.
-
-The conversation was here interrupted by the announcement of supper,
-and was not again renewed during the evening.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The morning succeeding the evening on which Euetzin and Cacami met in
-the public apartment of the hostelry was an auspicious one for the
-young men, promising them an enjoyable day's journey together. At a
-seasonable hour they took the road for Tezcuco, and stimulated by a
-delicious and bracing atmosphere, fairly bounded over the ground as
-they passed from the village into the open country. Notwithstanding the
-invigorating effect of the pure morning air upon them, they were not
-very communicative when first starting out. They had not yet awakened
-to an appreciation of the life and beauty which lay before them.
-
-The country through which the travelers had to pass was grandly
-beautiful and picturesque, impressing the reflective beholder with a
-sublime conception of Nature's enchanting handiwork.
-
-To the left of them, stretching away in the distance, were the placid
-waters of lake Tezcuco, on the unruffled bosom of which, here and
-there, floated the garden and home of some ingenious Aztec, the like of
-which a century later presented a scene of astonishment and wonder to
-the Spanish conquerors. To their right, gently rising toward the
-ascending sun, swept a view of incomparable loveliness--a view which
-was then unsullied by the touch of vandal hands; now, alas! marred and
-scarred by the march and tread of a rapacious and unappreciative
-civilization.
-
-The day, which was one of sunshine and fruition, grew apace, and the
-young men became more companionable as their knowledge of each other
-widened. The tzin early inquired the name of his fellow sojourner, and,
-also, by making himself known, drew from him his views on tribal
-affairs. When he had gained this, to him, important information, he
-expressed himself as follows:
-
-"I thank you for your frankness; and would add that I not only hope,
-but believe, our coming together at this time will lead to a true and
-profitable comradeship. Tezcuco needs the aid of all her true sons to
-reestablish her in her former place among the nations of Anahuac, to
-accomplish which the courage and patriotism of her people will be
-sorely tested. War to the death must be met and stubbornly waged ere
-that desirable end may be reached. In such a test of courage, where, I
-would ask, will be found the hunter, Cacami?"
-
-"I would not be counted a boaster," replied the hunter; "but, when the
-test is required of me, the friend of Hualcoyotl may be assured that my
-arm will be found where maquahuitl and javelin shall find the most to
-do for Tezcuco's deliverance."
-
-"You say well, O Cacami, and I commend you heartily!" exclaimed the
-tzin, approvingly. "The same spirit of loyalty which inspires you
-inspires all the best men of our tribe. Take heart with me, O friend,
-for the future holds, at least, a hope of freedom for our country."
-
-The tzin's zeal affected his companion not a little, who added an
-unqualified wish that the hope might not be a vain one.
-
-The day passed pleasantly away, bringing the wayfarers, at a late hour
-in the afternoon, to a point opposite Zelmonco villa, which was
-situated some distance off from the highway.
-
-Cacami was counting on reaching Tezcuco, a league and a half further
-on, before night, where he purposed stopping until morning. When the
-time came for parting company, Euetzin interfered very materially with
-his plans by extending to him a cordial invitation to become his guest,
-pressing the invitation with so much earnestness that he reluctantly
-consented.
-
-The young hunter had impressed the tzin most favorably, and, in
-addition to extending to him the hospitality of his home, he designed
-making an ally of him.
-
-The villa was a full half league from the main thoroughfare, but the
-young men were good walkers, and soon had the satisfaction of ending
-their day's journey.
-
-The park, fronting the villa, was gained; and as they passed up through
-it, Cacami was forcibly struck with its great attractiveness--a
-veritable hill of flowers, showing, in its conception, an advanced
-degree of tact and taste.
-
-Teochma saw her beloved boy coming up the walk, and came hurriedly to
-meet him. He saluted her affectionately, and, in turn, was joyfully
-welcomed back to his home.
-
-Cacami was kindly received, and on bended knee, as was the custom,
-rendered respectful obeisance to the mother of his friend.
-
-"We give you a hearty welcome to Zelmonco," she said, cordially.
-
-"Your kindness is most gratifying, especially since we meet as
-strangers," he humbly replied.
-
-"We meet as strangers, 'tis true, but will part as friends, I'm sure,"
-she answered, affably. "Our door is always open. The stranger may enter
-it, even as a friend. Come," she concluded, turning toward the villa
-door, at which they were met by Itlza, the sight of whom was a genuine
-surprise to Cacami. Euetzin had said very little to him regarding his
-family, and nothing at all of her. The young hunter was, therefore, not
-expecting to meet a maiden--especially one of such peculiar
-attractiveness.
-
-The brother and sister greeted each other lovingly, and Cacami was made
-known to the latter. She received his salutation with coy reserve, and
-the surprised young man said:
-
-"This is a pleasure I was not looking for. That my friend might have a
-sister never once entered my mind."
-
-Observing the brightness of her beautiful, sparkling eyes, he was led
-to express almost abruptly, but in a voice full of unfeigned
-admiration, the thought they inspired:
-
-"Itlza is a very pretty name," he said; "yet, if I might be permitted
-to do so, I would substitute another--one that would be peculiarly
-appropriate."
-
-They all bent upon him an inquiring look, which encouraged him to go
-on. Continuing, he said, gayly: "'The Laughing-eyes'; would not that be
-delightfully expressive?"
-
-Cacami's implied admiration for the rare beauty of Itlza's eyes, which
-was her redeeming attractiveness, was not a breach of any rule of
-native etiquette, but, to her friends and herself, only a pleasing mark
-of his appreciation. The tzin looked surprised, but not displeased;
-Teochma smiled a loving approval, while Itlza blushingly showed her
-gratification in the pleased look which lit up her face.
-
-"Cacami is very free with his compliments," said the mother; "and, as a
-flatterer, might prove a dangerous acquaintance."
-
-"I am not a flatterer, I assure you. My compliments are only bestowed
-where they are deserved," he replied, looking at Itlza.
-
-"There, that will do for an introduction," quoth she, turning away.
-
-The hunting outfit of the guest was passed to a servant to be cared
-for, and, following Itzla, all entered the villa.
-
-A brief description of Cacami will not, we think, be out of place just
-here. He was tall and finely formed; straight as an arrow, and agile as
-an ocelotl. His countenance was, usually, placidity itself, though
-easily disturbed by an excited emotion. It was a pleasant face, and
-gave out a favorable impression--the expression of it being open and
-candid. His eyes were dark, but not so piercing black as were those of
-most of his race. There was no uncertainty or want of courage in their
-look; they were unhesitatingly fixed on the person or object before
-them with perfect frankness. His complexion was of the lighter cast,
-though showing the effects of exposure from his outdoor life. His mind
-had received the advantages of an early training--such advantages as
-were attainable for a wealthy farmer's son. The practical had not been
-overlooked. He was a farmer by education--a calling which was
-considered by the Aztecs a most honorable one. He had a strong passion
-for the chase, and of late years his time had been divided between the
-field and forest. He also delighted in the sports which were common
-among his people. This led him to become familiar with the use of arms,
-in which he had few, if any, superiors. His fine looks and genial
-disposition made him a favorite wherever he was personally known,
-giving him a decided advantage with the young folk.
-
-The formalities of an introduction being over, the family endeavored to
-make their guest feel at ease. The customary refreshments were served,
-of which the hungry travelers partook liberally.
-
-When the repast was ended, they all repaired to the drawing-room to
-have a talk.
-
-The thoughts which were foremost in the tzin's mind were of his friend
-Hualcoyotl. Almost the first inquiry he made was of him.
-
-"Can my mother tell us aught of the prince?" he asked; and, continuing,
-he said: "I have come all the way from Tlacopan to be informed, having
-failed to learn anything about him since his escape from the palace."
-
-Teochma cast an inquiring look from Euetzin to Cacami, as much as to
-say, "Can we trust him?"
-
-The tzin comprehended, and added:
-
-"Cacami is a true and loyal friend, and may be taken into our
-confidence. My mother need have no fears on his account."
-
-"It is well. Much depends on our guarding carefully the secrets of our
-home, in these times, from those we may not trust. It would not please
-the king to know that we had favored the prince," she answered.
-
-Euetzin caught her meaning, and became deeply interested. Teochma
-continued:
-
-"Hualcoyotl was here, at the villa, four days ago, remaining over one
-sun. He came in the night, and left the following evening. He had one
-attendant with him; Oza, I think he called him. If no ill has befallen
-them, they are now on the mountains, off toward Tlascala. The prince
-went there, hoping to find in the mountain fastnesses a safe refuge
-from his pursuers."
-
-Euetzin looked the picture of surprise, and was slow to speak, while
-Cacami suddenly became deeply concerned; and, when Teochma concluded,
-said, somewhat abruptly and abstrusely:
-
-"A vexing oversight, truly; and lacking in courage as well!"
-
-All eyes were immediately turned upon him, and Teochma asked, much
-astonished at the remark:
-
-"To what do you allude?"
-
-"Forbear, O friends; I would not appear rude. I allude to an incident
-with which I had to do, on my way in from the mountains. Your
-information with reference to the prince's movements, good Teochma, I
-regard as coming to me in the light of a revelation."
-
-"How so?" inquiringly questioned the now interested tzin.
-
-"Your excellent mother has just informed us that Hualcoyotl left
-Zelmonco four days ago, accompanied by one servant, going in the
-direction of Tlascala. Two days later I met with an incident in which,
-I feel assured, I was his defender in an encounter with a band of
-Tepanec soldiers. I have said there was a vexing oversight, also a lack
-of courage; and, I now add, 'twas in my own conduct. Listen, and judge
-me, if you will. Two days ago, as I was coming from the mountains,
-beyond Chalco, I came suddenly on a party of Tepanec soldiers, who were
-making a violent assault upon a traveler. The man had defended himself
-the best he could, with a stout walking-stick, but there were too many
-against him. At the moment of my coming up he was on the point of
-yielding, and, a little later, would have been a prisoner. I grasped my
-sword, which I always carry when I go to the mountains, and made a
-vigorous attack upon them. A few effective strokes sent two of their
-number to earth and the rest to flight. The rescued traveler had one
-attendant, who was lying bound and helpless by the roadside. He was
-quickly released, and found to have received no bodily harm. The
-traveler was very grateful, and expressed himself in warm terms. He
-asked of me my name; but, for what I considered a sufficient reason, I
-begged that he would permit me to pass on unknown. From a peculiar
-remark he made, I was, at one time, almost led to inquire who he was.
-He said I had done a greater service than I could then be aware of,
-which struck me as containing a hidden meaning. Inadvertently, I
-decided not to make the inquiry, which, I see now, was an inexcusable
-oversight. Fearing a return of the soldiers, he again expressed his
-gratitude, and went on toward the mountains. I am quite convinced the
-rescued traveler was none other than Hualcoyotl."
-
-"What was your reason for withholding your name?" asked the tzin.
-
-"I had slain two of the king's men, under circumstances which laid me
-liable to the severest penalty. I considered the course taken the
-safest, not knowing who the traveler was."
-
-"And why do you now look upon your course as an oversight and lacking
-in courage?" questioned the tzin.
-
-"For the reason that, through fear of the tyrant, Maxtla, I was silent,
-making no exertion to learn who it was I had defended," replied Cacami,
-in a self-accusing spirit.
-
-"The traveler, quite likely, would have acted in the matter just as you
-did: declining to inform you. In fact, if it was the prince, I am sure
-he would; for any guarantee you might have given, as to your identity,
-would have been insufficient to satisfy a man fleeing from the wrath of
-the king. I do not think you have cause for self-blame at all, but, on
-the contrary, have for self-approval. You may have been
-overcautious--nothing more. Your conduct was anything but cowardly,
-and, I would assure you, it will not go unrewarded, should our cause
-become propitious. Hualcoyotl has a kind heart, and does not forget a
-generous act, especially where courage is involved, as in this
-instance. If the rescued traveler proves to have been the prince,
-Tezcuco can never render adequate honor to the hunter, Cacami, for
-saving his life," spoke the tzin, whose great affection for his friend
-made him deeply grateful to his rescuer.
-
-"I do not look upon the act of rescuing the traveler as being more than
-the discharge of an obligation which one man owes to another. I would
-have done the same had it been the poorest slave," replied Cacami, in a
-depreciating manner.
-
-"I am sure that you would; that such is the case does not detract from
-the worthiness of the act, but rather magnifies it. A man who acts in
-such emergencies from a sense of duty is deserving of the highest
-consideration. I have only words of praise to bestow upon you. Our love
-for Hualcoyotl makes the act of saving his life doubly meritorious.
-Language fails to express what we feel," returned the tzin, exhibiting
-a deep sensibility.
-
-Euetzin was more than ever impressed with the idea of making an ally of
-his new friend; and, later, sought to gain his consent to join him in
-his work. He explained to him the nature and object of it, and assured
-him how gratified he would be to have his assistance.
-
-Cacami expressed his gratitude for the tzin's confidence, and said,
-further:
-
-Should I follow my own inclination I would join you at once; but,
-notwithstanding I am beyond the age of paternal control, respect for
-the will of my father demands that he should be consulted first. I have
-no doubt as to the result of a conference with him, for he is a strong
-advocate of Tezcucan independence. You may count on a favorable report
-from me, I think, if it will please you to wait."
-
-"It is well. Your regard for the will of your father is praiseworthy. I
-trust to your discretion in the matter, and will only add: do not
-forget the importance of a silent tongue."
-
-"Be assured, my good friend, that your secrets and plans shall be as
-safely guarded as my life. I will be only too glad if they shall
-become, in part, my own."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The evening passed away pleasantly and quite advantageously for our
-young friend Cacami. A high estimation of him was formed by the several
-members of the family. Itlza looked upon him as a real hero, and
-admired him accordingly.
-
-At an early hour the party separated, and the weary young men, anxious
-to find the rest they needed, retired to their couches.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII.
-
-
-The hunter, Cacami, was heart free when he first entered Zelmonco Park,
-but not unsusceptible to heart wounds when subjected to such
-fascinating glances as greeted him from Itlza's eyes. An impassioned
-admiration for her was quickly awakened, and a way prepared for him to
-become an easy prey to Cupid's subtle influence.
-
-When about to leave the villa the next morning, to continue his
-homeward journey, he sought the maiden with a view to having a parting
-word with her. Great was his disappointment when he learned that she
-was absent, and that no one knew where she was. He had counted on
-finding in his departure an opportunity in which to reveal to her, by
-word or action, something of the feelings with which she had inspired
-him. But the fates appeared to order it otherwise, and he would be
-compelled to forego the pleasure such a parting would afford him.
-Concealing his disappointment under a semblance of cheerfulness he bade
-his host and hostess adieu and started for the highway.
-
-Leaving the park he came to the road leading away from the villa, and
-turned his face toward Tezcuco. As he did so the first object to meet
-his eye and arouse him from the effects of his disappointment was Itlza
-herself, approaching from the opposite direction. Was it chance or
-design which caused the maiden to be there just at that time? She alone
-could have answered. But no matter; the sight of her lifted Cacami from
-the slough of despond, so to speak, into which he had fallen, and made
-him doubly glad in the sudden revulsion of his feelings. His whole
-appearance was changed in an instant, and with quickened pulse he
-hastened forward to meet her. He came up to her with pleasure beaming
-from his countenance, and in accents full of tender meaning exclaimed:
-
-"O Laughing-eyes, light of thy home! why were you not present to
-gladden my departure from the villa but now? To Cacami the brightness
-of Zelmonco was gone because you were not there to receive his
-good-by."
-
-"Why should my absence so affect the hunter, Cacami, when only a night
-hath divided the days which have made us known to each other?" she
-answered, naively.
-
-"It is not the number of days that affect our lives, O Laughing-eyes,
-but what they bring," he replied. "To Cacami those beautiful, sparkling
-orbs, your eyes, O Itlza, are as two newly risen stars. To have been
-deprived of the privilege this morning of again looking into their
-wonderful depths would have robbed his stay at Zelmonco of its greatest
-charm, and cast a regretful shadow on his pathway home."
-
-"Cacami is neither discreet nor wise in the use of language. The words
-he speaks are pleasing; and Itlza, being a woman, might believe them
-spoken in sincerity, when only gallantry is intended. Have a care, O
-Cacami, that thy tongue lead thee not into deception," she replied with
-a coquettish air.
-
-"I pray you, Laughing-eyes, believe me sincere. Were I possessed of a
-deceitful tongue, which I can not think I am, I could not impose it on
-the sister of my good friend, the tzin. That would be baseness of which
-Cacami is not capable," he protested. "The clear crystal fountains
-which spring from the side of yonder mountain are not more pure than
-are the thoughts which he holds for Laughing-eyes," the young hunter
-went on, with an earnestness which bespoke sincerity.
-
-"Cacami may be sincere, and his words well meant, but Itlza should not
-hear them. Let us talk of something else. Have you a sister?"
-
-"Yes, two, who will give me welcome home when I cross my father's
-threshold," he replied with respectful deference.
-
-"You ought to be very happy, then, in your homecomings," she replied.
-
-"So I have ever been. It is a good and pleasant home which always waits
-me, and it will be very hard to leave it," he returned, with a shade of
-sadness in his voice.
-
-"Why should you leave it?" she questioned, her voice tinged with a
-responsive sympathy.
-
-"Why should anyone leave their childhood's home? Even Laughing-eyes
-will one day go from her beautiful Zelmonco to find another home. To do
-so is her natural destiny, as it is mine to leave the home I love," he
-answered, with an expression of tenderness, at the same time watching
-closely to observe the effect his words might have upon her. If she
-suspected a hidden meaning in them she did not show it.
-
-"Is it far to your home?" she asked, appearing heedless of his
-impassioned voice.
-
-"As far beyond as it is from here to Tezcuco--about four hours," he
-answered. "Your question admonishes me that I must not tarry. I would
-that Laughing-eyes will hold me kindly in her thoughts. Could I be
-assured that she will, it would please me more than she can know," he
-said, seriously.
-
-"You will come again and I will know you better; till then good-by,"
-she answered airily, accompanying her words with the same fascinating
-glance which had won his admiration. His already excited pulse
-quickened under its influence.
-
-As she hastened away in the direction of the villa he looked after her
-with a strange, uncertain sensation, which made him feel as if he had
-found a priceless gem and was now about to lose it. He watched her
-receding form until out of sight, and then mentally soliloquized:
-
-"Why should this strange maiden so impress me? More beautiful have I
-looked upon, and yet no such feelings as she has awakened have ever
-stirred me before. Can it be that I have found a mate in
-Laughing-eyes?" His concluding thought was not an unpleasant one, as
-the expression on his face clearly indicated. Again his steps were
-turned toward Tezcuco, and with rapid strides he widened the space
-which separated him from the object of his thoughts.
-
-Cacami may not have found a mate in the sister of his newly made
-friend; yet, if appearances were any criterion, had the object of his
-first love.
-
-Itlza was not void of self-pride, and following on the very favorable
-impressions she had formed of the young hunter, the flattering words
-addressed to her by him were not without effect. She recalled some of
-them with a pleasurable satisfaction, and held them as something to be
-remembered, a very dangerous thing for a young girl like her to do if
-she would not be ensnared in the meshes of love's enthralling web.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Cacami returned from his home to the villa about noon the following
-day. Euetzin was expecting him, as he had assured the tzin that he
-would report the result of a conference with his father immediately,
-let the conclusion be what it might. When he came up to Euetzin, who
-had gone to the lower side of the park to meet him, it did not require
-words to communicate his decision. The glad confirmation of the tzin's
-wishes was seen on his radiant countenance.
-
-"My friend is pleased, and I do not have to inquire the cause," said
-he, in greeting him. "I read upon your face, Cacami, that we are to be
-comrades in the fight for freedom."
-
-"Yes, we are," returned Cacami. "This good right arm," he continued,
-raising it by way of emphasis, "I have pledged, through my father, to
-the cause of Tezcuco and her prince. Your proposition, that I should
-become your assistant in the work which you have undertaken was
-favorably considered, and I am here to join you."
-
-"Your decision is gratifying. In it the cause which has become so dear
-to me has found a strong arm to labor in its defense, and I a worthy
-comrade. But come, you have traveled, and are, no doubt, hungry and
-thirsty. Refreshments are waiting."
-
-As they were ascending the hill, through the park, Cacami inquired:
-
-"Have you had any news from the palace of the prince, since your
-return?"
-
-"What news might I expect? Hualcoyotl is not there."
-
-"True, the prince is not there, but Itzalmo--is not that the name of
-the old man who was his tutor?"
-
-"It is, but what of him? Your words remind me that I have been remiss;
-I should have gone to Itzalmo ere this," replied the tzin.
-
-"That you could not have done, for Itzalmo is in prison."
-
-The tzin stopped and looked at Cacami as if he did not comprehend, and
-said:
-
-"In prison, did you say? And for what offense, pray?"
-
-"For what offense I did not learn."
-
-"Where and when did you hear of his imprisonment?"
-
-"On the streets of Tezcuco, yesterday. Six days ago, 'tis said, the
-king's officer took him to Azcapozalco," answered Cacami.
-
-"And he has not returned?"
-
-"No, he is still in prison."
-
-"I must learn more of this matter, immediately," returned the tzin
-thoughtfully.
-
-They entered the house, where Cacami met with a kindly greeting from
-Teochma and Itlza.
-
-After refreshments were served, Euetzin made known his purpose of going
-to Tezcuco to obtain further information relative to Itzalmo. He left
-Cacami to be entertained by Itlza, observing that she could show him
-the beauties of the park, and thus keep him from becoming lonesome.
-
-O, thoughtless brother! Lonesome, indeed! Nothing could have delighted
-Cacami more than the prospect of a whole afternoon with Itlza.
-
-Euetzin had been gone quite a while, and Itlza, as he had suggested,
-had taken Cacami over the ground which comprised the villa park,
-showing him the most interesting of its features, of which the family
-were justly proud. She had finally brought him to her favorite retreat,
-in the shade of an old oak tree, at the foot of which stood a rustic
-bench, and, a little way off from it, a beautiful flowing fountain,
-which added coolness to the spot, and made it especially inviting.
-
-Itlza was seated on the bench beneath the tree, toying with a bunch of
-odorous flowers, while Cacami reclined on the ground, almost at her
-feet.
-
-"You are fleet of tongue, O Cacami, and your voice is like the cooing
-of a dove. The words fall from your lips as readily as flowing water
-from a hillside spring. But the thoughts which fill your mind are
-hidden. Who but yourself may read them?" she was saying, provokingly,
-in answer to something he had said.
-
-"Surely, Laughing-eyes, you can not think me capable of holding
-thoughts, which are not in accord with my words? I may be impulsive and
-hasty, but not deceitful," he answered, with an honest emphasis on his
-words.
-
-It was clearly a case of love at first sight with Cacami, and his
-impulsiveness led him to show it plainly. Itlza was more discreet, and
-would not so easily surrender to the dictates of a smitten heart. She
-was, nevertheless, fast falling under the influence of the subtle
-little archer, though, woman-like, persisted in fighting it off. In
-answer to Cacami's expostulation, she said:
-
-"I would not seem unkind, but would put a check upon your tongue. You
-are scarcely more than a stranger to me. Two days ago you did not know
-that such a person lived as I; and yet, in that short time, you are
-pleading to hear a song from the little love-bird which nestles in
-Itlza's heart. Know you not, O Cacami, that the little bird is chary,
-and may be easily frightened away?" she replied archly, but kindly.
-
-"Your words are severe, Laughing-eyes, yet of them I may be deserving,
-for I have been impetuous; but I can not think my conduct should drive
-you from me, in that you are surely jesting. I am not a trifler, Itlza,
-and, believe me, never one spoke more sincerely. Only bid me hope, and
-I will be your silent slave."
-
-We would not have the reader think that Cacami was foolish, for he was
-not. He was unquestionably stricken with that peculiar affection which,
-ever since the first man and woman were brought face to face, has held
-the loftiest minds, and brought under subjection the strongest wills,
-making slaves of all, willing or unwilling, to the object through the
-attraction of which the affection is produced, causing men of
-intelligence, not infrequently, to fall into ridicule. Still,
-recognizing the innateness of the thing, we look upon such conduct as a
-natural consequence.
-
-Cacami's fault was in not restraining his impulsiveness. He read in the
-words which fell from Itlza's lips that she was not wholly indifferent
-to his wooing, and, as a last earnest, plead for a hope.
-
-Itlza's reply was not very encouraging.
-
-"To bid you hope might be to deceive you," she said. "No, you must not
-ask it of me. If the time should come when the little love-bird would
-sing its song for Cacami, he shall know it. Promise, then, to speak no
-more of love until you have permission, and Itlza will be your friend."
-
-"A wish from you, O Laughing-eyes, is a command to me. I will do the
-best I can; but should I fail, it will be for love of you." He spoke
-pathetically, and Itlza's heart went out to him with a sudden impulse,
-and a more adroit wooer than he might have won there and then, but
-Cacami had promised, and the opportunity passed unimproved.
-
-"I have your promise, then?" asked the persistent Itlza.
-
-"Yes," he answered, resignedly.
-
-She laughed at his sober acquiescence and pathetic yes, and said:
-
-"Your ready submission almost persuades me to believe you sincere. But,
-there, do not speak," she suddenly added, anticipating him, as he
-looked up at her fondly, showing in his expression that he was about to
-put some thought into words. She placed her hand over his mouth, and
-continued: "I do believe you would violate your promise before it is
-cold upon your lips."
-
-He put her hand away gently, and said:
-
-"You shall not again have occasion to check me. Laughing-eyes shall
-learn that Cacami can hold his tongue."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Euetzin came back from Tezcuco toward evening, and found the twain
-still lingering under the oak tree near the fountain. The mother came
-from the house, too, and a half hour was passed in listening to an
-account of his visit to the city and what it revealed, at the
-conclusion of which they went in for refreshments.
-
-The day ended, and night followed, bringing the morning, when Euetzin,
-with his newly acquired friend and comrade, set out to continue the
-prosecution of his patriotic mission.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII.
-
-
-Tenochtitlan, later the city of Mexico, was founded by the primitive
-Mexicans (Aztecs), early in the fourteenth century, about two hundred
-years prior to the advent of the Spaniards on the Anahuac. The city was
-situated, originally, on a group of small islands in the southwestern
-portion of lake Tezcuco, nearly one league from the shore, and was, for
-more than a century, a very frail and peculiarly constructed place. Its
-houses were built chiefly of wood, reeds, and rushes, with the
-exception, perhaps, of the principal structures and _teacollis_
-(temples), which were, doubtless, of sun-dried blocks of clay. Many of
-the houses, for want of space, were built over the water, supported by
-driven piles, upright posts, and were approachable in many instances
-only by canoe. A canoe was therefore an indispensable possession to an
-inhabitant of the island city.
-
-The absence of stone in the construction of buildings in the first
-century of the city's existence was, no doubt, attributable to the fact
-that it was reached by canoe, only, previous to the construction of
-causeways; after which followed a rapid transformation in its
-composition and appearance, until, at the time of the conquest, it had
-become a wonderful city of stone palaces and temples, with grand
-squares and broad avenues.
-
-Notwithstanding Tenochtitlan, at the time of which we write, was
-greatly inferior in its construction to the other large cities of the
-valley, it was a veritable beehive in the animation and density of its
-population.
-
-It was the capital of a fierce and aggressive people, who were not only
-brave, but cunning, in their aggression, which led to their complete
-supremacy under the last Montezuma.
-
-The question as to why the Aztecs chose so inconvenient a location on
-which to build their capital will naturally present itself to the mind
-of the reader. We have only space to say the idea was of miraculous
-origin, the result of a priestly superstition.[8]
-
-          [8] NOTE.--See Hale's Mexico.
-
-There was a feeling of deep respect for the rights of nations
-maintained among the Anahuacans, and any violation of them engendered a
-general hostility toward the violator.
-
-Sympathy hardly ever led a tribe to take sides between other tribes at
-war. Only when the grievances were common did they unite their forces.
-
-The Mexicans were decidedly friendly to the cause of the Tezcucans in
-their war with the Tepanecs, and yet stood aloof and saw them humbled
-in the very dust. Their sympathies were still with them in their
-degradation.
-
-In consequence of this friendly feeling, many Tezcucans were to be
-found in their capital and territory; some of whom had withdrawn from
-Tezcuco for the betterment of their condition; others because of their
-hatred for the nation which had subverted their government and
-subjected them to an onerous and hateful vassalage.
-
-Old warriors, who preferred voluntary exile to servility; merchants and
-traders, who thought to find a better field in which to ply their
-vocations, and nobles, whose titles, since the death of their king and
-the subversion of his government, were only nominal, were to be found
-among them--all living and waiting in the hope of a restoration of
-their kingdom.
-
-The determined efforts of King Maxtla to destroy Prince Hualcoyotl had
-not improved the former's standing in the Mexican capital, but, on the
-other hand, had produced just the opposite effect. The Tezcucans were
-outspoken in their denunciation of him and his government, and nothing
-was said or done to check them.
-
-Euetzin had discovered this antagonistic feeling among his countrymen,
-and was now abroad to take advantage of it. His first effective work,
-after leaving home the second time, was done in the Mexican capital,
-among them.
-
-Situated on the city's market place was an expansive structure, which
-was one story in height--their buildings were very seldom higher. The
-building referred to was used principally as a store-house for unsold
-marketable products, and was divided up into suitable apartments--rooms
-and booths. In one of the rooms, fronting on the _tianguez_, was a
-cafe, or restaurant, kept by a Tezcucan. A part of the room--the back
-portion--was cut off from the front by means of a curtain, for the
-convenience of parties desiring to be served privately. There was a
-door opening from this part of the room into a hallway, which extended
-back the full length of the building. Some distance back, at the side
-of this hallway, three or four steps were situated, which led downward
-to a very short hall, from which an entrance was to be had to an
-apartment in which meetings, often of a secret character, were held.
-
-It was night. The streets and squares of the city were almost deserted.
-At this hour an unusual influx to the Tezcucan's cafe was taking place.
-Men were seen to pass in, at brief intervals, and disappear. Presently,
-two young men entered, and one of them addressing the proprietor, said:
-
-"We are seeking friends."
-
-"Where from?" he inquired.
-
-"Tezcuco," was the brief reply.
-
-"The way is clear; pass in."
-
-Nothing further was said. The party passed back and out into the
-hallway, along which they went to the steps previously referred to.
-Here they paused a moment, in a listening attitude. Hearing nothing of
-a disturbing character, they descended. A few steps brought them to a
-door, before which they stopped and gave one rap. The following
-response was elicited:
-
-"What seek ye?"
-
-"Our own," replied the same person who had addressed the keeper of the
-cafe. The door was opened, and they entered. Passing on to another
-door, two raps were given, and a voice from within inquired:
-
-"What have you to offer in pledge?"
-
-"That which, if taken, can not be restored: life," answered one of the
-seekers for admission.
-
-"It is a royal offering. Enter." The door was opened, and the young men
-were admitted. For a moment, while the door was again closed, they
-stood in black darkness; then a curtain was drawn to one side,
-discovering to them a low, dingy, dimly lighted chamber. Men, old and
-young, who had entered in the same guarded manner as they, were seated
-about the room. The newcomers were told to pass in, which they did, and
-were seated like those who had preceded them.
-
-Perfect silence prevailed while the chamber was filling up. Upon each
-man's face was a stern and determined look. Not a sign of recognition
-passed between them. It was an assembly of people whose taciturnity was
-always pronounced under circumstances of an impressive character.
-
-When the proper time arrived, a man of middle age and commanding
-presence arose and addressed the meeting. He was evidently a prominent
-Tezcucan. He said:
-
-"The hour has come when the ear should be open to catch the sound, and
-the tongue silent that it may not escape. Euetzin, son of the noble
-Euzelmozin, is here. He bears a message from his brother Tezcucan."
-Turning to the foremost of the two young men with whom we entered, he
-continued: "Let Euetzin speak. The men of his tribe have ears, and they
-are open."
-
-Euetzin it was, sure enough, who now arose to address the assembly.
-Amid the profoundest silence, he began, using a metaphorical
-expression, speaking in a very impressive manner:
-
-"The lion hath made his spring, but the prey he sought was the cunning
-fox. The fox escaped, and the lion is full of wrath." He paused a
-moment, and then continued, changing his manner of speech: "Men of
-Tezcucan blood--you who love and revere the memory of a noble though
-fallen king, and a country once proud and happy--give ear. I am here,"
-he went on, "to arouse you from the lethargy of a hopeless
-indifference, and to assure you, as I believe, that Tezcuco may yet be
-free. Though our prince is a fugitive, outlawed, with a price placed
-upon his life; the land which gave us birth trodden under the heel of a
-usurping tyrant, and our people made subject to a shameful vassalage;
-yet there still lives in the hearts of these people a patriotic love of
-country, which, if stirred, will break asunder the shackles which bind
-them, and bid defiance to the authors of their degradation." The tzin
-spoke with remarkable force, and was listened to with the profoundest
-attention. "Are we men, or are we only slaves," he vociferated, "that
-we shake not off the spell which binds us hand and foot, and holds the
-tongue till it speaks not? Awake, ye men of Tezcuco, awake! and let
-your ears be open; for the voice of your prince cries from the mountain
-fastnesses for help. Shall it be a vain cry, or shall it find a quick
-response in the hearts of his people and a speedy resistance to his
-despotic persecutor? If you are true to the memory of our good king,
-who was slain for naught but conquest, then put forth a hand and let us
-raise high the standard he loved: the standard of our own Tezcuco, and
-pause not until her loyal sons everywhere are enrolled under it, and
-the usurper has been driven by our patriotic legions beyond her
-borders.
-
-"He who will join me in the glorious work of redeeming Tezcuco from
-dishonor and a hated vassalage rise, and, with his hand over his heart,
-repeat after me the obligation which shall pledge us, arm and life, to
-the cause of our country and prince."
-
-Every man in the chamber quickly stood up and was heard to repeat, in
-deep and solemn tones, the following, to them, awful obligation:
-
-"Tezcuco, my own once illustrious, but now degraded Tezcuco! my life,
-and all I have, I pledge and obligate to thee in defense of thy prince,
-his cause and people! I swear it, and, failing in my duty, may my blood
-run red on the altar of Huitzil,[9] whose aid I now invoke!" A moment
-of impressive silence followed, and the men resumed their seats.
-Euetzin continued:
-
-          [9] NOTE.--The Aztec god of war.
-
-"In this hour, life and motion have been infused into the cause of
-Tezcuco, which many have looked upon as lost. We have each, by our
-obligation, made ourselves the active moving element in its sudden
-resuscitation. What shall be the outcome? What shall be the end of this
-altogether splendid beginning? Be this our unqualified answer: Tezcuco
-shall be free!"
-
-The assembly was thoroughly aroused, and during a moment's pause in the
-tzin's speech a spontaneous outburst of enthusiasm took place. "Tezcuco
-shall be free!" was the reiterated acclaim which resounded through the
-chamber. When quiet was restored the tzin went on:
-
-"And now, since we are pledged, let us, every man, be up and doing. Let
-no loyal Tezcucan be overlooked. Move silently and quickly, ceasing not
-the work until the fire of patriotism, which has been enkindled in our
-hearts to-night, shall have spread to the farthest borders of Anahuac,
-and every true friend of Tezcuco has espoused her cause, and enrolled
-himself under the banner of Hualcoyotl and liberty. Let not your ears
-be closed, for the call will surely come which will claim the
-fulfillment of your obligation."
-
-When the young conspirator concluded and had taken his seat, an old
-warrior rose up and said a few encouraging words. He spoke as follows:
-
-"The spirit of loyalty and devotion evinced by our young leader, the
-tzin, for his unfortunate country and prince, does honor to Euzelmozin,
-his noble father, who was my friend. Age has left the Matzatl a weak
-and broken sword. His day of fighting is past; yet the Matzatl would
-live to see his country rescued from the hand of the spoiler. Young
-men, hearken to the words of the young tzin and follow his counsel.
-Matzatl has faith in the son of Euzelmozin, and is assured that he will
-lead you to victory. Our brother, whose words first greeted us
-to-night, spoke wisely when he said: 'The hour has come when the ear
-should be open to catch the sound, and the tongue silent that it may
-not escape.' See to it that ye hear the sound and hold it."
-
-Others, including Cacami, addressed the assembly briefly, urging a
-faithful adherence to the cause which they had sworn with their all to
-defend.
-
-At a suggestion from Euetzin a permanent organization was formed, which
-was designated a council, and an experienced warrior chosen to
-officiate as its chief. Thus was the object of the meeting attained;
-the first step toward the organization of an army accomplished, and the
-hearts of those present inspired with confidence in their cause, and
-zeal to labor for its promotion and final establishment.
-
-The meeting had been brought about through the influence of the tzin,
-with the assistance of a few leading spirits, whose special duty was to
-see each one personally and instruct him in the passwords, that no man
-who was not known to be true and loyal might gain admission.
-
-The men quietly dispersed and the world outside was none the wiser that
-an organization was begun, having for its end an object freighted with
-consequences, the measure of which was not comprehended by the
-originators themselves.
-
-The same proceeding was enacted in every city and town where Tezcucans
-were found in sufficient numbers to make it possible. Not only were
-Euetzin and Cacami engaged in it, but others who had entered the work
-with heart and soul imbued with the spirit of resistance and a life
-pledged to the accomplishment of their country's liberation. It was all
-being done with such quiet stealth that no move or sound gave evidence
-of the rapidly spreading conspiracy.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV.
-
-
-Hunger was pressing hard upon the fugitive prince and his companion,
-and it became an absolute necessity for one of them to venture out in
-search of food. Hualcoyotl took it upon himself to do this.
-
-The natives were adepts in the practice of imitating certain birds and
-animals, and a signal of this kind was agreed upon, to be used in
-emergencies.
-
-Before setting out on his venture, Hualcoyotl enjoined upon his man the
-strictest watchfulness, and that he should on no account leave his
-retreat, unless driven from it by threatened danger; also to listen for
-the signal, but not to answer until it had been repeated.
-
-It was night, and black darkness enveloped the mountain, especially
-within the dense woody growth which covered it. The prince stole
-noiselessly forth from his hiding-place, and with that stealth which
-is characteristic of the American Indian, passed down the mountain's
-side, and out onto the plain below. Food in abundance was just before
-him, but to undertake to secure it would be at the risk of discovery,
-and, possibly, death. The maddening pangs of hunger were impelling
-him on; and in his starving condition the tempting food, which was
-almost within his reach, outweighed the instinctive sense of
-self-preservation. With cat-like tread he moved away from the
-mountain's base, knowing that, at any moment, he might come upon a
-camp of his enemy. In his weak and nervous condition the noise made
-in the rustling of a leaf, or by the breaking of a twig, was
-magnified a dozenfold in his imagination.
-
-Though desperation was leading him on, the prince did not for an
-instant relax his vigilance.
-
-At last he was in the midst of plenty; fields of corn just in the milk,
-and fruit, on shrub and tree, to be had for the plucking. Securing a
-quantity of each, he started to return. The same watchful vigilance was
-observed returning as in going out. He was moving cautiously along,
-with his senses wide awake, when a sound, very like the noise of some
-one moving near him, arrested his attention.
-
-"Pish!" he ejaculated, after listening a moment. "'Twas but the
-flapping of a wing by some nightbird."
-
-The thought had scarcely crossed his mind when a screech most dismal,
-and quite close, struck upon his sensitive ear, sending a chill to his
-very heart. Reduced as he was by hunger, with nerves up-strung to their
-utmost tension, the shock was very severe, and he felt, for an instant,
-as if he would sink to the earth.
-
-"What a woman I have become!" he muttered, chidingly, to himself. "This
-will not do. To allow the scream of a bird to affect me thus is
-cowardice."
-
-Bracing himself against further weakness, he resumed his cautious
-movement toward the foot of the mountain. When he reached it, he
-attempted to ascend, but now, that he was in a measure safe, the
-nervous rigor and force of will, which had sustained him, relaxed, and
-he was compelled to sit down until his exhausted powers were restored.
-
-While he lingered thus, his thoughts reverted to his palace home; to
-old Itzalmo, his faithful friend and counselor; to Euetzin, his
-companion and confidante, and to Zelmonco villa, the home of Itlza.
-Thoughts of her awakened a pleasurable thrill in his soul, and his
-features softened under the touch of a sentiment which, if not love,
-was something very nearly akin to it. To himself he said:
-
-"Am I, indeed, in love with my friend's sweet sister? Yes, it must be
-so; for I feel that I could sacrifice the man who would dare to come
-between us!"
-
-When he felt himself sufficiently recovered to ascend the mountain, he
-arose and proceeded slowly up its side, and on toward his retreat. As
-he approached his hiding-place he became more wary. What if, in his
-absence, his retreat had been discovered by his enemy? The thought
-impressed itself upon him so forcibly that he paused frequently to
-listen for unusual sounds; but nothing reached his ear save the low and
-familiar murmur of the night winds, lulling, with their monotonical
-song, nature's wearied hosts to rest.
-
-When near enough to give it, he sounded the signal, so like the real
-that the shrewdest woodsman might have been deceived. Again it pierced
-the silent woods, and quickly came back the echo in Oza's answer.
-
-Hualcoyotl, now relieved of his apprehensions, went boldly forward, and
-was gladly welcomed back by his anxious attendant.
-
-They could not risk a fire in the nighttime, and were compelled to make
-a supper on uncooked maize and fruit. Very soon sleep, "Nature's sweet
-restorer," claimed her own, and they were lost to the dangers about
-them.
-
-The next morning, before the sun was up, a fire was built, and a
-breakfast of roasted maize duly prepared. They had no salt with which
-to season it, but that was of little consequence to them; hunger
-furnished the added relish, and gave it a flavor that all the
-condiments required by necessity and art, for man's gratification and
-need, could not have given. It was a delicious feast to the
-half-starved fugitives, and was repeated several times during the day.
-
-The first venture of the prince having proved successful, others
-followed as often as circumstances required it. With each recurring
-trip he became more bold, and less vigilant, and finally it was decided
-to make a daylight venture. The first was successful, but the second
-proved unfortunate, and the last. On this occasion he got too far away
-from the base of the mountain, and, in returning, was intercepted by a
-party of Tepanec troops. They were discovered to each other about the
-same time. The soldiers, to be sure of their man, sent up a savage
-yell, which had the desired effect, for the prince immediately started
-to run for his life, making his identity quite certain, and a chase
-began at once.
-
-Hualcoyotl was fleet of foot, and had recovered, in the past few days,
-much of his former vigor. He gained rapidly on his pursuers, which gave
-him an opportunity to change his course. The deflection he made took
-him out of sight of the soldiers, but their continued yells indicated a
-hot and determined pursuit.
-
-He was becoming hopeful of his ability to evade them, if he could only
-hold out. The gaining confidence within him added strength to his
-limbs. On, on, he almost flew; and, as he ran, the yells of his
-pursuers impelled him forward in his flight.
-
-The course the fugitive was now pursuing was nearly in the direction of
-the mountain, and he was speeding along on the wings of hope, when, as
-he dashed into a narrow vale, he came suddenly upon another party of
-soldiers. He was right in their midst before he was aware of their
-presence. "The gods defend me now!" was the prayerful ejaculation which
-escaped him as he took in the situation.
-
-The moment the prince came into their midst the soldiers surmised who
-he was, and, closing around him, seized and laid him on the ground. A
-large drum, which they had with them, was then brought forward and
-placed over him. When this was done, they began to sing and dance
-around it.
-
-When the pursuers of the prince came in sight of the party of soldiers
-who were dancing around the drum under which he was lying, they
-suddenly stopped and viewed the scene with an air of bewilderment, as
-if uncertain what to do. The pause was of short duration, however; for,
-with a yell of disappointment and rage at the disappearance of the
-prince, they changed their course so as to pass the dancing party, and
-were soon out of sight and hearing.
-
-Hualcoyotl's wonder and astonishment were great when his captors began
-to sing and dance around the drum. The song did not indicate a spirit
-of hostility, but, on the other hand, friendliness. What did it mean?
-Could it possibly be that he was not in the hands of an enemy? These
-queries passed quickly through his mind.
-
-The mystery was very soon cleared away. When his pursuers had
-disappeared, his captors lifted the drum from over him and assisted him
-to rise. He was free; no hand was upon him, and the faces about him
-were wreathed in smiles of satisfaction, while he was told that he was
-among friends. His astonishment, and the joy he experienced because of
-his deliverance, were very great. His captors were men of Tlacopan, a
-friendly nation, whose singular conduct was explained when they
-informed him that on his appearance in their midst they guessed who he
-was, and that his pursuers were emissaries of Maxtla. There was no time
-to lose in explanations, then, if they would save him; so he was
-quickly seized and placed under the drum as a means of concealment.
-
-Hualcoyotl expressed his gratitude in words of no uncertain meaning,
-and commended the soldiers for their ready shrewdness in devising and
-executing the plan to save him.
-
-He remained with them until night, when he was escorted by them to
-within a short distance of his retreat, where they left him with a
-feeling of personal friendliness, and also one of satisfaction at
-having done a kind act in the service of a good man.
-
-Oza was overjoyed at his master's safe return, for he had given him up
-as lost or captured.
-
-After explaining the cause of his protracted absence, the prince said:
-
-"And now, Oza, we must leave this place at once, and get as far from it
-as possible before daylight to-morrow morning. My pursuers will scour
-these rocks and hills in every direction without delay in search of me.
-If we would escape them, we must lose no time in getting away."
-
-The prince took his bearings, and they started. It began to rain, and
-the night grew wet and dark. They suffered much from the inclement
-weather, and the hurts and bruises which they got in their efforts to
-cross the mountain. All night through they dragged themselves wearily
-on, over the rough and rocky ground. When day dawned they knew not
-where they were, nor did they care, so they were beyond pursuit.
-
-The first thing to be done after daylight was to find a suitable place,
-safe and comfortable, in which to fix a temporary habitation.
-
-In a small, narrow ravine among the rocks a spot was found which
-promised protection from the sun and rain by adding a covering of
-boughs and leaves, which was speedily accomplished. After partaking of
-a light breakfast of maize and fruit, the last they had excepting a few
-ears of the former, they disposed themselves to rest; and being greatly
-worn and fatigued from the laborious tramp of the night, soon found
-oblivion in sleep.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV.
-
-
-"That was a good shot, Mit! Your old father couldn't have done it
-better." Such was the comment made by Tezcot, the hunter, on the result
-of a well directed arrow from a bow in the hands of Mitla, the
-"Mountain Princess."
-
-They were out on the mountain, hunting. Tezcot often went on short
-excursions of the kind to please Mitla, and it gave him genuine
-pleasure to do so. Being very kindly disposed, as he was, it afforded
-him much gratification to make others happy, especially his children.
-
-"He's a fine specimen of his kind," he continued, holding the bird up
-before him, "and will increase your stock of plumage, and, as well, add
-another feather to your archer's cap."
-
-The prize was a most beautiful pheasant; and for a moment Mitla's eyes
-were bright with excitement, but as she gazed upon the lovely bird,
-lying dead and bleeding at her feet, where her father had carelessly
-thrown it, the woman's heart within her was touched with feelings of
-compunction, and she said:
-
-"Father, is it well to kill such beautiful birds? My heart is sad
-because I have done this."
-
-"It's all the same, child, whether the bird is beautiful or ugly; the
-one suffers equally with the other, when it comes to that,"
-philosophized he. "Hello, Menke! Is that you?" he continued, addressing
-a hunter, who just then came up to where they were.
-
-"Wull, yes, it's me, ef I know myself; an' think I should, for some
-folks do say that Menke an' me are right sociable," jestingly replied
-the newcomer, a well known mountaineer hunter, who was much addicted to
-talking to himself, to which addiction his remark referred.
-
-"That ye are, Menke, we all know," answered Tezcot, appreciating the
-hunter's reference to his peculiar habit, "but it doesn't make ye any
-less friendly toward the rest of us."
-
-"Wull, no; Menke's about the same all over," returned he, and, suddenly
-changing the subject, continued: "Goin' far up the mountain, Tez?"
-
-"Not far. We're only out for a short hunt this morning. Mit, there,
-enjoys a trip to the mountains occasionally."
-
-"Good mornin', Princess," he said to Mitla. "Had any luck, eh?"
-
-"Yes, I have one beautiful bird, a pheasant. See! Is it not a pretty
-one?" she replied, showing him the prize.
-
-"Nice bird, Princess. Shot it yerself, eh?"
-
-"Certainly, but wish I had not; it is such a lovely bird," she
-returned, looking sorrowfully at it.
-
-"That's the woman of ye, Princess. Women don't make good hunters;
-they're too squeamish," he observed, rather contemptuously.
-
-"You, no doubt, speak truly, Menke; but it is our nature, and we can
-not help it," she replied, her eyes fixed on the bird with an
-expression of sadness.
-
-Menke turned to Tezcot, and said:
-
-"Say, Tez, wish ye'd jine me in a trip across the mountain to-day.
-Can't do it, eh?"
-
-"Not to-day, Menke; it would spoil Mit's sport. Some other day I'll go
-with you."
-
-"All right, Tez; ye know yer own business. The mornin's goin' right
-fast, an' I'll have to be goin' with it, ef I'd get roun' 'fore night.
-Good mornin', Princess."
-
-"Good morning, and success attend you, Menke," she returned.
-
-With a parting word to his friend Tezcot the hunter left them, moving
-rapidly up the mountain, and was soon lost to view among the timber.
-
-Tezcot and Mitla, at a later hour, awoke to the fact that they were
-farther from home than they had intended to go at starting out. They
-were more than a league and a half away, and the hunter thought it time
-to call a halt. Their hunt had proven fairly successful, quite a bunch
-of game having been secured, rendering the excursion very satisfactory.
-
-"Father," said Mitla, when a return had been decided on, "let us visit
-the hermit's cave, on our way, going home. I have not been there for a
-long time."
-
-"If a visit to the hermit would please ye, Mit, we'll go that way."
-
-"Thank you, father; it would, indeed, please me very much to visit the
-hermitage again."
-
-So it was settled the hermitage should receive a visit from them.
-
-The hermit's cave was the abode of a recluse, whose identity and
-previous life were a profound mystery. By accompanying the hunter and
-Mitla to it, we will at least get an insight into the character of the
-man.
-
-About a league from Tezcot's house was a long, narrow, and dark ravine.
-It was fully a half mile in length, and was inwalled on either side by
-steep elevations. Its gloomy wildness was seemingly filled with an
-awe-inspiring presence, and only a few of the denizens of the
-mountainous range would venture into it. Stories were told of strange
-sights and sounds haunting its lonely recesses, which readily found
-credence in the minds of the more superstitious of them.
-
-Tezcot, and a few other fearless hunters of the locality, took the
-stories for what they were--creations of fancy or design, and
-occasionally explored the place in quest of game.
-
-Since the advent of the hermit on the mountain, which took place some
-years prior to the incidents narrated here, these bolder mountaineers
-might have been seen at intervals cautiously invading its solitudes,
-going, in most cases, to the hermitage to visit its strange occupant.
-
-The ravine was situated east and west, and those who were familiar with
-its dark depths found it most easily entered from the eastern terminus.
-
-When Tezcot and Mitla arrived there, they went in without hesitation.
-They found the ground rough, and frequently quite sloping, yet made
-good progress over it.
-
-After going some distance into the ravine, they turned toward the
-south, and began the ascent of the steep acclivity in that direction,
-along a natural depression in its side.
-
-Going well up out of the ravine they made a turn to the west, and went
-around the side of a mountain until they came to a dense growth of
-underbrush, which had the appearance, in its denseness, of being
-impenetrable. Tezcot, however, knew the ground well, and quickly found
-a place that would admit of their passing through. When they came out
-on the opposite side of the thicket, it was to find themselves on a
-kind of shelf in the side of the mountain, at the back of which rose an
-almost perpendicular wall of rock. Following this rocky wall for a
-short distance back, they came to a great recess in its face, which had
-the appearance of a natural vestibule. In the rear of this recess was
-an opening, which proved to be the entrance to a cavern. Tezcot went
-familiarly forward, passing through the aperture into a tunnel-shaped
-cave, which appeared as running far back into the mountain. The
-interior was only dimly lighted from the entrance; yet the
-semi-darkness did not seem to impede the hunter's movement, for he went
-confidently in, until he came to an opening in the side of the tunnel,
-before which he stopped, and gave a peculiar signal.
-
-In response to the signal there presently appeared before the visitors
-the form of a man dimly outlined in the faint light of the cavern. In a
-voice which was deep and solemn, he inquired:
-
-"Who would break in on the solitude of Ix, the anchorite?"
-
-"Tezcot, the anchorite's friend, and Mitla, his child, who have come to
-pay their respects to him, and hear again the words of wisdom which his
-lips are wont to speak," replied the hunter, respectfully.
-
-"Tezcot and his are ever welcome in the home of Ix, the hermit. Enter,
-and find rest."
-
-Tezcot laid aside his hunter's outfit, and, followed by Mitla, passed
-into the recluse's lonely abode.
-
-The cell, or room, occupied by the hermit as a habitation, was a
-natural cavity in the side of the main cavern, situated, as we have
-seen, some distance back from the entrance. It was square shaped, and
-answered well the purpose for which it was used.
-
-A burning taper shed a dim and sickly glimmer over the room, giving
-barely light enough to reveal its contents. At one side of the
-apartment was a couch, made up of animals' skins, and opposite to it a
-rough table, on which was placed a burning taper.
-
-Such was the scanty furnishment of the hermit's cell, except the
-necessary arms of a hunter, with which he was supplied, and which were
-lying and hanging about the room.
-
-Good friends, like Tezcot, would often give the recluse sufficient
-provisions to last for days, yet he would sometimes venture out on the
-mountain, when no eye was near to watch him, in quest of game, which he
-seldom failed to secure, for he handled his weapons with efficiency.
-
-His food was prepared in the main cavern, leaving his cell free from
-that inconvenience.
-
-A question frequently asked, but never answered, was: "Who is he, this
-Ix, the hermit?" He was in truth, and to all, a man of mystery.
-
-The more ignorant of the mountaineers--those who believed the ravine
-haunted--thought the mysterious individual superhuman in character, and
-shunned the locality as an abode of spirits. Ix encouraged this feeling
-and belief among them, so far as he could, though always very grateful
-to the few who were above such notions, and who were ever welcome
-visitors to his cavern home.
-
-The hermit could afford no better accommodations than skins thrown on
-the ground, as a protection, to sit on, and his visitors were seated in
-this manner. When they were comfortably settled, the anchorite said:
-
-"How is it with my wise friend--thyself, O Tezcot, and those who share
-with thee the bounteous favors which bless thy mountain home?"
-
-"It is well with us. And thou, O friend, hath good or evil come to make
-or mar thy peace, of late?" replied the hunter inquiringly.
-
-"My lonely life is seldom interrupted. Its simplicity could only lead
-to peace if the mind were less active. But who can say, O, mind, be
-still, and trouble not thyself with what is past, or what may come?"
-
-The hermit's words showed that he was not in his usual temper of mind.
-They indicated that his meditations sometimes disturbed him. On no
-previous occasion had Tezcot heard him intimate that disquieting
-recollections were ever present to interrupt the peacefulness of his
-lonely life. And yet, why not? The man had not always been a hermit.
-The surprise to Tezcot was in the yielding of his habitual restraint
-upon his speech, so far as to give utterance to such a thought. He did
-not immediately respond to the hermit, and, after a moment's pause, the
-latter continued:
-
-"You have come from the world of light, O Tezcot, and know much that is
-dark to Ix. If it please you, will you tell me something of what is
-passing there? How fares it with the people in the valley?"
-
-"Why should Ix, the hermit, who has gone from the world to find
-seclusion in a mountain fastness, seek knowledge concerning the people
-and of what is passing beyond? Does the anchorite tire of his lonely
-mountain cell, and long for a place among them, that he turns from his
-solitude to inquire after the people's welfare?"
-
-"Tezcot is wise, but he reads only from that which his eyes behold.
-There are sealed records from which even he can not read. Ix is one of
-these to all the world, yet not without his sorrows. Memory is not less
-bright because of the darkness which hides external things," rejoined
-the hermit, with deep pathos in his voice.
-
-"Tezcot is rebuked," returned he, regretfully. "The wisdom of Ix is
-greater than his. The hermit's desire to learn something of what is
-passing among the people in the valley shall be gratified. There is
-peace on the beautiful Anahuac, and the people appear to be happy;
-still, there is unrest and repining beneath it all. The signs bespeak a
-coming storm--not of the heavens, which we wot of when the sky is
-overcast and chains of fire flash across it--nor yet when the waters
-descend and the thunder's deep and awful voice is heard. No, it is not
-a storm like that, but one in which the passions of men shall sway them
-as the tempest sways the mighty tree; a storm in which blood shall flow
-and once more stain and soil the beautiful face of Anahuac; and sorrow
-shall find place in the hearts of many people, and lamentation shall
-ascend."
-
-The voice of the hunter was like one inspired. The hermit felt it, and
-replied:
-
-"The language of Tezcot is the language of a prophet. Whose hand is in
-the strifeful storm of which he foretells?"
-
-"The hand of Maxtla, king at the royal city of Azcapozalco, is in it,"
-answered the hunter.
-
-At the mention of Maxtla's name, an expression of fierceness came over
-the hermit's face, but the taper's dim light did not reveal it. He
-inquired, in a voice in which there was evident displeasure, causing
-the hunter to give him a closer look:
-
-"Where is the old destroyer of Tezcucan liberty, Tezozomoc, that Maxtla
-is king at Azcapozalco?"
-
-"The old king is dead," replied Tezcot.
-
-"The world is none the worse for that, I'm sure," returned the hermit,
-showing unmistakable enmity.
-
-"It is surely not any better since Maxtla is king," answered the
-hunter, observing with interest the hermit's relaxing reserve.
-
-"What would he--this Maxtla of Azcapozalco?" inquired Ix.
-
-"It is known that he would destroy the Prince of Tezcuco, because of
-jealousy and hatred." A gleam of intelligence might have been seen to
-light up the anchorite's countenance on hearing these words, but it was
-not observed by the hunter, who continued: "The prince is a fugitive,
-hunted as a fox by the vassals of the king."
-
-The hermit was silent and thoughtful for a moment, and then asked:
-
-"Whence come the signs which speak to Tezcot of an approaching
-conflict?"
-
-"If Ix would read the signs himself, let him go into the valley where
-dwell the Tezcucans--the oppressed people of the fugitive prince. The
-deadly serpent lies motionless in our path, but should our foot
-perchance fall upon it, our destruction would follow swift and sure;
-though not more surely than retribution on the man who tramples human
-rights beneath his heel," replied the hunter, impressively.
-
-"The words of my wise friend are full of meaning. They come to Ix like
-a message from the world. He will treasure them up and give them
-thought, for they are portentous. Things of which the wise hunter hath
-no knowledge press heavily upon Ix's mind. His heart is sad because of
-the wickedness of men," returned the hermit, in gloomy accents.
-
-Tezcot was acquainted with some of the hermit's peculiar moods, and
-felt, from his manner, that a longer stay would be neither pleasant nor
-profitable; so, after a brief silence, he arose and said they would
-depart, inasmuch as their absence from home had been prolonged in order
-to make the hermitage a visit.
-
-The hermit expressed his gratification for the visit, and said further:
-
-"My friend has brought much food for thought, for which I am grateful.
-Do not forget, O Tezcot, that you and yours are ever welcome in the
-home of the hermit. Tarry not away; for Ix would hear more of the signs
-of the hour and what they portend."
-
-"When the signs speak more clearly I will come again, that Ix may have
-knowledge of their import," returned the hunter, turning to leave the
-hermit's cell.
-
-They passed into the main cavern, where a liberal division of the game
-was made, of which the hermit received a goodly portion. It was
-accepted with expressions of gratitude; and, after the customary
-salutations, the visitors took their departure, leaving the recluse to
-his solitude and lonely cogitations, the nature of which could only be
-surmised.
-
-The hunter went from the hermitage with conflicting thoughts. He had
-talked with the hermit many times, but had never before looked so far
-into his character. He was nearer the solution of the oft repeated, but
-still unanswered question, "Who is he?" than at any previous time; and
-yet his theories were vague and unsatisfactory. He determined to know
-more of the man of mystery, and resolved to see him frequently.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI.
-
-
-The day was one of brightness and warmth on the mountain where we left
-Hualcoyotl and his attendant. The storm of the previous night had
-entirely disappeared before the refulgent rays of the morning sun.
-Hours came and passed, and the day was three-fourths gone; yet, fairly
-well protected in their new quarters, the prince and Oza slept on in an
-unbroken slumber, so worn were they from the almost superhuman efforts
-of the night before. The sleep of exhaustion was upon them, and the
-ordinary noises of the mountain wilds with which they were surrounded
-were without effect to disturb them. Now and then a bird would alight
-quite near and shie its bright eye at the sleepers, then hurry away.
-Animals frisked unconcerned about them, and the pestiferous insect
-filled the air with its ceaseless and annoying hum; still the tired
-fugitives continued profoundly unconscious of it all.
-
-Such was the situation of the sleepers about the middle of the
-afternoon, when a piercing scream, like the cry of a person in extreme
-distress or peril, only much louder and inexpressibly awful, awakened
-the slumberers to a sudden impression of impending danger. The prince
-quickly raised himself to a listening posture, and exclaimed:
-
-"What means that cry?"
-
-"Hist, master; look there! What is that?" spoke Oza, in an excited
-whisper, at the same time pointing to an object just above and in front
-of them.
-
-The prince looked in the direction indicated by his attendant, and
-there, not twenty feet away, beheld, crouched on an overhanging limb, a
-ferocious looking beast, with eyes which shone like balls of fire fixed
-menacingly upon them. The animal's lips were parted, showing its great
-ugly teeth, which caused a savage grin to overspread its fierce and
-threatening visage. Its tail, cat-like and menacing, was moving slowly
-to and fro; and, altogether, the monster's appearance was anything but
-reassuring to contemplate. The situation was, indeed, alarming.
-
-The position of the animal was such that, to get away, the prince and
-Oza would have been compelled to pass almost under it. To have done
-this would have been to invite an immediate attack, which they could
-not afford to do in their defenseless condition.
-
-Hualcoyotl recalled having heard some time in his life that such
-animals would not attack a person whose eyes were kept fixed upon them.
-The thought suggested the idea that the beast might be kept at bay in
-this manner until, tiring, it would leave of its own accord. The plan
-was immediately put into execution, and a peculiar contest began.
-
-The fiercely grinning beast gave stare for stare, and never once turned
-its eyes away. For a full half hour, which seemed an age to the prince,
-the battle of the eyes went on, and still there was no letting up in
-the belligerent attitude of his fierce looking adversary.
-
-Thus matters stood when there came a sudden thud-like sound, followed
-by a terrible howl from the animal, which leaped from its position into
-the ravine, falling dead almost at the feet of the imprisoned
-fugitives.
-
-The long, uninterrupted stare into the eyes of the snarling beast had
-proven to be a very trying ordeal to Hualcoyotl; and when it sprang so
-suddenly into the ravine as if to attack them, he was almost prostrated
-from the shock given his tensified sensibilities. He quickly recovered
-when he saw that deliverance, from an unknown and unexpected source,
-had come to them through the death of the animal. Directly a voice,
-apparently just above them, was heard to say:
-
-"Menke, ye couldn't have missed that feller no how. Queer the brute
-'lowed me to come so close; never moved till I sent the jav'lin right
-into his ugly carcass. There he lies, sure enough, at the bottom o' the
-ravine, dead as a stone. Ol' feller, ye got yer everlastin', an' no
-mistake. Hello! What's that?" was the exclamation which followed the
-discovery of the prince's quarters. "Looks as ef somebody'd gone to
-house-keepin'."
-
-The foregoing talk was carried on by Menke, the hunter, who was
-introduced to the reader in the preceding chapter. It was in the nature
-of a soliloquy, in which, as we have before observed, the hunter
-frequently indulged.
-
-In pursuing his hunt through the mountain forests he had chanced to
-pass near the place where the prince and Oza were sheltered, and seeing
-the animal with fixed attention, crept cautiously up and gave it a
-death thrust with the javelin. He was too deeply intent on securing the
-animal as a prize to notice the retreat of the fugitives until the
-moment his exclamation was uttered.
-
-Hualcoyotl very naturally concluded, on hearing the voice, that there
-were at least two persons in the party. He also surmised, from the
-character of the language used, that they were denizens of the
-mountains.
-
-"They are surely not soldiers," he thought, "and may prove to be
-friendly."
-
-The hunter descended into the ravine for the purpose of securing his
-prize, hardly expecting to find any one under cover of the shelter he
-had just discovered. When he reached the bottom near where the animal
-was lying, his eyes fell upon the forms of the prince and Oza, who had
-remained quietly waiting developments. He quickly took in the situation
-and said, with an air of surprise:
-
-"Wull, now, what kind of a nest d'ye call that, eh?"
-
-"It might be a worse one, hunter," returned the prince, recognizing
-Menke's calling by his general appearance, at the same time coming out
-of his sheltered retreat. "We were endeavoring to get some sleep, after
-a very tiresome tramp over the mountain," he continued, "when the cry
-of this beast aroused us rather unceremoniously; and for the past half
-hour we have been trying to drive it from us by looking it steadily in
-the eyes. But it has been provokingly persistent, and might have
-worried us out in time, had you not opportunely come along and relieved
-us with your javelin."
-
-"That 'counts for the brute payin' no 'tention to me; 'lowin' me to
-come right onto 'im, an' givin' me such a fine show for his skin,"
-returned the hunter.
-
-"Yes, its fixed attention made it a splendid target for your javelin.
-But, friend, where are your companions?" the prince asked, seeing no
-one but the hunter.
-
-"My companions," quoth Menke. "Don't understand ye, stranger."
-
-"We certainly heard you talking with someone just before you came into
-the ravine," replied the prince.
-
-"Wull, now, that's so; I was doin' some talkin', I reckon, but it was
-to myself. Ye see, stranger, when a feller's alone 'bout all the time,
-as I am, he gets real sociable with 'imself, an' falls into that way o'
-doin'. No, there's no one 'long o' me, an' ef I did any conversin', it
-was entirely onesided," returned the hunter, in his peculiar manner of
-expression. "Ye've got a right snug place here," he continued, taking a
-look at the fugitives' shelter. "Goin' to stop a while, eh?"
-
-"That will depend on circumstances," replied the prince. "Do you live
-near here?"
-
-"Wull, no; it's some distance to my place. There are folks livin'
-hereabout, but their way o' livin's kind o' tough. Ye'd better go round
-'em, stranger. Some good people on the plateaus, though. Now, there's
-Tezcot--lives th' other side of yon mountain. He's a man ye can fasten
-to an' know ye're safe. He's a kind o' chief 'mong the mountain people.
-Ef ye happen to run onto Tez, ye'll find 'im true as his arrer, an'
-that's sayin' a heap."
-
-"We'll try to remember your friend Tezcot, hunter, and should we meet
-him, will feel that we are fortunate."
-
-"S'pose ye're on a huntin' excursion, eh?" said Menke, forgetting the
-strangers could not be supplied with arms, else the animal would hardly
-have held them prisoners.
-
-"Well, not exactly. Our business is, to some extent, searching for
-roots and berries," replied the prince, expressing a sudden thought
-which suggested a way of misleading the hunter and avoiding immediate
-discovery.
-
-"Medicine man, eh?" responded the hunter, in an ejaculatory manner.
-
-The prince found it necessary to change the subject, which he did by
-inquiring:
-
-"Do you ever get any news from the valley, hunter?"
-
-"Wull, yes. 'Casionally meet a hunter from there who has news; an' then
-the soldiers--thick as mosquitoes round here o' late--they have a heap
-to say. Some o' them--the Tepanecs, are lookin' for the Tezcucan
-prince, who's hidin' somewhere in the mountains. Maxtla, the new
-Tepanec king, is after his life."
-
-"Have you seen this prince you speak of?"
-
-"Wull, no; haven't had that pleasure."
-
-"What would you do, hunter, should you meet with the prince on the
-mountain--make him a prisoner and claim the reward?"
-
-"No, stranger, I'd do nothin' o' the sort; I'd let 'im alone."
-
-"You certainly have not heard of the extraordinary reward which, I
-understand, has been offered for his capture, dead or alive--a noble
-lady's hand in marriage, and a rich domain with it, to him who takes
-the prince. Is that not worth considering?" said Hualcoyotl,
-endeavoring to draw the hunter out still farther, to be more fully
-assured that he might trust him.
-
-"Not to a man o' family, stranger," replied the hunter.
-
-"With the wealth included in the reward you could support several
-wives. The matter of a family would be of small consequence," pursued
-the prince.
-
-"All the same, stranger, I'd sooner be a free man o' the mountains than
-to have all Maxtla has to give for the prince's capture. I'll never be
-a slave to any man, and surely not to Maxtla. Ef the prince should come
-my way, I'll show 'im what a mountaineer can do fur the son o' his
-father, a man who was loved by his people fur the good that was in
-'im." At this instant a thought occurred to the hunter which caused him
-to look sharply at the prince. After a moment of close scrutiny, he
-said: "Come to think of it, ye're askin' a good many questions 'bout
-the prince. Wouldn't be s'prised ef ye'd turn out to be the 'dentical
-chap, yerself. Curious I haven't s'pected that afore. Who are ye, any
-way?"
-
-"Hunter, your expressions of good will assure me that I can trust you.
-I have the confidence to believe you would not betray a pursued and
-unjustly persecuted man. You see in me Hualcoyotl, the fugitive
-prince." As the prince said this he seemed to grow taller, for he stood
-proudly erect while he waited for the surprised hunter to speak.
-
-Menke's astonishment, at finding his suspicion verified, was little
-short of amazement. After a moment, he said:
-
-"Wull, ef I aint clear beat; been talkin' to a live prince all this
-time, an' didn't have gumption 'nough to know it." Looking Hualcoyotl
-over, he continued: "So ye're the prince. Wull, that knocks me
-crookeder 'an that animal's leg; I'd 'bout as soon take yer man fur a
-prince. Can't see but ye're just like other folks--nothin' extra,
-either."
-
-The prince could not repress a smile of amusement at hearing the
-hunter's very expressive language. Menke continued:
-
-"D'ye know, Prince, ye took my measure exactly when ye said ye thought
-ye could trust me? Ye can do it, sure as ye live. May the next lion I
-come across eat me jacket and all, ef ye can't!"
-
-"Thank you, hunter," returned the prince. "You can not know how much
-relief and encouragement your words afford us. Our situation was very
-critical before you came to our assistance, and we feel very grateful
-to you. The disposition of kindliness which you evince toward us is
-most assuring, and makes us feel as if we were not wholly friendless."
-
-"That's all right, Prince. It doesn't cost much to be obligin', an' it
-turns up a good profit; so don't let it trouble ye. Menke--that's
-me--'ll do all he's promised, an' more too ef it's needed. How're ye
-fixed fur somethin' to eat?" he concluded, thoughtful of the fugitives'
-physical wants.
-
-"Rather poorly, hunter. We have nothing except a little green maize
-which we brought with us when we came here--hardly worth mentioning."
-
-"Ye are a little short, that's a fact. My luck hasn't been the best
-to-day. Only got a pheasant or two an' one hare. Ye're welcome to 'em,
-Prince."
-
-"Again we have to thank you, hunter; you are very kind."
-
-"Can't see why I'm more'n I should be; ye've nothing to eat an' I have;
-that means a divide to Menke, Prince."
-
-"I have often heard of the liberality and hospitable character of the
-men of the mountains. You have proven, by your kindness, Menke, that
-the report is well founded.
-
-"It doesn't matter how you put it, Prince; that's our way o' doin'; an'
-ef ye've no objection to remainin' here alone, I'll take yer man 'long
-o' me--what's 'is name?" he suddenly asked, looking at Oza. The name
-was given, and he continued: "Wull, Oza, ef yer master's willin', ye
-can g'long o' me, and I'll find ye somethin' more than pheasant an'
-hare to eat."
-
-It was arranged for Oza to accompany the hunter to the plateau, to
-bring in such food as he might procure for them. When ready to go,
-Menke threw the carcass of the mountain lion (for such it was) over his
-shoulder, and started to leave the ravine.
-
-"Hunter!" called the prince, as he was moving off, "you will keep our
-hiding-place a secret. Do not mention to anyone, not even to your
-closest friends, that you have seen us; curiosity might lead to our
-discovery."
-
-"Don't 'low any such notion as that to spoil yer sleep, Prince,"
-returned the hunter. "When Menke undertakes to do somethin', he doesn't
-count on callin' in his neighbors. Think he knows what's what, if he
-does live on the mountains." With this brusk and emphatic reply he left
-the ravine, followed by Oza.
-
-Hualcoyotl was now alone. His situation was not the happiest, and was
-calculated to call up disturbing reflections.
-
-For some time after the departure of the hunter and Oza, he remained in
-his retreat, pondering on his peculiarly trying position. Growing
-nervous and uneasy, he concluded to venture out on the side of the
-mountain, which he did. Finding a place whence he could observe unseen
-the approaches to his quarters, he put himself on guard. As the hours
-passed and Oza did not return, he grew still more uneasy. He had eaten
-nothing during the day, and hunger was becoming a disturbing influence.
-When night came on and Oza had not returned, he felt that some mishap
-had certainly befallen him. He went back to his retreat, under cover of
-darkness, feeling much depressed in spirits, where we leave him, to
-follow the hunter and Oza.
-
-After leaving the prince, they passed noiselessly down the side of the
-mountain and out on to a narrow, level stretch of ground, along which
-they went for a short distance, passing, on their way, some rudely
-constructed huts, formed of sticks and earth, which were inhabited by
-the class of mountaineers referred to by Menke as living tough.
-
-The hunter's object was to procure for the fugitives a supply of
-uncooked food, but he did not deem it expedient to apply to the
-occupants of the huts for it, so passed on.
-
-They had not gone far, after passing the huts, when they were met by a
-squad of soldiers, the sight of whom almost paralyzed the heart of Oza.
-
-"Hist, Oza!" quietly ejaculated the hunter, when he discovered the
-soldiers approaching. "Ye're my servant; d'ye understand? Take this
-animal on yer back an' fall behind." Oza comprehended, and quickly
-obeyed.
-
-Menke advanced boldly up to the soldiers, and one of them, looking at
-Oza's burden, said:
-
-"What have you there, hunter?"
-
-"A lion, soldier--a very savage kind of animal. I'd caution ye to look
-out fur 'em; they're plenty 'round here, 'specially on the mountains."
-
-"Your very liberal with your advice, hunter, which may be good, but
-think we can take care of ourselves."
-
-"All right, soldier; ef ye want to furnish a meal or two fur the hungry
-beasts, don't 'low me to hinder ye."
-
-"Never mind the beasts, hunter; we care nothing for them. We're looking
-for a different kind of animal--a run-away prince, who is known to be
-hiding somewhere in these mountains. Haven't come across such a fellow
-in your travels, eh?" questioned the soldier.
-
-"Wull, now, wouldn't be sure, but think I've seen the man ye're lookin'
-fur," returned Menke, making a show of trying to recall the
-circumstance. "Yesterday--yes, 'twas yesterday, on th'other side o' the
-mountain. Tall chap--"
-
-"Yes," interjected the soldier.
-
-"Kind o' dark skin?"
-
-"Exactly, hunter," again put in the soldier.
-
-"Was lookin' fur somethin' to eat," pursued Menke.
-
-"Just what he'd most likely be doing. Think you've seen our man,"
-replied the soldier. "Could you tell us," he continued, "about where to
-look for him?"
-
-"Wull, now, soldier, I might guess at it, but 'twould be like shootin'
-an arrer at the moon--I'd come 'bout as close to one as th'other. Guess
-I can't enlighten ye. Sorry, soldier, but I can't," concluded Menke,
-moving on, and giving no heed to the scowling looks which followed him.
-
-The meeting with the soldiers caused the hunter to modify his plans
-somewhat. It would not be prudent to build a fire on the mountain, with
-which to cook food, while the soldiers remained in such uncomfortably
-close proximity. This made it necessary to procure it in a prepared
-state.
-
-The provisions could be obtained at Menke's home, but to go there would
-consume much time. Then, there was danger of the soldiers going up into
-the mountain in their search for the prince. He ought to be informed of
-their presence. And yet, he must have something to eat.
-
-All this was thought over by the hunter, who finally determined to take
-the risk of leaving Hualcoyotl to look out for himself, and started to
-procure the victuals from his own home.
-
-The trip was accomplished as quickly as possible; nevertheless,
-darkness overtook them before they got back; and it was well for them
-that it did, for they came very near running into a band of soldiers
-who were camping close to the point where the hunter had intended
-beginning the ascent of the mountain. This made it necessary for them
-to retreat and make a detour in order to reach cover.
-
-The soldiers were becoming numerous on the plateaus, and Menke realized
-that sharp practice would be required to elude them. Having become
-deeply interested in the welfare of the fugitives, he decided, in view
-of the gravity of the situation, to return with Oza to their retreat;
-and, with the prince's approval, conduct them to a place of
-concealment, at or near his home.
-
-After some delay a bushy undergrowth, which grew thickly at the foot of
-the mountain, was reached, into which, followed by Oza, the mountaineer
-disappeared.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII.
-
-
-Darkness covered the mountains, and the prince still waited impatiently
-in his retreat for his attendant to return from the plateau. A feeling
-of anxious suspense, mingled with a sense of dread, as if impending
-calamity was threatening, oppressed him--a feeling which may cowardize
-the bravest heart under less discouraging circumstances than those
-which surrounded him at that moment. He was about to leave his shelter
-again, to seek relief from the uncomfortable sensation which disturbed
-him, when a peculiar cry attracted his attention, and caused him to
-rouse up and listen. A moment later, to his great relief, it was
-repeated. He moved away from his retreat a short distance, to find a
-safe position from which to send back an answer, which, if it were Oza,
-would bring him in. The return signal was given and the result awaited
-with anxiety. His suspense was brief; for in a very short time two
-persons came into the ravine and cautiously approached the sheltered
-recess. The prince was not expecting that the hunter would return, and
-for a moment was undecided what to do. Oza quickly reassured him by
-calling, in a subdued voice:
-
-"Master!"
-
-"Here," returned he, leaving his concealed position.
-
-"Didn't catch ye nappin', eh, Prince?" said Menke.
-
-"No, my friend; with the anxious listening and watching I have done in
-the last few hours that would hardly have been possible," returned he,
-and, continuing, he said: "I was not expecting that you would return
-with Oza; so when two came, instead of one, I was not sure of its being
-him."
-
-"Hadn't thought of returning to-night, Prince; but findin' danger to
-yerself gettin' thicker an' thicker, concluded I'd better come."
-
-"What have you discovered, hunter?" anxiously inquired the prince.
-
-"Tepanec soldiers. They're gettin' too thick fur comfort round here.
-What they'll do when mornin' comes I wouldn't stay to find out ef I 'as
-the one they're lookin' fur," replied the hunter, emphatically.
-
-"Have you seen the soldiers, that you speak so positively?" questioned
-the prince.
-
-Here Menke gave an account of the meeting with the soldiers going out,
-and the difficulties encountered returning. When he concluded,
-Hualcoyotl said, despondently:
-
-"What can I do, or where go, to find safety from my pursuers? Hunter,
-you know these mountains well; can't you tell us where we may find
-refuge?"
-
-"That's just what I'm here fur, Prince. Ef ye'll go 'long o' me I'll
-try to put ye where ye'll be safe. Ye'll have to take some risk in
-goin', but think we can dodge the pesky Tepanecs an' reach my place all
-right. Will ye go?"
-
-"We believe you to be a good friend, hunter, and will trust you. Yes,
-we'll go with you."
-
-"Good! When the night is darkest, and sleep has bound the soldiers,
-I'll lead ye from here to a better and safer concealment. But ye must
-eat. Here are bread and meat," continued the hunter. "Be liberal to
-yerself, Prince; there's plenty more where we're goin'," he said,
-giving each a bountiful supply of the provision.
-
-They all partook heartily of the food; after which Menke insisted that
-the prince and Oza should lie down and sleep, while he would remain on
-watch.
-
-When the hour came around for leaving, the still tired fugitives were
-sleeping soundly. The hunter aroused them, and said it was time to go.
-The food remaining from the supply which he had provided was divided
-among them, and they started.
-
-The prince was not insensible to the peril to which he was about to
-expose himself, and, very naturally, experienced some uneasiness in
-consequence. He did not doubt the fidelity of his guide, but, realizing
-how powerless they were for defense against a band of armed soldiers,
-should they be discovered, he could hardly feel otherwise. He did not
-follow blindly, but was guarded and ready for any emergency.
-
-The direction taken to reach the plateau was different from that
-followed by the hunter and Oza the day before. This course was adopted
-with the hope of avoiding the soldiers known to be encamped at the foot
-of the mountain.
-
-Their progress was slow, and much time was consumed in the descent. It
-was finally accomplished, however; but before leaving cover the hunter
-made a careful reconnoisance to ascertain if the way was clear. Finding
-no indications of the presence of soldiers, the party sallied out upon
-the open ground, and cautiously crossed to the opposite side of the
-plateau. Turning to the right they moved along in single file, with
-gulches, crags and deep ravines to the left of them, and small fields
-of ripening maize and chia-plant, scattered here and there on the
-tillable ground, lying between them and the mountain they had just
-left. The stars shone brightly down upon the trail they were pursuing,
-and the trio were proceeding on their way with increased confidence, at
-an easy pace, the hunter in the lead. Jam up against him came the
-prince and Oza. He had suddenly stopped.
-
-"Why do you halt?" inquired the prince.
-
-Menke only had time to whisper in reply, "Escape, ef ye can; we're
-discovered!" when they were set upon by a band of Tepanec soldiers.
-
-The attack was made near a patch of corn, and the prince quickly saw in
-it a way of escape. He still carried the stout stick which did him such
-excellent service on a former occasion. It was swung into position for
-defense, and when the soldiers rushed upon them he met their onslaught
-with a resistance they were not expecting. In less time than is
-required to record it he cleared a way to the corn, into which he
-disappeared, and was lost under the cover of night ere the assaulting
-party discovered his intention. Some of the soldiers followed, but to
-no purpose; it was a case of life or death to him, and his pursuers
-were soon left floundering in confusion behind.
-
-When the hunter discovered that the prince had gotten away, he quietly
-surrendered.
-
-The soldiers could only have presumed that Hualcoyotl was one of the
-party they were attacking. If he was, a sudden seizure would secure
-him. On this hypothesis they had no doubt acted. It was not their
-purpose to injure anyone unnecessarily, and the struggle ended as
-suddenly as it had begun.
-
-Putting on a bold front, Menke, in a very stern voice, said:
-
-"Why d'ye jump onto a feller an' his men in this way? We're not
-outlaws."
-
-"Not so sure of that, stranger," answered one of the soldiers, looking
-the hunter over. "You are not the man we want, at any rate; one of your
-companions may be. Who are they?"
-
-"They're my servants," replied Menke.
-
-"Which you expect us to believe, of course," returned the soldier,
-doubtingly.
-
-"Oza, where's Yuma?" inquired the hunter, holding to his assumed
-position of master, hoping it would divert the soldiers from a pursuit
-of the prince.
-
-"Yuma ran away like a coward, master," answered Oza, comprehending the
-hunter's design.
-
-"Let 'im go; he'll come back with the sun," said Menke, with a show of
-indifference.
-
-The soldiers were not to be hoodwinked so easily, but proceeded to
-inspect Oza closely. After satisfying themselves that he was not the
-person wanted, the spokesman turned to the hunter and said:
-
-"You are quite clever with your tongue, stranger. What you say, may be
-true, but we are not obliged to believe it. Your Yuma, who ran away,
-showed too much skill to be a servant. We are inclined to believe him
-the man we are after."
-
-"As ye please, soldier. Havin' made up yer mind to think that way,
-there's no use o' wastin' words 'bout it; an' ef ye've no further use
-fur us, we'll move on," spoke Menke, decidedly.
-
-"You can go," returned the soldier, shortly.
-
-The hunter, without deigning to notice the soldiers farther, moved away
-from them, followed by Oza. When far enough off to be secure from
-observation, he paused to consider what should be done next.
-
-The situation was rather perplexing. It would not do to signal the
-prince; that would attract the attention of his pursuers, and make his
-position more critical. The hunter was too shrewd to do that. The only
-alternative, therefore, was to wait for daylight to come to their
-assistance. Having decided on this course a safe place in which to stop
-was found, where we leave them to follow Hualcoyotl.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-After going some distance into the corn patch, the prince paused to
-listen for the noise of pursuit. He could distinctly hear the rustling
-of the stalks, but too far away to give him any present concern. He was
-safe, he felt, until daylight--at which time, however, he wisely
-concluded he would not be if he remained on the plateau; for the
-soldiers would surely search it over from end to end, so soon as it
-became light enough to see. He must get away, and the sooner he went
-the better would be his chances of eluding them. But where should he
-go, was the all-important question. His eyes turned toward the mountain
-he had just left.
-
-"No, it will not do to go there," he thought; "there is danger in that
-direction." He quickly decided to take an opposite course and started.
-
-The uncertainty of the situation led him to dismiss at once the
-consideration of an immediate reunion with the hunter and Oza, and
-caused him to think only of his personal safety.
-
-He left the patch of corn into which he had fled, and passed stealthily
-out onto the uncultivated ground, which he found covered with weeds and
-bushes, and very rough. He was compelled to move slowly and pick his
-way over it. Coming to another patch of corn he entered it, and after
-going a short distance, paused. Casting his eyes about him he
-discovered, plainly outlined against the horizon, a mountain, seemingly
-not very far off, which until now had escaped his observation, and to
-which he determined to go. It took quite a while to reach it, for it
-proved to be farther away than he had reckoned. Finally, after a
-laborious tramp, he stood at its base, and was glad when he entered its
-dense wood where he might rest once more in comparative security. He
-went far enough up the side of the mountain to render his position
-reasonably safe, where he found a spot which was thickly covered with
-bushes, into which he crept to await the morning's dawning. When
-daylight spread itself over the scene he was unconscious of it; for he
-slept. Later on he awoke to find the sun shining brightly through the
-thick foliage about him. His location was found to be well protected
-and secure, and he decided to remain in it for the time being.
-
-The prince's situation was now more discouraging, if possible, than at
-any previous time. In his efforts to get away from his pursuers he had
-put himself beyond the help of the hunter and Oza. It was hardly
-possible that they would find him where he was; and it was out of the
-question for him to attempt to go to them. His case was hourly becoming
-more desperate. Fate seemed to be driving him helplessly before it.
-Thus, in temporary security, we leave him for the present.
-
-When day dawned Menke and Oza were on the lookout for Hualcoyotl; and
-the soldiers were seen scouring their vicinity in search of him. But,
-as the reader knows, Menke and Oza, and the soldiers as well, were
-doomed to be disappointed, for the man they were looking for was at
-that hour sleeping on a mountain, several miles away.
-
-The soldiers finally gave up the hunt for him on the plateau, and, as
-good luck would have it, turned their attention to the mountain he had
-previously occupied, believing he had sought the nearest shelter.
-
-The hunter and Oza waited about the place all day, and when night came
-on reluctantly turned their steps toward the home of the former.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII.
-
-
-Euetzin and Cacami, with the assistance of their colaborers, had done a
-splendid work among the men of their tribe for the cause of Tezcuco.
-Everywhere they had labored the Tezcucan heart was thoroughly aroused,
-and the secret preparations for resistance to Maxtla's rule were
-rapidly assuming proportions highly encouraging to the promoters. The
-comrades were now returning to the once proud capital of their nation
-to continue the work of organization at the very threshold of the
-enemy.
-
-The work in Tezcuco had been deferred until assurance of success was
-made reasonably certain elsewhere; and, now, since a perfect confidence
-in the ultimate triumph of their cause was felt by the conspirators,
-the work was to be pushed into that city as a final effort in the
-creation of the mighty and silent forces which were intended to strike
-the shackles from the oppressed Tezcucans.
-
-The young men reached Zelmonco villa, on their way to the city, in the
-afternoon, where they proposed to stop a few hours with Teochma and
-Itlza. It was a very happy meeting, for weeks had elapsed since the
-tzin and his companion turned their faces away from the home of the
-former.
-
-Itlza's welcome to Cacami was very encouraging to him. The weeks of
-absence he was compelled to endure had strengthened the attachment he
-had conceived for her, and he was longing for some token of
-reciprocation, which would release him from his pledge of silence. He
-thought he saw a realization of his hopes in the greeting he received;
-and, notwithstanding he was pledged, when he came face to face with the
-object of his love he felt that his feelings would impel him to speak,
-should the opportunity for doing so be presented.
-
-The days had not been without effect upon Itlza, too. She had grown
-thoughtful, and the thoughts which held her most were thoughts of
-Cacami. She had often gone to the oak tree, where she sat for hours
-and, dreamingly, lived over again the few pleasant moments she had
-spent there with him; and, as the dreaming went on, her heart could not
-do otherwise than go out to the object of her thoughts.
-
-After an hour of pleasant talk, and the subjects of inquiry had been
-exhausted, the little party broke up. Euetzin went to look about the
-villa, Teochma to see that suitable refreshments were prepared, and
-Itlza and Cacami for a short stroll in the park.
-
-Persons who are in love are usually inclined to reticence in the
-presence of the beloved, except when talking on the subject which is
-ever uppermost in their minds. Thus it was with Cacami and Itlza. He
-was thinking of his promise, and was not a little vexed at himself for
-having given it, now that so favorable an opportunity was presented for
-pleading his cause. She was thinking of the same thing; and,
-remembering that she had exacted the promise from him, was endeavoring
-to devise a way to let him know that he was absolved from it. The
-consequence was a rather awkward silence between them. He finally
-managed to say:
-
-"How has Laughing-eyes occupied the time since her brother and myself
-went away?"
-
-"As she always does--eating, sleeping, and dreaming," she replied,
-jocosely.
-
-"Were your dreams in your sleeping or waking hours?" he asked, looking
-at her with quizzical interest.
-
-"You should not question so, Cacami. To be truthful I might be
-compelled to say in both; then you would think me a dreamer," she
-answered, coquettishly.
-
-"I should never find fault with your dreaming, Laughing-eyes, if I
-might be assured of a part in it," he said, with a look of fondness.
-
-"Selfish Cacami!" she exclaimed, with mock solemnity.
-
-"Yes, Laughing-eyes, Cacami is selfish where you are concerned," he
-rejoined, with unfeigned tenderness.
-
-She could not mistake the trend of his manner, and hoped earnestly that
-he would disregard his promise, and speak the endearing words she had
-herself checked upon his lips before she realized that her best love
-was his.
-
-"I must have a care for myself; selfish Cacami might choose to spirit
-me away," she said, archly, at the same time giving him a look which
-tempted him severely, and almost loosed his tongue. With a heroic
-effort he controlled himself, and, with strained facetiousness,
-replied:
-
-"When I do that, Laughing-eyes will furnish the spirit wings."
-
-To this quasi repartee she answered only with a coquettish little
-laugh.
-
-They had come to the lower side of the park, near the roadway. A short
-pause had followed Cacami's last remark, and he was fixedly and
-tenderly contemplating his strangely fascinating companion.
-
-The art of fashioning flowers, as well as feathers, into varied and
-beautiful designs was an accomplishment frequently attained by the
-native women, and in which Itlza was an adept. She had plucked some
-choice varieties, here and there, as she walked along, and wrought them
-into a delicate, heart-shaped bouquet. She noticed her companion's
-quiet demeanor, and, feeling a magnetic influence from his fixed gaze,
-turned to look at him.
-
-"Why are you so silent?" she asked, her voice expressive of sympathetic
-tenderness. She continued: "And what are your thoughts, that the look
-from your eyes burns into my very heart?"
-
-Her eyes were fixed on his as she spoke, and the love-light, which
-shone from them, became suddenly intensified. For an instant she was
-overcome by the power of his superior magnetism, and, holding out both
-hands, involuntarily exclaimed:
-
-"O, Cacami!"
-
-When Cacami heard the impassioned cry, and saw the no less impassioned
-light which beamed upon him from the liquid depths of her intensely
-luminous eyes, the temptation was too strong, and, forgetting his
-promise, he impulsively clasped her hands in both his own, and, for one
-moment of blissful thralldom, two souls stood blending on the verge of
-rapture.
-
-"Itlza!" called the mother, from the hill above.
-
-The spell was broken, and the passionate words which trembled on
-Cacami's lips remained unsaid.
-
-Itlza quickly withdrew her hands, and answered her mother's call; but
-the flower-heart was left in Cacami's possession.
-
-With quickened pulse the lovers turned from the blissful spot, and
-walked toward the house.
-
-The emotions which filled the heart and moved the soul of Cacami, in
-that to him ecstatic moment, can not be described. Those who have in
-like manner realized the dearest wish of a heart's first and purest
-love only can know what his feelings were. Itlza had, not in words, but
-in the language of soul speaking to soul, surrendered to him the
-citadel of affection--her heart, which was typified in the beautiful
-heart of flowers which he now possessed.
-
-An hour in Cacami's society had shown to Itlza how deep was the love
-she felt for him; and, ere the moment of revelation came, the little
-love-bird which nestled in her heart was fluttering to be released,
-that it might sing its song for him. She had wrought the flower-heart
-for her lover, but knew not how it would reach him. The moment came, as
-we have seen, unexpectedly to Cacami at least, which transferred it to
-his hand and revealed to him the fact that he was loved.
-
-When the lovers came up to Teochma, who stood waiting for them at the
-top of the hill, they had overcome their agitation and met her with no
-perceptible signs of confusion. She said, with a slight expression of
-impatience:
-
-"Refreshments are waiting, while Cacami and Itlza are lost to the
-flight of time, and neglect them."
-
-"If I have been remiss, the pleasure of a stroll with Itlza must be my
-excuse," said he humbly.
-
-"And, Itlza, what have you to say of your conduct?" asked the mother in
-a quizzical but affectionate manner, at the same time watching the
-effect of her question. If she thought to fathom the sentiment which
-moved the young people she failed; for Itlza answered demurely, casting
-an arch glance at her companion:
-
-"It was Cacami's fault, mother; he had so much to tell that I forgot."
-
-"Well, well, I'm inclined to think you are both to blame; and since it
-is so, I can not scold. But you must be more thoughtful in the future;"
-at saying which Teochma turned and led the way into the house.
-
-After refreshments were served, the family, with Cacami, repaired to
-the reception room, where the evening was passed in pleasant
-conversation. The young people had no opportunity to communicate
-farther except in a general way. Thus they were left for another
-interval of time to meditate on what might have been.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The tzin was in deepest sympathy with the demands of the hour upon him
-from his enslaved countrymen and their subverted government; and,
-regardless of the entreaties of his mother and Itlza, and the pressing
-desire in his own heart to remain longer, cut short his stay, and with
-Cacami, who was sadly disappointed at not being permitted, by even a
-brief interview with Itlza, to verify the hopes with which her latest
-conduct had inspired him, struck out at an early hour the next morning
-for Tezcuco, where the work in behalf of Tezcucan independence was to
-be continued.
-
-On entering the city the tzin felt forcibly drawn toward the palace of
-the prince. It had been a home to him for the past eight years, and
-now, returning to its very threshold to remain for a time, it seemed
-like forsaking an old friend to turn away from it.
-
-But the place was still under surveillance by the enemies of his royal
-master, and, unknown though he was to them, his presence there, he
-felt, might expose him to suspicion, which would mark him as a person
-to be watched, thereby causing him annoyance and possible interruption
-in his labors. He therefore passed it by with a sigh of regret, and
-sought accommodations elsewhere, which he found at the home of a
-patriotic Tezcucan.
-
-No time was permitted to elapse unimproved by Euetzin and his
-coworkers. The necessary steps, which had become a fixed proceeding,
-were taken, and ere four and twenty hours had passed, a council of
-leading Tezcucans was organized, and each member of it, with the
-obligation still warm upon his lips, was laboring secretly and
-zealously for country, home and Hualcoyotl.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX.
-
-
-It was in the afternoon of a day a week or ten days subsequent to the
-time when Hualcoyotl became separated from Menke and Oza, in eluding
-the Tepanec soldiers on the plateau, that Mitla, the daughter of
-Tezcot, had gone around the mountains for an hour's pastime with her
-bow and arrow; and, having grown weary of the diversion, was returning
-home. She had just passed a sharp extension at the foot of the mountain
-and was sauntering leisurely along the border of a patch of ripened
-chia-plant, which her father's servants had gathered into piles and
-left lying on the ground, when her attention was attracted by a distant
-yelling, heard from the plateau behind her. She stopped, and, while
-listening to the repeated yells, which were growing louder and nearer,
-was suddenly startled by the appearance of a man running toward her
-from the direction in which the hallooing was heard. He was evidently
-fleeing from threatened danger, and almost exhausted. His appearance
-was one of deep distress, and when he came nearer she saw that a look
-of despair was depicted on his pale and haggard face. She comprehended
-the situation at a glance, deciding that he was being pursued by a foe,
-and instantly conceived the idea of concealing him. Without waiting for
-explanations, she raised a pile of the chia-plant, and, when he came up
-to her, told him to get under it, which he tried to do, but only
-succeeded in falling in a helpless heap upon the ground. Mitla did not
-wait for a further effort on his part, but speedily covered him with
-the stalks of the plant where he had fallen. Telling him to lie
-still--hardly a necessary thing to do, to a man in his exhausted
-condition--she moved quickly from the spot in the direction of her
-home.
-
-The man's concealment had been accomplished none too soon, for Mitla
-had taken scarcely a dozen steps when a party of Tepanec soldiers came
-in sight around the mountain in hot pursuit of him. So soon as they
-came in view she stopped and looked at them a moment; then turned and
-fixed her gaze on a rise in the ground just ahead of her, as if
-something had attracted her attention to that point. On being asked if
-she had seen the fugitive, she answered by pointing in the direction of
-the rise. Her ruse was successful, for the soldiers, without further
-question, set off on a brisk run. Mitla followed them, to get as far
-from the fugitive's hiding place as possible.
-
-When the soldiers gained the opposite side of the rise they were
-completely nonplussed, and appeared undecided what to do. Mitla
-approached them with perfect composure, and, when interrogated, as to
-what direction she thought the man had gone, encouraged them to think
-he had taken to the mountain. This seemed to agree with their own
-conclusions, and, to her delight, they dashed away, and were quickly
-hidden among the bushes, in search of him.
-
-Mitla wisely concluded it would not do to go back to the place where
-the man was concealed, just then; so, to consume a little time, went on
-to the house. After informing her mother and Oxie of her adventure, and
-cautioning them not to show any interest in her movements, she returned
-by a roundabout way to the chia patch. Coming to the pile of stalks
-under which the man was lying, she said--only loud enough for him to
-hear:
-
-"Do not attempt to rise; the soldiers are searching for you among the
-bushes near by, and might discover you. You will be informed when all
-danger is past."
-
-After thus enlightening him, she went leisurely back to the house, to
-await her father's return from the mountains, where he had gone in
-quest of game.
-
-The hunter returned early, and Mitla told him of her adventure. He
-decided at once that the man could not be relieved with safety before
-dark. In coming to this conclusion he felt, in his kindness of heart,
-that it was hard on the poor fellow to be left in such a trying
-position for so long a time, but, with the soldiers in the vicinity and
-liable to appear at any time, he must bear it if he would escape.
-
-The hunter suspected the fugitive's identity, and, while waiting for
-night to come, when he could go to his relief, occupied the time in
-ruminating as to how he might best serve him. He haply hit upon an idea
-which appeared so plausible to him that, with an emphatic slap of the
-knee, he exclaimed:
-
-"Just the thing! I'll save him, or my name's not Tezcot."
-
-"What is 'just the thing,' father; and who are you going to save?"
-asked Mitla, who was present, and somewhat startled by the hunter's
-sudden outburst.
-
-"The prince, child. Who else could I save just now?" he answered,
-absently.
-
-"The prince! what prince?"
-
-At this moment a revelation came to Mitla's mind, which was quite a
-surprise to her, and she said, expressing it:
-
-"What a simpleton I have been, father, not to have thought of it
-before--the man under the pile of chia-stalks is Hualcoyotl, the
-Tezcucan prince! Is that what you mean?"
-
-"Yes, Mit, that is just what I mean."
-
-"And you think you can save him?"
-
-"I'm sure I can, Mit," answered the hunter, positively. "But, child, ye
-must ask no questions; I can not answer ye."
-
-"Very good, father. I'm sure you will do whatever you think you can,"
-she replied, with the confidence of an unqualified belief in his
-infallibility.
-
-The time dragged along very slowly to the kind-hearted hunter after his
-conception of a plan for relieving the fugitive. He felt that the poor
-fellow must certainly be suffering no little agony in his painful
-position, and his sympathy was stirred accordingly.
-
-Night, which was impatiently waited for, came on at last, enveloping
-the mountains in darkness, obscuring from observation objects at a very
-short distance. It was the hour of relief for the hapless wanderer
-hidden out in the chia patch.
-
-Tezcot and Mitla quietly left the house, and approached the spot where
-the man was concealed. The latter pointed out the pile of stalks which
-covered him, and the former lifted them off his motionless form. They
-found him in a pitiable condition, quite unable to rise. The hours of
-confinement under the chia stalks, together with his previous
-enervation, had rendered him benumbed and helpless. He was assisted to
-his feet, but his limbs refused to sustain him, and it was found
-necessary for the hunter to carry him to the house. He was taken to a
-private apartment, and placed on a comfortable couch. A mug of pulque
-was given him to drink, after which it was thought best to leave him
-for a time to himself, to recover, in a measure, from his spent
-condition.
-
-More than a week of enforced concealment on the mountain, without food
-to stay his increasing hunger, had passed to Hualcoyotl since he became
-separated from his servant and the hunter Menke. He had not been
-disturbed in his hiding place, but the distress arising from his
-protracted fasting, together with a consequent nervous anxiety, had
-brought him to the verge of desperation. He must, and would, have
-something to eat, and, regardless of danger, started out to find it. He
-reached the plateau, and having boldly emerged upon it, stood looking
-about him for a house where the much needed food might be obtained.
-While thus occupied he was made aware of the fact that a party of
-soldiers were approaching; they had discovered him, and were watching
-his movements. It took him but a moment to determine what he would do.
-He did not feel equal to the exertion which would be required in an
-effort to elude them by climbing the mountain; so, on observing a
-projection extending out from it, only a short distance from where he
-was, he promptly decided to round it if possible, and find concealment
-beyond. He started off at a careless gait, though feeling very shaky.
-When the soldiers saw that he was walking away, they increased their
-movement; he did the same, which brought from them a savage yell, which
-sent him forward with a bound. For a short distance he ran with his
-usual fleetness, but the impelling force was excitement, which did not
-last. He succeeded in turning the point, but in an almost exhausted
-condition. It was at this juncture he came upon Mitla; what followed,
-the reader knows.
-
-When the hunter returned to the prince's couch, he found him in a very
-much improved condition. By a little exertion of his own, aided by the
-stimulating effects of the pulque, his circulation was rapidly
-reasserting itself, and his forces, though in a weakened state, were
-reviving. Refreshments were brought in, of which he was permitted to
-eat a sufficiency but not excessively.
-
-Tezcot avoided referring to the prince's identity, deferring his
-inquiries until the latter should be more fully restored.
-
-Hualcoyotl did not suspect that his host had a suspicion as to who he
-was--at least showed no sign that he did. He was inclined to be
-reserved and uncommunicative; however, took occasion to express his
-gratitude for the kindness shown him.
-
-The hunter, after giving his unhappy guest all necessary attention, and
-assuring him of his safety, left him for the night.
-
-The next morning Tezcot repaired to the apartment occupied by the
-prince, and found him quite comfortable. Food, and a night's rest on a
-soft couch--the first he had enjoyed for many days, did wonders in
-restoring his exhausted forces.
-
-The hunter was quite sure that his guest was Prince Hualcoyotl; but
-before proceeding to carry out his plan for securing him from further
-pursuit, he wished to obtain an acknowledgment of his identity; so,
-after assisting him to prepare for the morning meal, he addressed him,
-saying:
-
-"Your presence in this house is known to no one outside of the family
-of Tezcot, the hunter." The prince's countenance brightened at once on
-hearing that name, which had been spoken of in such warm terms by
-Menke, and his hopes were renewed and buoyed by the confidence it
-imparted. He listened more attentively while the mountaineer continued:
-"Since it is no secret that Hualcoyotl, the Prince of Tezcuco, is a
-fugitive, and hiding somewhere in these mountains, you can not be
-greatly surprised when told that we think you are that person. Do not
-feel any concern for your safety, for Hualcoyotl is as secure with
-Tezcot as he would be in his own palace, surrounded by his friends."
-
-The prince, though surprised that his identity was suspected, was
-greatly relieved and encouraged by the hunter's language, and his
-confidence went out to him at once; for he felt sure that he had found
-in him a friend--a friend who had been raised up to help him in his
-darkest hour. To the kindly spoken words of his host he replied:
-
-"And you are the great mountaineer, Tezcot, the chief of hunters.
-Hualcoyotl is indeed fortunate in finding refuge with such a man. The
-name of Tezcot relieves me from all concern, for it is an assurance of
-good-will and security. For the first time in weeks I am glad to
-acknowledge my identity. Yes, glad to say, I am Hualcoyotl. Your
-divination is correct, kind friend; for the fugitive prince stands
-before you, profoundly grateful for his deliverance."
-
-It was now Tezcot's turn to be surprised, for he inferred from the
-prince's language that he was not unknown to him. Hualcoyotl continued:
-
-"When the good hunter Menke said that Tezcot was a man true as his
-arrow, and worthy of the utmost confidence, it did not occur to me that
-I would so soon be thrown upon his generosity. But such are the ways of
-the Great Unseen, whose purposes we can not comprehend. Hualcoyotl is
-surely an object of His protecting care," he concluded reverently.
-
-Tezcot was deeply impressed by the exhibition of reference manifested
-by the prince for the Unseen Power which seemed to be shielding his
-life and proving him in the crucible of adversity, to prepare him for
-the great future which then lay hidden before him. Wonder prevailed,
-however, and he said:
-
-"Your words are astonishing. Do you mean to tell me that you have met
-the hunter Menke, and yet are here a rescued fugitive?"
-
-"Yes, Tezcot; but days have passed since we met and were unfortunately
-separated," replied the prince.
-
-"Still, I'm puzzled to account for your being here as you are, after
-meeting so good and shrewd a friend as Menke," returned the hunter.
-
-"No doubt you are; but be assured, kind friend, it was no fault of his
-that it is so." The prince went on and related the circumstances of his
-meeting with Menke, and what followed.
-
-"Menke is a good friend, but a little odd," said Tezcot, when the
-prince had concluded. "He has no doubt looked for you in every place
-but the right one," he continued. "You certainly have reason to think,
-from what you have seen of us, that you have nothing to fear from the
-mountaineers. If they might do it, I am sure all of them would be glad
-to afford you assistance."
-
-"I believe you, Tezcot, and heartily appreciate the disposition of
-friendliness. Especially do I feel thankful to yourself for what has
-already been done for me. That such an excellent friend was raised up
-to help me so opportunely fills me with unmeasured gratitude."
-
-"Your feelings are natural; but, my friend, you are not yet beyond
-danger. Let us look to your further safety. If you will permit it, I
-think something may be done to secure you from any future discomfort,
-so far as the Tepanec soldiery is concerned," said Tezcot, getting
-round to his purpose.
-
-"I am in no condition to decline the proffered assistance of anyone,
-nor will I that of Tezcot and his friends. My present weal is in your
-hands. What would you have me do?"
-
-"Only this: put your trust in the mountaineers, and follow me without
-question. You will have no cause to regret it, should you do so,"
-replied the hunter.
-
-"At this moment I am no more than a child. I need no assurance that
-your intentions are worthy of my whole confidence. I trust you, my
-friend, implicitly; do with me what you will," he answered, showing how
-weak and dependent he had become.
-
-"It is well. When the stars alone shall give light to guide us, we will
-go to a retreat which only an army may successfully invade to disturb
-you. But, come; breakfast waits."
-
-When the prince entered the eating-room, his appearance, as compared
-with what it was the night before, was greatly improved. His apparel
-was considerably soiled; but after a good cleaning and rearranging,
-which it had received at the hands of Tezcot's servants, made him
-appear more like the well-bred person he was.
-
-The hunter named each member of his family by way of introduction.
-Hualcoyotl immediately turned toward Mitla, and said:
-
-"To this young woman a debt is due from me which all the wealth of
-Anahuac, in my hands, could not cancel. Words are meaningless when
-drawn upon to express what I feel for the ready thought which prompted
-the action whereby I was saved from an implacable enemy. Hualcoyotl
-will ever owe one debt which can not be paid."
-
-Mitla was greatly embarrassed by the words and manner of the prince,
-addressed to her so unexpectedly; yet, after a moment's hesitation, she
-recovered herself, and said:
-
-"Your words are very kind, and more than repay me for what I did to
-save you from your pursuers. I shall always be glad that I was where I
-could help you."
-
-The prince was pleased with her reply. It showed a degree of
-intelligence he was not expecting to find in a mountain girl, and he
-said:
-
-"I am having a peculiarly diverse as well as adverse experience.
-Yesterday I was a miserable, suffering fugitive, hunted by a relentless
-foe into a condition of absolute incapability; this morning the
-conditions are entirely and happily reversed by your wonderful presence
-of mind at a rare and perplexing moment. In the midst of extremest
-adversity I am suddenly brought to realize a sense of security and
-happiness by being thrown upon the generosity of this most generous
-family. First there comes to me this morning the kindly expressed
-sympathy of the noble hunter, Tezcot, assuring me of my safety; and now
-the generous words of my admirable young preserver. What can I say in
-return for your magnanimity?"
-
-"Don't try to say anything, Prince. Forget your gratitude for a little
-while; cease to praise us, and fall to eating heartily, that you may
-have strength to endure what is before you," interrupted the host
-pleasantly.
-
-"One could not do less than eat heartily in this excellent mountain
-home," he replied, looking kindly at Zoei.
-
-Tezcot rejoined in a jocular manner, and the conversation continued,
-varying as the meal progressed.
-
-Breakfast was over, the prince had retired to his apartment, and Tezcot
-was gone. The latter had taken his hunting outfit and disappeared, but
-not without a word of caution to the former.
-
-It was not an uncommon thing for the hunter to take his javelin, bow
-and quiver, and go away for a day's hunt; so, on this occasion, there
-was nothing thought of it.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XX.
-
-
-It was mid-afternoon, and quiet reigned in and about the mountaineer's
-home. Tezcot was still on the mountain, where he had gone in the
-morning, presumably to hunt. Hualcoyotl, though still very weak from
-privation and the effects of the distressing ordeal through which he
-had passed the previous day, was enjoying, in undisturbed seclusion, a
-peacefulness of mind he had not experienced since his wanderings began.
-Mitla and Oxie were passing a leisure hour in the inviting shade of a
-large cypress tree, which stood a short distance from the house. To
-this spot they often went to while away their unoccupied time in
-chatting, and, if industriously inclined, to fashion some article for
-the adornment of the person or home. Mitla, on this occasion, was
-engaged in arranging a piece of feather-work, while Oxie, less
-diligent, lazily disposed herself on the warm, dry sward near by.
-
-The happiness of innocent girlhood was enjoyed by both these maidens,
-for no disturbing influence had, up to this time, come to mar the
-rustic simplicity of their lives. The passion of love, which sooner or
-later stirs the heart of youth, was yet unknown to them.
-
-Oxie was saying:
-
-"I think the prince is very handsome, sister, don't you?" She spoke
-with shyness, as if the expression involved a thought to which she
-ought not give utterance. Mitla looked up with no little surprise and
-said, inquiringly:
-
-"When did your eyes open to the thought that men are sometimes
-handsome, Oxie?"
-
-"My eyes have long been open to that which is attractive, Mitla. Would
-you have me close them now, that the object is a man?" she replied,
-with some show of impatience.
-
-"Not so, sister; but coming from you, the words sounded oddly. It seems
-only yesterday that you were a child. Your question tells me you are
-one no longer. But to answer you: The prince is fine looking, yet does
-not impress me as being admirable. Under more favorable circumstances
-he would, no doubt, be quite handsome."
-
-"It is when he speaks that the beauty of his countenance is seen," said
-Oxie with more courage, which Mitla's answer had imparted. "His eyes
-are so bright, they fairly dazzle one. When he spoke to you this
-morning at breakfast I could not help admiring him. It surely was not
-wrong, sister?"
-
-"I can not say if it was wrong or not; yet, Oxie, I would not encourage
-such thoughts; they might wound your heart," replied Mitla, not yet
-having realized that older hearts than Oxie's were subject to
-impressions that often wound.
-
-"Why do you say that, sister?" asked Oxie, somewhat curiously. "Why
-should it wound my heart to think well of the prince's looks?"
-
-"Do you know what such thoughts lead to, Oxie?" rejoined Mitla,
-soberly.
-
-"I can not say that I do; but surely not to anything serious?" still
-curious.
-
-"Well, sister, I will tell you. After admiration follows love, which in
-this case would indeed be serious. The folly of a mountain girl falling
-in love with a noble, and he a prince at that, should be apparent even
-to you, Oxie," Mitla answered, a little severely.
-
-"Why folly, sister, if her love should be returned?" asked the
-infatuated maiden. This was too much for Mitla's philosophic mentality,
-and she concluded that a further discussion of the subject would only
-tend to strengthen the impressions made upon Oxie's inexperienced mind
-by the person of the young prince. She answered evasively:
-
-"I only know, sister, from what I have heard, and think I would prefer
-to say no more about it. See!" she suddenly exclaimed, "yonder comes
-father. Let us run to meet him," and away they sped to meet the hunter,
-whose appearance was hailed by Mitla as being very opportune.
-
-"You are early at home to-day, father," she said, when they came up to
-him. "Has anything happened to you?"
-
-"Yes and no, child. You double up your questions so, I scarcely know
-how to answer," said he, in reply. "I was a little anxious about the
-prince, and returned earlier on that account. He's all right, eh?"
-
-"He seems to be, father. We would not know that he is in the house,
-from any noise he makes," answered Mitla.
-
-"Where is your game, father?" inquired Oxie, noticing that he brought
-none with him. "You never before came home with an empty hand."
-
-"No, child; not if I were hunting."
-
-"Have you not been hunting, father," she pursued.
-
-"No, Oxie. Other business has claimed my attention to-day."
-
-"I can guess where you have been, father," said Mitla, eager to give
-expression to a suddenly conceived thought.
-
-"I wouldn't wonder, child, if you should," he replied, apparently
-indifferent as to whether she could or not.
-
-"You have been to see the hermit. Am I not correct?"
-
-"Yes, Mit, you are correct. I went to have a talk with Ix about the
-prince."
-
-"I know now what you meant yesterday, when you declared you would save
-the prince, while he was still under the chia stalks," added Mitla. "It
-was thoughtful in you to see in the hermitage a refuge for him," she
-continued, her voice expressing approval, which was also reflected on
-her animated countenance. "Will the hermit approve of it?"
-
-"Yes, child, but I'd rather not discuss the matter farther now. I'll
-tell you all about it another time," urged the father, kindly.
-
-They were drawing near to the house, to enter which they were obliged
-to pass the little window of the prince's apartment, at which he was
-seated, looking out. The hunter and Mitla greeted him with a friendly
-smile of recognition as they passed. Oxie, who had fallen behind for a
-moment, to pluck a few flowers which she arranged into a neat little
-bouquet, on coming to the window, blushingly handed them to him. He
-looked pleased, and acknowledged the gift by saying:
-
-"You are very good to remember me in this manner. Your kindness, Oxie,
-will not soon be forgotten."
-
-There was that in the voice and manner of the prince which affected the
-simple, girlish heart of Oxie greatly. She was too much confused to
-reply, and, dropping her eyes under his piercing look, hurried on after
-her father and Mitla, who had already entered the house.
-
-Hualcoyotl was always considerate of the feelings of those with whom he
-came in contact, no matter what might be their station in life; as a
-consequence he was kindly regarded by all who came, in any degree, to
-know him. His words addressed to Oxie, in acknowledgment of the gift of
-flowers, were spoken with no thought other than that of kindness; yet,
-what he said was indelibly fixed on her keenly receptive mind,
-especially the words: "Your kindness, Oxie, will not soon be
-forgotten." They would prove a secret treasure put away in memory's
-hidden recesses to be drawn upon
-
-    "When in silent, contemplative mood."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-When the mountaineer left home in the morning, instead of going to hunt
-he went directly to the hermit's cave. His purpose was to have a talk
-with Ix, the "man of mystery," regarding the prince, and to arrange for
-bringing him to the cavern for safety. He felt sure the hermit would
-raise no objections to having the fugitive for a close neighbor, if not
-a companion. He was received with the hermit's accustomed cordiality,
-and listened to with close attention while he made known the object of
-his visit.
-
-Notwithstanding his habitual serenity, Ix gave evidence in his mien of
-both interest and sympathy as the account of the prince's distressed
-condition, when rescued, was told to him by the hunter. He said
-nothing, however, until the latter was through.
-
-"I know not of what blood you are, O Tezcot, nor do I ask to know; but,
-from the words you have often spoken in my presence, to which I have
-hearkened with pleasure, together with the deep concern you now
-manifest for the welfare of the Prince of Tezcuco, I am assured that
-you are kindly disposed toward his people. Although Ix is without a
-country, still he has his preferences. Your sympathy for the young
-prince finds an echo in my lonely heart. Fetch him hither, good friend,
-and let him abide with me, for mine is a dreary cell to which his
-presence will bring a welcome relief." Such was Ix's gratifying
-response to Tezcot's plea for Hualcoyotl.
-
-Expressing his gratification in a very hearty manner for the hermit's
-ready consent to receive the prince as a companion, and promising to
-see him again in the evening, accompanied by the latter, the hunter
-took his departure.
-
-After leaving the cavern, Tezcot went to talk with a few of the leading
-mountaineers about the prince; and, especially, with reference to
-putting the hermitage under a close surveillance. The cavern would
-afford a comparatively safe refuge as it was, but to make it so beyond
-a doubt was an important part of the hunter's plan. To do this would
-require the cooperation of a number of his friends. He found the
-mountaineers whom he went to see cheerfully acquiescent, and ready to
-assist in any way they could.
-
-In order that no delay might ensue in arranging for Hualcoyotl's
-security it was decided that a council of friendly hunters should be
-held at one of their homes, conveniently located, where explanations
-could be made and an organization effected to meet the exigency.
-Runners were dispatched accordingly, to notify those whose presence at
-the council was particularly desired. After matters were shaped
-agreeably to the hunter's ideas, he turned his footsteps homeward,
-where his arrival has already been noted.
-
-Everything was working well for securing the safety of the royal
-fugitive, and greatly to the satisfaction of his deeply interested
-friend, who felt in his big heart a profound sense of self-approval for
-what he was doing for suffering Tezcuco, by giving aid to her
-persecuted prince.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Night came on, and the mountaineer's home was enveloped in deep
-darkness. The hour was at hand when Hualcoyotl was to be conducted
-thence to the hermit's cave. In taking leave of the hunter's family he
-had words of kindness for all, especially for Mitla, whom he looked
-upon as a deliverer, and toward whom he felt a profound sense of
-gratitude. He could not forget that her quick thought and ready hand
-had saved him from capture and a subsequent cruel death at the hands of
-his enemy, and placed him in the way of a final escape, as he believed,
-from his pursuers. Whatever that was worth to him he owed to her.
-
-To Oxie he said, holding up the little bouquet of flowers she had given
-him a few hours before:
-
-"I bear away with me this token of your kindness, Oxie. It will soon
-fade and pass from my keeping; not so a recollection of the giver.
-That," turning to Zoei, "with the remembrance of the peaceful hours I
-have enjoyed beneath your hospitable roof, will pass from me only with
-my life. Good-by." The next moment he was gone, disappearing with his
-conductor in the deep shadows of the night.
-
-There was no particular danger to be feared on the way to the
-hermitage, except a possible attack from some prowling beast; still
-Tezcot deemed it prudent to go armed for any emergency. He had
-undertaken to do a thing, and was firm in his purpose that nothing
-should intervene, through any act or omission of his, to prevent its
-accomplishment. He was wide awake, and his uncommonly quick ear and
-penetrating eye were wonderfully alive to the surroundings, ready to
-catch any sound, or spot any object, of a suspicious nature which might
-suddenly arise.
-
-The prince's enervated physical condition, together with the roughness
-of the ground over which it was necessary to pass, made their progress
-unavoidably slow. He had the utmost confidence in his conductor, and
-followed him in silence. However, not having been informed as to their
-destination, his mind was actively ruminating amid the realms of
-conjecture and anticipation.
-
-Not a word was spoken by either, after leaving Tezcot's house, until
-the cavern was reached, and then not before the signal was given, and
-Ix's deep and solemn voice was heard in answer to it, bidding them
-welcome to his humble abode.
-
-The hermit's expression of language was always impressive, especially
-so in the presence of those whom he looked upon as having superior
-intelligence, entitling them to consideration. The presence, therefore,
-of the Prince of Tezcuco was of sufficient importance to call for his
-most imposing manner.
-
-After Tezcot had in a few words introduced the prince to his cavern
-retreat and its mysterious occupant, and the prince had given
-expression to his great surprise and gratification, the hermit said
-significantly:
-
-"The wise hunter counted well when he numbered Ix among the friends of
-Hualcoyotl;" then turning to the latter he continued: "Content yourself
-with me, O Prince of Tezcuco, until the great Huitzil is ready to
-avenge you, which he will surely do."
-
-We will not pause to detail what followed at the hermitage on this
-occasion, except to say briefly, that Tezcot, after assuring himself
-that the prince would be comfortable, and promising an early return,
-took his leave, saying as he did so:
-
-"The gods befriend you both, and confuse the emissaries of Maxtla."
-
-A no less sincere benediction from two grateful hearts followed the
-departing friend.
-
-The hermit and prince were alone. What transpired between them the
-reader will be left to conjecture. We will say, however, that the
-association resulted in a friendship which proved of inestimable
-advantage to both of them in an auspicious future.
-
-Tezcot went from the hermitage to the meeting of the friendly hunters,
-which resulted in the organization of a mountain patrol, and anyone
-going to the hermit's cave the next morning would have found its
-approaches watched by eagle eyes in hunter's guise.
-
-Thus we leave the fugitive prince, who had at last found a perfect
-refuge, where he could bide his time without fear of molestation.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXI.
-
-
-The spirit of rebellion among the Tezcucans was now thoroughly aroused,
-and never did agitators meet with greater success than had those who
-were working under the direction of tzin Euet. The secret councils,
-which were to constitute the army of resistance to Maxtla's despotic
-rule, sprang into existence so rapidly as to surprise even the
-conspirators themselves. With these encouraging conditions the time
-arrived when it was deemed advisable to locate the prince, and, if
-possible, communicate with him. As the royal representative of his
-people, it was felt that he should be informed of the progress which
-had been made in his favor; and also be consulted with reference to the
-future movements of his friends in the valley. This duty very naturally
-from the tzin's peculiar position and relation to the fugitive devolved
-upon him, and his next move was to be in the direction of the mountains
-in search of him.
-
-The prince's friends were assured by the continued silence of the
-Tepanec soldiery that he was still at large, and hidden somewhere in
-the mountains; for his capture or death at their hands would have been
-quickly heralded throughout the valley.
-
-As the immediate neighborhood of the fugitive's hiding place was
-unknown to the tzin, in starting out to find him he would have to be
-guided in a great measure by reports coming through the enemy.
-Notwithstanding this was the case, he felt confident of success and was
-eager to be on the move. He was just now waiting for Cacami to come in
-from his home, where he had gone to visit with his people. As his young
-compatriot, who had become his closest friend, was to accompany him,
-the time of starting on the expedition depended on his return.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-It was the day of all days in the city of Tezcuco, as was a similar one
-in all the cities of the valley: the people's market day. And here let
-us digress long enough to acquaint the reader with the exigencies which
-rendered such a day necessary; and also to briefly notice some of its
-features.
-
-The business methods of the Anahuacans were peculiar. They had neither
-shops nor stores of a public character where goods of any description
-were displayed and sold. Only on the _tianguez_--great square, or
-market-place--which every city possessed, were the products of the
-country exhibited for barter or sale.
-
-The trades were not carried on in the ordinary way, but each particular
-mechanical pursuit was localized in some suitable portion of the city
-and placed under the supervision of a chief; and, it may be added, had
-its tutelary god and attendant celebrations.
-
-Their merchants, who were usually very wealthy, might better be termed
-merchant traders. They were itinerant in character, and did a transient
-business, moving through the country at the head of a caravan, composed
-of _tamanes_ (burden-bearers) and an adequate guard for protection.
-They visited the larger cities to be present at the weekly fairs,
-market days, which were conducted on a colossal scale in the great
-square, the city's tianguez. On these occasions, which occurred
-regularly once a week (a week in the chronological reckoning of the
-Anahuacans consisted of five days), every branch of industry was
-represented separately in suitably arranged booths; and both great and
-small, from far and near, were present to buy or sell, or more
-frequently to exchange their produce and wares for needed articles of
-consumption.
-
-Here was an individual who talked persuasively of the superior finish
-and beauty of his jewelry--it was not necessary to speak of its
-genuineness, for spurious goods were presumably unknown to the natives;
-a condition which no doubt existed, because of the unlimited supply of
-genuine raw material, and, we may add further, owing to the severe
-penalties prescribed for fraudulent impositions on the people. Another
-no less glib talker exploited in appealing voice, and flourished his
-flaunted featherwork before the eyes of the swarming multitude, all of
-whom delighted in this beautiful but expensive luxury. Others--dealers
-in sacred images and silver and earthenware, makers of furnishings and
-apparel, and last, but not least, the farmer, with his products of the
-soil, all bent on gathering in the cash, which consisted of quills of
-gold dust, Ts of tin, and bags of cacao, a kind of money which
-precluded the possibility of hoarding, leading us to conclude that no
-misers had a place among the Anahuacans. Blessed money, that gave no
-encouragement to the avaricious!
-
-The tzin, to while away some of his unemployed time, which was
-beginning to hang heavily on his hands, had come upon Tezcot's
-_tianguez_, and stood silently observing the peculiarities and
-movements of the people, gathered there from all the country around,
-many of whom, like himself, were present out of curiosity, though the
-purpose of nearly all, an army in numbers, appeared to be to trade,
-buy, or sell.
-
-While thus occupied in contemplating the wonders of the great fair and
-its heterogeneous patrons, his attention was attracted by a pulling at
-his mantle. Turning quickly to learn the cause, he stood face to face
-with Oza, the prince's attendant.
-
-"Oza!" he exclaimed. "Do I dream, or is it indeed you?"
-
-"You do not dream, good master Euet. It is Oza."
-
-"How is it, man, that you are here, and where is your master?" quickly
-inquired the tzin, somewhat apprehensive.
-
-"I would have much to tell you to answer your question," said Oza in
-reply; and looking around upon the crowd, he added: "The people might
-hear."
-
-"True, Oza. We will find a more suitable place to talk. But you look
-tired and hungry. Have you had anything to eat to-day?"
-
-"Only a little in two days, master."
-
-"Follow me," said the tzin, leading the way to a refreshment stall,
-where food was procured and Oza's hunger appeased. When this was done,
-they left the _tianguez_ and went to the tzin's boarding place.
-
-"Now, Oza," said he, when they were comfortably fixed in his private
-apartment, "tell me about the prince, and why you are here. What has
-occurred to cause your return to the city? Did he send you?"
-
-"No, master Euet; the prince doesn't know I'm here," replied the
-servitor, in answer to the tzin's last question.
-
-"The prince does not know you are here!" exclaimed Euetzin in
-amazement. "How does that happen? Have you not been with him?"
-
-"Yes, master, up to a few days ago, when we lost him in a fight with
-the soldiers."
-
-The doubtful character of Oza's phraseology, taken in connection with
-his unexpected and, as yet, unexplained appearance in the city, was
-sufficient cause for increased apprehension in the tzin's mind of some
-serious mishap to the prince. He was much disturbed by Oza's clumsily
-worded reply, and, at its conclusion, exclaimed:
-
-"Lost him? Do you mean to tell me that the prince has been killed or
-captured?"
-
-"No, master Euet; not so bad as that," Oza quickly rejoined. "The
-prince got away all right, but we couldn't find him afterward."
-
-"That sounds quite differently, and relieves me greatly," returned the
-tzin, feeling very much inclined to scold Oza for his awkwardness of
-speech, but the man was only a slave, and better could not be expected
-of him. "Who was with you beside the prince when the soldiers made the
-attack?" the tzin then asked.
-
-"Menke, a hunter."
-
-"I can not understand, Oza, how the prince could evade the soldiers,
-and, also, become separated from the hunter and yourself, unless it was
-under cover of darkness," queried the tzin.
-
-"It was dark, master--away in the night; the hunter was taking us to
-his own home," answered the servant.
-
-"I see," rejoined Euetzin, beginning to comprehend the situation. "That
-explains the matter more fully. You said you could not find the prince.
-Did you make much of an effort to do so?"
-
-"Yes, master; for three days we looked for him."
-
-"And failing to find him you returned to the city?"
-
-"Yes."
-
-By continuing to question the vassal at some length, the tzin succeeded
-in eliciting a fairly good account of Hualcoyotl's experience after
-leaving Zelmonco villa, confirming, in the one instance, Cacami's
-supposition that it was the prince he rescued from the Tepanec soldiers
-on the highway. In concluding he asked:
-
-"Could you conduct us to the place where the soldiers attacked you?"
-
-"Will you go, master Euet?" questioned Oza, omitting, in his eagerness,
-to answer the inquiry.
-
-"That is our present purpose," was answered.
-
-"It is good; I can lead you," quickly responded the delighted vassal.
-
-"All right, Oza. Your return to the city, just now, is very fortunate
-for us, though quite the reverse for your master, for it makes his
-situation still more desolate and trying. It relieves us, however, of a
-perplexing quandary--the matter of finding the locality in which he is
-hiding. As our guide, you will help us out of that difficulty, and put
-us into position to enter upon the search at once. That is an advantage
-we were not counting on."
-
-After a moment's pause, having noticed the destitute condition of the
-servant, he continued:
-
-"Your appearance, Oza, is not what it should be; the attendant of a
-prince ought, at least, to be clothed."
-
-Rising, as if to go, he went on:
-
-"I will go at once to look after your needs. In the meantime you will
-remain in my apartment," on saying which he withdrew, and returned to
-the _tianguez_ to procure the necessary articles for Oza's apparel.
-
-Cacami came back to the city that same evening, and Oza's story was
-repeated to him. Euetzin also informed him as to the course he had
-decided on pursuing, since a definite knowledge of the prince's
-whereabouts had been obtained.
-
-After hearing what his friend had to impart, and being asked for his
-opinion, Cacami said:
-
-"Your plan is good; still, I think there is a better one. Have I your
-permission to make it known to you?"
-
-"Certainly, Cacami; I desire that you will speak freely; was it not so,
-I should not have asked for your opinion," was the assuring reply.
-
-"Oza would, no doubt, conduct us to the spot where he last saw his
-master, and, if necessary, to Menke's," he proceeded to say; "but, tzin
-Euet, there are other considerations to be taken into account, which
-make the course I would suggest more preferable. If I get a correct
-impression from your rehearsal of Oza's report, the prince's
-disappearance occurred within a few leagues of the mountaineer Tezcot's
-home, a man with whom I had the satisfaction of spending two very
-pleasant evenings and one day the last time I was on the mountains. My
-plan would be to go directly to Tezcot's. If the prince has been
-discovered he will, very likely, be apprised of it; if not, he can give
-us any information we may want, for he knows every mountaineer on that
-range and every foot of ground for leagues around; and, by the way, is
-the most generous of hosts."
-
-"Master," said Oza suddenly and eagerly, interrupting Cacami, "I heard
-Menke speak to the prince about a great hunter named Tezcot."
-
-"There, tzin Euet!" exclaimed Cacami; "that certainly strengthens the
-plausibility of my plan. Then think of the fact that a hospitable
-reception will be given us, with the added pleasure of meeting two
-charming maidens."
-
-"Your last information, O Cacami, commends the course you propose to
-our serious consideration. We will go directly to Tezcot's, as you
-suggest," said the tzin, facetiously.
-
-The point of destination having been decided upon, preparations for an
-early departure were begun at once. In two days the party was ready to
-start. The tzin and Cacami were dressed and equipped as hunters, while
-Oza, in fresh attire, after a good rest and cleaning up, looked like
-another person, and accompanied them as an attendant. Hunting parties
-were a common, every-day sight on the streets and highways,
-consequently their appearance in leaving the city attracted only a
-passing notice. They stopped at the villa, on their way out, to refresh
-themselves and say good-by to Teochma and Itlza. We will not pause to
-narrate what transpired there, or describe the parting, except to say:
-Let the reader imagine a mother's deep concern for her son; a sister
-and sweetheart's pale, sad face as the brother and lover take their
-leave, the latter showing no signs of the feelings which fill his
-breast, save those which Itlza alone is permitted to see; an
-affectionate waving of hands as the young men go out of sight, and the
-moments of sadly thoughtful silence which follow.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Almost two days of continued walking, much of the journey over a rough
-and hilly way, found Euetzin and his party nearing their destination.
-The sun of the last afternoon seemed, to the tired wayfarers, to move
-reluctantly away from the meridian, and to finally approach, at a
-snail's pace, the western horizon. Time may appear to pass quickly or
-slowly, yet it is unchangeable, and Old Sol, its mighty keeper, marks,
-with unerring regularity, the recurring periods of morning and evening.
-So, on this day, the latter came in due season, and with it, stealing
-softly over the scene, the gray and sombre light which precedes the
-slowly falling night-shades in the mountains, followed by the
-inharmonious and strikingly dismal croaking of the multi-vociferous
-heralds of night, rising from mountain pools and gorges, with an added
-gloom from the doleful notes of the whippoorwill. Such were the last
-hours and ending of the journey, which our friends had accomplished,
-when Cacami suddenly exclaimed:
-
-"We are through at last, for yonder house is the mountaineer's home."
-
-Then, falling behind, he continued:
-
-"You take the lead, tzin Euet, and make such inquiries as may please
-you."
-
-They soon stood before the hunter's dwelling, and the tzin, passing
-under the porch, was met at the door by Mitla, who, in answer to his
-inquiry if that was Tezcot's, said:
-
-"Yes, this is Tezcot's. Will you come in?"
-
-"We will, if refreshments may be obtained," he replied.
-
-"Our evening meal is now being prepared. When it is ready you will be
-welcome to share it with us."
-
-This was said with so much cordiality that Euetzin led the way into the
-house without farther questioning.
-
-"Cacami!" exclaimed Mitla, when she recognized him. "You here, and
-allow your companion to ask if this is Tezcot's?" inquiringly. "But, I
-see, you wished to surprise us. Well, at any rate, I am glad to bid you
-welcome, and your companions as well."
-
-Cacami presented the tzin, formally, who was struck with wonder and
-astonishment at meeting, under such surroundings, a girl so bright and
-charming. His feelings would have been very different had he known that
-from childhood Mitla had been schooled by the presence, in her father's
-home, of many of the best-mannered and most intelligent men of the
-Anahuac, who came to the range on excursions, and who always made it a
-point to have a meal, if nothing more, with Tezcot. Ignoring sentiment,
-however, he proceeded at once to the prosecution of his mission by
-inquiring if the hunter was at home.
-
-"Yes, I am here; what would you have of me?" answered Tezcot himself,
-who at that instant entered the room through an inner door.
-
-"Meat and drink, and, in addition, important information," replied
-Euetzin.
-
-"Meat and drink you shall have, but the information will depend on the
-nature of it."
-
-At this moment he discovered in Cacami his former hunter guest, and
-exclaimed:
-
-"Well, well, my Tezcucan friend; you may give me a prey to ocelotls if
-I'm not glad to see you! Your coming here at this time augurs well for
-me. Who are these, your companions?" he asked, looking first at the
-tzin and then at Oza.
-
-"That is Euetzin, better known as tzin Euet; and this other person,
-Oza, our attendant," answered Cacami, designating each.
-
-Tezcot's countenance fairly shone with satisfaction and pleasure as he
-said, addressing Euetzin:
-
-"Tzin Euet, I am very, very glad to meet you just now. The discovery of
-Cacami, joined to your inquiry for important information, led me to
-surmise that you might prove to be Euetzin or some other person who
-would meet an exigency which has this day arisen; and I am more than
-gratified to learn that it is yourself. Oza's presence here with you
-explains your errand. You are in search of Hualcoyotl?" he said,
-questioningly. "Your arrival at my house to-night is most opportune,
-for it makes easy, or rather relieves me of, an important and
-perplexing duty. The morning's dawn would have found a messenger on his
-way to Tezcuco to find and inform you of the prince's safety; also to
-request you to come here immediately."
-
-"Are we to understand that Hualcoyotl is safe, and that you know where
-he is?" interrupted the tzin.
-
-"Yes, I know where he is; and farther, that he is safe so long as
-Maxtla is kept in ignorance of his hiding place. An army might reach
-him, but never a band of soldiers."
-
-"Your information is most cheering. We came here thinking you might
-know something of him; and that we did so is fortunate indeed," replied
-the tzin; and forgetting for the moment his tired condition in his
-desire to see his friend, he said: "With your permission we will go to
-him at once."
-
-"No, not to-night; you shall see him to-morrow," replied Tezcot firmly.
-"At present he is needing rest. I would not disturb him at such an
-hour."
-
-"You say well, friend, and we cheerfully defer to your wisdom. But will
-you not explain how the prince came to be so well secured?"
-
-"Yes, after supper, which I see is waiting for us."
-
-After disposing of their equipments the young men were conducted to the
-eating room, where an excellent repast was spread for them, to which,
-after ablution, they did ample justice.
-
-During the meal Mitla's eyes frequently encountered those of the tzin;
-and as often as they did she felt that subtle influence, call it
-magnetism, if you please, which impresses itself so forcibly and
-mysteriously upon the susceptible mind, awakening suddenly and
-unconsciously feelings that may be described by only one little word.
-So it was in this supreme moment with Mitla, when for the first time
-she stood face to face with her fate.
-
-In the conversation which followed during the meal Euetzin addressed
-her several times, and was so well pleased with her charming manner
-that he resolved to know her better.
-
-When the meal was finished the men were reconducted to the family room,
-where Tezcot proceeded to give an account of the prince. He related
-what he knew of his experience after becoming separated from Menke and
-Oza, up to the time of his concealment by Mitla under the pile of
-chia-plant, which resulted in saving him from capture. At this juncture
-the tzin became intensely interested, and when he fully comprehended
-the invaluable service rendered his royal master by the beautiful girl,
-he interrupted the hunter by saying:
-
-"Your daughter did that?"
-
-"Yes, it was she who saved the prince from his pursuers," answered he,
-proud of his favorite's conduct.
-
-"Noble girl!" passionately exclaimed the tzin. "All loyal Tezcucans
-will bless her name." Then to the hunter, earnestly: "As the nearest
-friend of Hualcoyotl, I would like to express to her the profound
-gratitude of a Tezcucan. Will you kindly request her to come here?"
-
-Tezcot, appreciating the high estimation in which Mitla's conduct was
-regarded by a Tezcucan lord, especially by the first friend of the
-prince, bade her come into the room as requested.
-
-Euetzin rose to his feet as Mitla entered, and, looking admiringly at
-her, said:
-
-"Your father has just informed us that to you we are indebted, as
-Tezcucans and friends of Hualcoyotl, for his continued existence. My
-life is pledged to his service; the hand that strikes at him strikes at
-me; the hand that reaches out to save him I would bless. As the rescuer
-of Hualcoyotl, your name will be long and kindly remembered by
-Tezcucans everywhere, and, as one of them, I would here and now express
-to you the grateful thanks of my people; and farther, as a pledge of my
-sincerity, I desire that you will accept from me this little token, a
-souvenir of the great service you have rendered a deeply stricken
-nation, and also as a mark of my personal appreciation." As he
-concluded, the tzin placed in her hand a beautifully wrought miniature
-shield of gold, on which were engraven the armorial emblems of the
-royal family of Tezcuco. It was a highly prized keepsake which he had
-long carried on his person, and it required more than mere sentiment to
-cause him to part with it.
-
-While Euetzin was speaking, Mitla stood with eyes cast down, but when
-he was done, raised them to his face. A glistening moisture was seen to
-gather on her beautiful, dark lashes as she said:
-
-"Your great kindness has filled my heart with a strange feeling. My
-tongue refuses to utter the words I would speak. I can only thank you
-for your beautiful gift, and for thinking well of what I did for the
-prince."
-
-"No words which you might utter would add to the favor and esteem to
-which you are entitled, and which you will have, from the friends of
-Hualcoyotl," said the tzin, earnestly.
-
-Tezcot, observing the embarrassment under which Mitla was placed,
-motioned for her to withdraw, which she was glad to do.
-
-The account of the prince's rescue was continued to a conclusion, and
-the young men, glad of an opportunity to lie down, were disposed of for
-the night.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXII.
-
-
-Munificent Old Sol, never more brilliant, had covered fully half his
-ascending course from horizon to zenith, when Tezcot led the three
-Tezcucans into the hermit's cave.
-
-Ix's deep and sombre-toned voice, always a source of wonder and
-astonishment when heard for the first time, struck the tzin and his
-companions as something marvelous, coming, as it did, from the depths
-of the cavern, in answer to the hunter's signal.
-
-After the customary salutations between the hunter and hermit, the
-former requested that Hualcoyotl should come from his retreat, which he
-promptly did. He was permitted to look the party over, while the hunter
-addressed him, and, designedly, took up a little time in apologizing
-for the liberty he had taken in bringing strangers to the hermitage.
-The cavern's dim light, together with the dress worn by the visitors,
-made it quite impossible for the unsuspecting prince to recognize him.
-When Tezcot realized this fact he said:
-
-"Euetzin, salute Prince Hualcoyotl."
-
-The tzin stepped forward and dropped on one knee in salutation.
-
-Hualcoyotl, recovering from the astonishment which the sudden discovery
-of his friend caused him, exclaimed:
-
-"Euetzin, my brother! This is, indeed, a glad surprise. Rise, that I
-may greet you as an equal--not as a vassal."
-
-The tzin arose to his feet, and the prince embraced him affectionately.
-He then inquired:
-
-"Who are these that accompany you?"
-
-"Oza, salute your master," was the tzin's response.
-
-"Oza here, too!" exclaimed, again, the now delighted prince. "I see
-through it all, Oza; to you it is that I am indebted for this most
-happy moment. You have my blessing, and more--your freedom, from this
-hour!"
-
-The slave had prostrated himself before his master, who now bade him
-rise.
-
-"I would not be free, master, if it will take me from you," said the
-devoted vassal, in reply.
-
-"It shall not take you from me, Oza, except to permit you to march with
-the army of liberation. You shall be an honored soldier."
-
-The moment was a happy one for the ever faithful slave, and the change
-in his condition would only make him a more willing servitor.
-
-"Here, O Prince, is a friend whom you will be pleased to greet, I am
-sure; for in him you see Cacami, the hunter, who delivered you from the
-Tepanec soldiers on the highway," said Euetzin, turning to his friend,
-who stood waiting to be presented.
-
-Cacami saluted the prince, who, in return, gave him a cordial greeting,
-and said:
-
-"Yes, Euetzin, I am more than pleased to know and greet the valiant
-hunter Cacami; for it is a hope realized, an opportunity I have truly
-wished for. More than gratitude is due from us to him, and when we are
-in position to requite his service he will find us not unmindful of the
-fact."
-
-Passing over Cacami's reply, except to say that he deprecated an
-allusion to the occurrence, which he regarded as a very little thing
-for him to do, and, with the presentation of the party to the hermit,
-who found in the occasion another opportunity in which to be profoundly
-impressive, we leave the friends to engage in explanations and
-consultation, and return to Tezcot's.
-
-Mitla was not so bright as was her wont, all through the morning hours.
-She was inclined to avoid conversation, and sought, more than was her
-practice, to be alone. After the mid-day meal she took her archer's
-outfit and sauntered off along the plateau, around the mountain. She
-was heedless, alike of time and distance. Her bow was seldom brought
-into use. A parrot or pheasant seemed to have no attraction for her. In
-one or two instances, however, when the mark was so conspicuous that
-the attention of a less interested person would have been drawn to it,
-she let go an arrow with good effect, but showed no animation at the
-result; she was manifestly _distrait_.
-
-The afternoon wore on, and Mitla was far from home ere she took account
-of where she was, or the distance she had gone. She was in the act of
-facing about to retrace her steps when she noticed, for the first time,
-three men approaching from the opposite direction. She did not wish to
-meet them, and, turning, walked briskly in the direction from which she
-had come. She did not look back for fear of attracting their attention,
-but, gradually increasing her step, hastened homeward. The first
-intimation she had that the men were following, with a view to
-overtaking her, was when one of them called:
-
-"Not so fast, pretty maiden; we would keep you company."
-
-Mitla turned quickly, in surprise, and discovered that the men had
-nearly overtaken her.
-
-Three Tepanec soldiers, not more than a dozen steps away, showing a
-menacing disposition, was a sight to strike terror to the stoutest
-woman's heart. Mitla was terribly frightened at seeing them, and her
-heart instantly leaped into her throat. There was not a house within a
-mile of where she was, and, if the men meditated harm to her, her
-situation was indeed alarming. Her bow could hardly be deemed a means
-of defense against the soldiers, who were now close upon her. What
-should she do? was a question that called for prompt decision. She was
-quick of foot and in vigorous health; she might get away from them by
-running. It was worth trying. From the impulse of the thought she gave
-a bound forward, and shot away from her menacing pursuers like a
-frightened fawn. The soldiers immediately entered on a determined
-chase, and, to her, it now became a run for self-preservation. She kept
-up well for a short distance, and then began to flag. The shock from
-her fright, together with the awful sense of dread which filled her
-heart, unnerved her, and a growing weakness followed. She thought of
-her friends: if some of them were only near to come to her relief! But
-they were not, and her heart sank lower and lower. By an occasional
-glance over her shoulder she could see that her pursuers were rapidly
-closing the intervening distance between them, and would surely
-overtake her. It was a terrible moment to the fleeing maiden, who was
-naturally courageous and brave under ordinary circumstances, but, in
-her present desperate dilemma she became an impotent, helpless thing,
-about to sink to the earth from exhaustion. The foremost soldier was
-within an arm's length of her, and in another moment she would be at
-their mercy.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-When the hunters' chief and his Tezcucan companions returned from the
-hermit's cave, about the middle of the afternoon, the first thought of
-the tzin was of Mitla. On being informed that she had gone around the
-mountain, presumably to do some shooting, he determined to go in search
-of her. He saw in the circumstance an opportunity to further his
-acquaintance, which he would not fail to improve. He accordingly threw
-his hunting outfit across his back, and started off in the direction
-she had gone.
-
-Quite a distance had been covered by the tzin when his attention was
-attracted to a beautiful golden pheasant which flew into the wood just
-ahead of him. He turned aside to get a shot at it, hoping to secure it
-for Mitla. It escaped him, however, and, disappointed, he returned to
-the plateau. As he emerged from the bushes he was startled and
-horrified at what he saw. Only a few steps away Mitla was struggling to
-free herself from the hands of the Tepanec soldiers, who had only just
-overtaken and seized her. The tzin was upon them in an instant, and,
-sending an arrow into one and his javelin at another, they were quickly
-made to desist. His sword, which he carried more as a weapon of defense
-than to be used in the pursuit of game, was raised to strike, but
-before he could use it the villains drew off. He could not follow them;
-for when Mitla was released she staggered, and would have fallen to the
-ground had he not caught her in his arms, thus saving the miscreants
-from his deadly _maquahuitl_. Mitla had swooned, and he could only vent
-his indignation and wrath in words. He exclaimed:
-
-"Beasts, ocelotls, in the guise of soldiers! Were I free to do it, I
-would punish you as you deserve. Go, if you would escape a just
-retribution for your iniquitous conduct."
-
-One of the soldiers was badly wounded, and they were only too glad to
-get away, knowing they merited all the punishment and denunciation
-Euetzin had meted out to them; and more--should they fall into the
-hands of the mountaineers, they would be summarily dealt with. They did
-not wait to be addressed the second time, but moved off as rapidly as
-they could with the wounded man to look after.
-
-It was some minutes before Mitla recovered sufficiently to free herself
-from the tzin's arms. During the time of her unconsciousness he used
-every convenient means known to him to restore her, and succeeded very
-well in his efforts. When he saw that she was conscious, he inquired:
-
-"Have you received personal injury?"
-
-Mitla answered by a shake of the head, at the same time giving him a
-look of trustful helplessness. The look spoke more than words could
-have expressed, and told how grateful she was for the deliverance his
-coming had brought her, from a fate too terrible for contemplation.
-
-When Euetzin's support was no longer required, he conducted her to a
-place where she could be seated, and waited for her to speak. After a
-moment's pause she turned her eyes, beaming with gratitude, full upon
-him, and said:
-
-"It is now Mitla's turn to be grateful. If I have done aught to place a
-debt upon the prince, or his friends, you have paid it a hundredfold. I
-shall never cease to regard you as my preserver from a fate against
-which death would be a welcome deliverance."
-
-"Any true man, in my place, would have done the same for you," he
-answered. "I am entitled to no especial gratitude for doing my duty, I
-would assure you. Because I happened to be here at the right moment to
-rescue you from the hands of those villainous soldiers, the act should
-not make a hero of me."
-
-He spoke jocularly, hoping to impart cheerfulness by a cheerful manner.
-
-"Your words do not affect the sense of obligation which fills my heart,
-and that it is so I am glad, for I could not be generous were I
-ungrateful," she returned, still deeply affected.
-
-"I shall certainly bear in mind, with no little satisfaction, Mitla,
-that I have earned a place in your remembrance. Let that suffice to
-reward me for the service done, and think no more about it," he
-replied, endeavoring to dispose of the matter by depreciation, in which
-he failed, for Mitla said:
-
-"I am sure you are generous. Will you not, then, permit me to be so,
-too? Would you have me stifle the feeling which fills my heart--the
-feeling of immeasurable gratitude which goes out to you, my deliverer?"
-
-Her eyes shone with intense brightness as she spoke, showing how deep
-were the fires of passion in her nature, which only required stirring
-to become irresistible. The passionate vehemence with which her words
-were uttered was affective. The tzin was human, though a young man with
-the profoundest sense of right; for the nonce, however, he allowed
-himself to yield to impulse, and replied to her impassioned appeal with
-the warmth, almost, of a lover:
-
-"I am reproved. I would not that you stifle one generous impulse of
-your peerless woman's heart. I shall not soon forget the glowful
-expression which but now lighted up your beautiful face--so earnestly
-fixed in kindness upon me. The recollection of it will be an
-ever-present reminder of the noble girl I rescued from peril, and whose
-friendship I shall always prize."
-
-For these words she bent on him an expression which carried with it
-more than gratitude. It recalled him to himself, and he discovered, all
-too late, that he had said too much. He was honorable in a high degree,
-and held it a discreditable act to encourage in a maiden a sentiment he
-could not fully reciprocate. Her passionate utterances had caused him,
-for the moment, to forget his conscientiousness, and he overstepped the
-bounds of propriety. He was not in position to play the role of lover,
-and, recalling what he had said, he became greatly disturbed.
-
-A silence ensued, until, presently, Mitla moved as if to rise, which
-the tzin anticipated by lifting her to her feet. She was sufficiently
-recovered to go home, and, leaning on the arm of her escort, she was
-conducted from the scene of her terrible struggle with the villainous
-Tepanec soldiers.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIII.
-
-
-A week had elapsed since the tzin and his party arrived at Tezcot's so
-opportunely, much of which time had been spent at the cavern in
-formulating plans and instructions for the direction and government of
-the prince's friends, in the operations which would follow Euetzin's
-return to the valley.
-
-The final consultation had been held, and the instruments of authority,
-which made the tzin the accredited representative of Hualcoyotl, were
-in his possession; and Cacami and he, it was decided, would start for
-the scene of their future labors the next day, leaving Oza to attend
-his master.
-
-The blessings of the gods had been invoked upon the young men and the
-cause they were engaged in promoting; a final leave had been taken of
-the prince and hermit, and they were now at Tezcot's waiting for the
-advent of to-morrow to speed them on their way to Tlacopan, their first
-point of destination.
-
-It was in the last hour of day--an hour on the mountains which brings
-with it a peculiar sense of subduedness--that Euetzin and Mitla
-strolled away from the house to find a spot where they could be alone
-for a short time to have a final talk before his departure, which he
-purposed taking at an early hour the next morning.
-
-After the adventure with the Tepanec soldiers, when the tzin
-inadvertently allowed himself to say more than he should have said, he
-was very careful to avoid giving further encouragement to Mitla's
-evident regard for him; matters, therefore, had not progressed in that
-direction to any appreciable extent.
-
-"Has it been well with my friend, to-day?" he inquired casually, by way
-of saying something as they sauntered along together.
-
-Mitla glanced up at her companion doubtfully with her large, full eyes,
-looking very sorrowful. Friend is a very cold sounding word when
-applied by a loved one to the one who loves, and thus it sounded to
-her, coming from Euetzin.
-
-"Yes, it has, thanks to you, my preserver," she answered dispiritedly.
-She could not forget for a moment, when in his presence, the great
-service he had rendered her. Thoughts of it seemed to dispossess all
-else in her mind, and she continually referred to it in their
-conversations. Her voice, sad and low, attracted Euetzin's notice, and,
-looking at her, he caught her eyes as they were raised to his seemingly
-almost ready to weep, and he said concernedly:
-
-"You are not happy; your eyes look too sadly appealing for that. Are
-you in trouble?"
-
-"My eyes reflect the sadness which is in my heart." She could say no
-more; and the tears were seen to start, which she tried to conceal, but
-could not.
-
-"Why, Mitla, you are surely ill! Why do you weep?" the tzin asked
-solicitously.
-
-"Can you not guess? Is it not enough to sadden my heart to know that
-you are going away, perhaps never to return?" was her tearful reply.
-
-"Am I, indeed, so much to you that my going should affect you thus?" he
-asked, not only surprised, but deeply moved by her evident distress.
-
-"You will never know, because you can not realize it, how much you are
-to her whose honor you preserved inviolate. I will never see you again;
-it is for this that my heart is filled with sadness and my eyes with
-tears," she said sorrowfully.
-
-Coming to a little shaded mound they sat down, and the tzin said:
-
-"When I am gone you will soon forget, and only remember me as the
-friend of Hualcoyotl." Her answer to this was a reproachful look. An
-expression of pain passed over her countenance, and her eyes suddenly
-became suffused again with tears. Euetzin saw that her feelings were
-deeply wounded by his words, and, taking her hand, he hastened to say,
-repentantly:
-
-"I have hurt you by my careless expression. May I not recall my words,
-and assure you of my great sorrow for having spoken them? I will come
-again, if only to learn more of the beautiful mountain girl who holds
-for me so much of kindly feeling. Yes, I will come again. You will
-forgive me now, I'm sure, for having caused you pain." He spoke
-rapidly, and his voice grew almost impassioned in his earnestness.
-
-A happy smile lit up the weeping Mitla's face, for she read in the
-tzin's fervent manner that he was not wholly indifferent toward her.
-She said in reply:
-
-"If you have said aught for which forgiveness might be asked, you are
-forgiven. I am a foolish girl, Euetzin, to weep and laugh almost in the
-same moment. But I can not help it: your words give me pain or joy,
-just as they impress me. I am a child; do not mind me," she replied
-meekly.
-
-The tzin saw that the girl's gratitude, which was very great, had
-changed to love, a love that knows no bounds, and he was greatly
-troubled. It was by no means displeasing to him, for he was a man; yet,
-he felt it to be most inopportune. In the few days he had been at
-Tezcot's Mitla had won his profound respect--possibly more, which he
-was not ready to admit--and he was truly sorry that he was compelled to
-go away so soon. There was something about the beautiful mountain girl
-which pleased and charmed him; and it was with difficulty he restrained
-himself from giving vent to feelings in which he felt he could not
-afford to indulge; still, notwithstanding his efforts to refrain from
-doing so, he had once or twice, and but now, permitted his feelings to
-get the better of him. He was not sure, therefore, of his
-disinterestedness: the feelings with which he regarded her, he thought,
-might be awakening love, or might prove to be only fancy. He would wait
-and see before committing himself. But what of Mitla's loving heart,
-should it prove to be the latter? This was the thought which gave him
-pain, and which would have much to do with moulding the impressions
-which would move him later.
-
-The tzin's promise that he would come again had a cheering effect upon
-Mitla, and she became quite animated.
-
-After a half hour of more cheerful conversation they went back to the
-house, one of them, at least, feeling much brighter for their talk.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The sun had just dropped behind the western horizon; that conscious
-impress of loneliness which affects the mind in the twilight of
-evening, especially in the open country, was beginning to pervade not
-only the animate, but the inanimate. The animals showed by their
-actions that they felt it; so, also, did the fowls and birds, by
-seeking their accustomed roosts. The unwonted stillness of the leaves,
-the drooping of the flowers, the gentle purling of the running brook,
-and the placid surface of the lake's waters, all gave evidence of the
-near approach of Nature's resting time.
-
-Two men, hunters, from their appearance, were trudging along the
-highway, going in the direction of Tlacopan, which lay just ahead of
-them. The tired motion of their limbs--of one of them, at
-least--accorded well with the silent voice around them, and told, in
-language mute but distinct, how welcome to them would be the rest which
-comes with the night.
-
-In those travel-worn pedestrians we would have recognized the young
-Tezcucans, Euetzin and Cacami, who were nearing the end of their return
-journey from the mountains, which, owing to the fact that the tzin was
-a slow traveler, had taken nearly two full days to accomplish. Their
-destination, as has been intimated, was Tlacopan, which they were
-making strenuous efforts to reach before dark.
-
-"You are much the better traveler, Cacami," the tzin was saying. "While
-my steps are flagging, yours are light and firm."
-
-"You have not been trained, like myself, to physical toil; to work the
-ground for bread, and climb the hills in quest of meat. Yours has been
-a life of seclusion, and, I might add, luxury--a life which little fits
-one for enduring long journeys," replied Cacami.
-
-"That is true," returned the tzin. "However, our journey will soon be
-ended, and, with a good night's rest in Tlacopan, the morning will find
-us fresh as ever."
-
-The city of Tlacopan, with its grand _teocallis_, magnificent palace,
-and ample _tianguez_--of the latter more will be said later--and other
-objects of interest, has long since disappeared from the earth, and in
-its stead now stands Tacuba, an unimportant Mexican village. The city
-of Tlacopan, in the "Golden Era" of Anahuac, was the capital of a small
-tribe of people who were kindred to the Tepanecs, but not in accord
-with them. Mäc-[=u]-[=a], the ruling prince, stood high among the
-nations, and was thought worthy to be associated with the greatest. The
-city was situated about two leagues southwest of Tenochtitlan, off from
-the lake, high and dry, and was constructed, chiefly, of stone, which
-was convenient and abundant.
-
-At the time of the conquest its people had become a part of the great
-empire of the Aztec monarch, Montezuma, and subsequently became
-absorbed in the race revolution which wiped away all distinction
-between the native tribes, resulting in the present mixed and
-degenerate race condition of to-day in Mexico.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The reckless disregard of the rights of others by the emissaries of
-Maxtla, and the new king's evident purpose to extend his empire by
-conquest and subjugation, as his father before him had done, so alarmed
-some of the lesser ruling caciques that a coalition, for self-defense
-and a better security, was being seriously considered by them, and a
-secret council had been determined on.
-
-The times were propitious for the cause of Tezcuco.
-
-The tzin's object in visiting Tlacopan at this time was to have
-audience with Macua, and, if possible, effect an alliance with him. He
-was not yet aware of the uneasy feeling which had been aroused by
-Maxtla's conduct, for the disquieted chiefs were very close-mouthed in
-such matters; yet he believed the king of Tlacopan would not be
-unfavorable to an alliance, if he could be convinced of the advantage
-which would accrue from such a step.
-
-Thus circumstanced, the tzin's visit to Tlacopan just now could only be
-considered a venture in the line of his mission.
-
-The day following their arrival in the city found Euetzin and his
-companion early at Macua's palace, seeking admission to his presence.
-In due time they were gratified by being conducted to his audience
-chamber.
-
-The presence of the pseudo hunters in the hall, showing so great a
-dissimilarity in their manners and dress, caused quite a flurry of
-speculation and comment. Hunters, as a rule, were not a cultivated
-class; and the marked exception to the common, in the case of our
-friends, was so plainly shown that the attention of those present was
-attracted to them.
-
-Macua, king of Tlacopan, was a young man of pleasing address, who was
-highly regarded by his subjects. He was easily approached, and, though
-firm in his purposes, was kindly disposed. He received the strangers
-very cordially, and, when informed that they desired an audience with
-him, said:
-
-"We will hear what you have to say, but ask that you will be brief, for
-our time is much occupied."
-
-"The king of Tlacopan is very gracious," spoke the tzin, with an
-obeisance. "What we have to say must be communicated in the presence of
-Macua, the king, and his chief counselor, alone. Will it please your
-majesty to hear us?"
-
-"Your communication must be of very great importance, indeed, to
-require a proceeding so unusual as a private audience," replied Macua,
-a little severely.
-
-"It is a matter of not only great but grave importance, of which we
-desire to speak, and it should be communicated privately to the king,"
-returned Euetzin with dignity.
-
-"Such being the case, if you will wait the departure of our subjects
-you shall have private audience," the king answered, urbanely.
-
-"Macua, the king, is most generous. We will wait," said the tzin,
-saluting him and turning away to be conducted to a seat.
-
-When the king's business with his vassals was disposed of he dismissed
-his advisors, excepting his chief counselor, a man of advanced years,
-and, addressing the tzin, said:
-
-"We are ready to hear what you have to say; proceed."
-
-"Before your majesty are two Tezcucans--Cacami and Euetzin. Macua, the
-king, has no doubt heard of Hualcoyotl, our prince, whose life Maxtla,
-the Tepanec monarch, seeks to destroy," said the tzin, pausing for a
-reply.
-
-"Yes; we have heard of the young prince, who is now a fugitive," the
-king answered, looking wonderingly at Euetzin, and in turn waited for
-him to proceed.
-
-"We are friends of Hualcoyotl and Tezcuco. We desire that the
-emissaries of Maxtla be driven from our city and country, and that
-Hualcoyotl be put upon the throne of his fathers. To accomplish this,
-Tezcuco must have help from other states. We appear before you, O King,
-as the representatives of Hualcoyotl, seeking friendship and
-coalition." Spoken with due deference and self-respect.
-
-"What assurance can you give that you are friends and representatives
-of Hualcoyotl?" questioned the king.
-
-"Relying on the honor of your majesty, we offer as evidence of our
-truthfulness this writing. Will you examine it?" replied the tzin,
-handing to the king a paper which was covered with hieroglyphics. Macua
-received and scrutinized it carefully, then passed it to his chief, who
-also examined it. After a short consultation between king and counselor
-the former said:
-
-"We are satisfied that you are Tezcucans, and that you come from
-Hualcoyotl, or some other person who has been highly honored by our
-knightly order. Can you inform us as to the number of soldiers Tezcuco
-can furnish in the event of a coalition?"
-
-"There is an army of men in the valley, composed principally of
-Tezcucans, who are waiting to be led against the Tepanec king,
-numbering twice that of Tlacopan," replied Euetzin, confidently.
-
-"How know you that?" asked Macua, with a shade of resentment in his
-voice.
-
-"When Tlacopan has shown her willingness to join Tezcuco in a war with
-Maxtla of Azcapozalco, the proofs of what we declare shall be placed in
-Macua's hands," rejoined the tzin, decisively.
-
-"The friend of Hualcoyotl is shrewd. It is well. The matter shall have
-consideration. When the fifth sun is on its upward course, if you will
-come again, you shall have our answer," said the king.
-
-"How may we be assured that Macua will be faithful to the confidence
-which we have reposed in him?" asked the tzin, with the object of
-securing some pledge from the young king.
-
-"By the kingly honor of Macua, and this," he answered haughtily,
-handing the tzin a ring on which was the king's sign of distinction,
-the possession of which made the holder an accepted embassador, and
-gave him a pledge which the tzin well knew would be respected.
-
-The position and person of an embassador was sacredly regarded among
-the nations of Anahuac. "They were lodged and entertained in the great
-towns," says the historian, "at the public charge, and were everywhere
-received with courtesy, so long as they kept within certain prescribed
-bounds." The king's signet was, therefore, a passport to the tzin in
-any part of Macua's kingdom, securing him the hospitality of the
-people, and free entertainment; it was not his purpose, however, to
-take advantage of it. The signet was to him only a pledge of Macua's
-faith.
-
-On receiving the ring Euetzin said:
-
-"The king's pledge is more than satisfactory to the friends of
-Hualcoyotl. When the fifth sun is on its upward course we will come for
-Macua's answer, and bring with us proofs of what Tezcuco can do." This
-ended the interview, and, saluting his majesty very profoundly, the
-young men withdrew.
-
-The tzin was well pleased with the result of his audience with Macua,
-and was much encouraged by it. He felt certain that he was about to
-secure an important ally for Hualcoyotl in the king of Tlacopan, and
-went about his business with the added stimulus of a stronger
-confidence.
-
-Euetzin had much to engage his attention in the time which would
-intervene before the advent of the day fixed for the second meeting
-with Macua. He decided first of all to visit a few of the chief cities
-for the purpose of securing data from which to proceed in carrying out
-the prince's instructions; and also to enable him to present an
-approximate estimate of Tezcuco's undiscovered but existent oath-bound
-hosts to the king of Tlacopan, in support of his declaration. Also to
-offer a word of explanation and encouragement to his coadjutors.
-
-After calling on the leading Tezcucans in Macua's capital, he and
-Cacami crossed over to Tenochtitlan.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIV.
-
-
-The continued good fortune of the prince in evading capture was a
-source of great annoyance and aggravation to the evil disposed Maxtla.
-He was daily becoming more violent and overt in his conduct, ruling
-with an arbitrary hand. He had terrorized his household, and the sound
-of his voice was sufficient to cause a flurry of trepidation to agitate
-its members. His subjects regarded him with fear and trembling, and his
-comportment toward his weaker neighbors was a growing menace. His
-soldiers seemed to partake largely of his evil tendencies, for, in
-their search after Hualcoyotl, they became a dread to the inhabitants
-of the valley and surrounding country in consequence of their flagrant
-and atrocious acts.
-
-After weeks of determined but unsuccessful efforts to secure the person
-of the prince, Maxtla decided on a council with his advisers over the
-matter, and they were accordingly ordered to assemble in the council
-chamber. The subject was duly considered, but without any definite
-conclusion. As was customary, when a question of so much importance
-proved unsolvable by the council, the oracles (high priests) were
-called upon for a solution of the matter, which resulted in their
-declaring that the gods were favoring the fugitive prince as against
-the king, and must be propitiated. Agreeably to this decision, an early
-day was fixed for the sacrificial ceremony which was to mollify the
-wrath of the particularly offended deities, and the priests were
-instructed to have ready the necessary number of victims for the
-occasion.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The temples (_teocallis_) of the ancient Mexicans, which were numerous,
-were peculiar structures, usually rising in pyramidal form to various
-heights, depending, doubtless, on the importance attached to the
-presiding deities which they represented and to whom they were
-dedicated. They were constructed solidly of earth, incased around with
-stone, or blocks of clay, which were hardened by some peculiar process
-of their own. The structure usually consisted of several stories--as
-many as four or five--each of which rose twenty or more feet,
-terminating at a terrace of accommodating width, which extended clear
-around the temple. Four or five of these terraces carried the structure
-up as much as a hundred feet, culminating in a broad, flat, paved area,
-on which were situated the sanctuaries of the gods, and in which a
-great sculptured image of each was placed. In front of each sanctuary
-was an altar, whereon the sacred fire was kept constantly burning, and
-which, not infrequently, was stained with human blood.
-
-Near the altars stood the sacrificial block on which the victim was
-immolated in the horrible and sickening act of tearing the heart from
-the breast and laying it on the altar as a conciliatory offering to the
-offended deity, while the organ was still pulsating.
-
-The terraces were gained by steps on the outside, leaning at an angle
-with the wall, which inclined toward the center.
-
-The ceremonies were always public, and from the situation at the summit
-were to be viewed from any part of the city.
-
-The processions engaged in by the priests--a multitude in themselves,
-winding their way as many times as there were terraces around the great
-_teocalli_, from base to summit--were impressive spectacles, at which
-the people were expected to be present as witnesses; and, as one author
-has said, since a ceremony of some sort occurred almost every day, it
-is difficult to understand how the ordinary business of life could,
-under such conditions, go on.
-
-The day appointed by Maxtla for the propitiating of the gods was
-ushered in by the sound of the doleful drum. The people, who were
-assembled by thousands, arrayed in their most gorgeous attire--when
-arrayed at all--filled the city's public places. A religious chant,
-accompanied with dancing and contortions of the body, and a
-representation of minstrelsy, in a multiplication of weird noises, was
-begun and continued throughout the procession and ceremony.
-
-One by one the victims were led or borne to the sacrificial block, and
-if, perchance, they paused upon the area of the temple's summit, their
-anointed bodies, which were shielded only by a girdle about the loins,
-glistened in the sun's intense light--a mollifying spectacle for Aztec
-gods.
-
-When the ceremony had progressed to that point when all the
-bloodthirstiness which such sights must surely beget in the savage mind
-had taken possession of the witnesses, a thought seemed to occur
-suddenly to Maxtla, who was a delighted spectator of the bloody
-carnival, and he exclaimed:
-
-"Bring hither Itzalmo, the traitorous friend and counselor of
-Hualcoyotl, and prepare him for the sacrifice. Let him die for the
-appeasing of the gods."
-
-The prison-keeper, who had charge of Itzalmo's dungeon, took the
-necessary assistance and proceeded to execute the order of the king.
-
-When the dungeon to which Itzalmo had been consigned was reached by the
-prison-keeper and his assistants, the door was thrown open, and they
-entered to secure the prisoner, but a surprise awaited them which they
-were not anticipating--the cell was empty; Itzalmo was not there.
-
-The prison-keeper was speechless with amazement at the discovery, and,
-on contemplating the consequences to himself of the prisoner's escape,
-became horrified at the thought of the fate which certainly awaited
-him. He returned to the presence of the king, fully realizing the awful
-strait in which the situation put him. Prostrating himself at Maxtla's
-feet, he cried out, in accents of despair:
-
-"Woe is come to thy servant, O King, and he is undone; for Itzalmo, the
-prisoner, is gone! He has fled his prison cell."
-
-Maxtla looked for a moment, in menacing silence, on the prostrate man
-before him, his face becoming, as he did so, livid with rage. When he
-spoke, his accents were inhuman--demoniacal.
-
-"Miserable dotard!" he exclaimed. "Thy cowardly, cringing body is fit
-only for sacerdotal hands. A heart for a heart it shall be--not
-Itzalmo's, but thine, shall fall to-day, to assuage the offended gods.
-Take him hence to the block, and let his blood condone his offense."
-Thus did the keeper of Itzalmo's dungeon become, innocently, the victim
-of Maxtla's ferocity.
-
-The sacrificial ceremony was at last concluded. The sanguinary rites,
-in compliance with the demands of the offended deities, had been
-formally observed, and Maxtla, according to the declarations of the
-oracles, was thereby restored to favor. The assembled multitude
-dispersed, self-satisfied with its part in the bloody festival, and
-quiet once more prevailed in Azcapozalco.
-
-Maxtla was not a man to be thwarted in his designs without a supreme
-effort to accomplish them. Itzalmo had escaped, but the whole Tepanec
-empire should be called to the support of the king, that his purposes
-might be made good. Pursuant to this end an edict was issued, to the
-effect that Itzalmo was outlawed, and, furthermore, his delivery to the
-Tepanec authorities, dead or alive, would be amply rewarded.
-
-Unfortunately for Maxtla, in his purpose to not only retake Itzalmo,
-but to discover his abettors, who, if taken, would suffer equally with
-the escaped prisoner, he had, in sacrificing his prison-keeper, removed
-the only person who might have found a clue to the party concerned in
-the liberation. By his destruction the security of the liberators, if
-not Itzalmo's, was assured.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-When it was learned by the friends of Itzalmo, who were members of the
-king's retinue, and who, during his imprisonment, had looked well to
-his comforts, that a sacrifice to the gods was contemplated, they
-became alarmed for his safety, and at once set about arranging for his
-escape. The necessary preparations were effected, and the night prior
-to the day on which the sacrifice was to take place was fixed upon as
-the time to deliver him from his imprisonment.
-
-Agreeably to arrangements, about the hour of midnight two men entered
-the passage which led to the stairway down which they had to go to be
-on the same ground as was Itzalmo's dungeon. They were not unacquainted
-with the locality, and quickly gained the avenue leading to the cell.
-One of the party carried a lighted taper, which greatly facilitated
-their movements. When the cell was reached, the fastenings were removed
-and the door thrown open. As it swung back on its hinges, one of the
-party inquired:
-
-"Are you ready, Itzalmo?"
-
-"Yes, I am ready. Lead on," he answered, and walked forth a free man
-once more.
-
-When he was outside of the dungeon the fastenings were replaced, and
-the party moved silently and cautiously to the stairway, and up. Here
-the taper was extinguished, making their progress from this point
-necessarily very slow. They finally emerged upon the narrow court at
-the rear of the palace, and from there into the great inclosed court,
-where one of the conductors turned aside, leaving the other to
-accompany Itzalmo alone.
-
-Leaving the great court, Itzalmo and his conductor came out onto a wide
-street, feeling somewhat apprehensive as to the outcome of their
-undertaking. The city was thoroughly policed by the soldiers of the
-king, who were supposed to be, without exception, his adherents.
-However, Itzalmo was a stranger to all of them, whether friends or
-foes, which was greatly in his favor.
-
-The old Tezcucan's friends had taken the precaution to furnish him with
-a suit of priestly attire, making it an easy matter to offer a pretense
-for being on the street at so unseasonable an hour. Under such
-conditions the liability of detection was greatly lessened.
-
-The avenues of the royal city being broad and extensive, Itzalmo and
-his conductor could hardly expect to travel them, even at the late hour
-of midnight, without being discovered, and, in all probability,
-stopped. So the bold plan of moving nonchalantly through the streets
-was adopted.
-
-An exhibition of nonchalance does not always indicate unflinching
-bravery, and is never assumed by a brave man, except as a means to an
-end.
-
-Though men of the dare-devil stamp, who are nonchalant, and appear to
-be careless of consequences, may not, under such circumstances as
-surrounded the old Tezcucan and his escort, feel in any degree
-apprehensive, it is not always the result of true courage, but more
-often lack of consideration. Such men are not to be classed in any
-sense with the conscientious, considerate man, who, anxious and
-expectant, steps into the unexplored and doubtful breach, uncertain as
-to what awaits him there--the man who, realizing that danger, and
-perhaps death, may be just ahead, sets hard his teeth, and, with paling
-cheek, goes bravely forward to meet it. The latter is the man who wins
-battles, and, if needs be, dies a hero, while the former far too often
-proves himself a blustering braggart, who, when death stalks forth,
-forgets all else save his own safety, and ignominiously becomes a
-turn-tail.
-
-We have seen Itzalmo, with dauntless courage, face the tyrant Maxtla,
-the most cruel and heartless man in all the Anahuac; still, he was not
-a dare-devil, but a conscientious, unswerving friend, who could die in
-the performance of a duty, as only such men can. His courage, however,
-was not a feelingless one. His heart, no doubt, beat quicker, while his
-face grew less florid; yet, in the consciousness of well-doing, and the
-strength of an unyielding faithfulness, he was capable of heroic
-action.
-
-When the distance of about two squares had been gone over, they were
-challenged by the demand:
-
-"Who goes there at this late hour?"
-
-"A priest and escort, on their way to visit the sick," was the quick
-reply.
-
-"Ah, Melca, is that you?" questioned the guard, who recognized an
-acquaintance in the voice of Itzalmo's companion.
-
-"Yes, it is me," he answered. "I am seldom out at this hour,"
-apologetically, "but the call of a friend in distress must needs be
-answered, even though it be at midnight."
-
-The escort was not a little disturbed at his sudden recognition by the
-guard, though, on second thought, saw security in Itzalmo's perfect
-disguise. The old man made a venerable representative of the character
-he had assumed, which the soldier could easily discern in the
-semi-darkness; and as great reverence for that class of citizens was
-generally entertained, there was hardly a possibility of detection.
-After a brief scrutiny of the priestly appearing Itzalmo, the guard
-said:
-
-"It is well, Melca. Pass on; and may your friend find consolation from
-your visit."
-
-Since he had succeeded without difficulty in deceiving an acquaintance,
-Melca was assured that they would have no trouble in passing out of the
-city, and so it proved. They met with several guards, who readily
-passed them along when informed of the mission they were on. Thus they
-got safely beyond the city's limits and out into the country, where a
-consultation was held as to where they should go.
-
-It was wisely concluded to keep away from Tezcuco, as it would
-undoubtedly be the first place visited by the emissaries of Maxtla in
-their search for the condemned Itzalmo. They decided, accordingly, to
-get out of the tyrannical king's dominions as quickly as possible, and
-seek concealment in some secluded locality. A road leading to the
-south, along the western border of the lake, was taken and followed
-until Tlacopan was reached, where a stop of one day was made to give
-Itzalmo a resting spell; after which they went on around the lake until
-they came to a small, isolated hamlet, situated on the lake's border,
-among the trees which grew there, and by which it was almost hidden,
-where the old man found refuge with some loyal countrymen, with whom we
-leave him for the present, in company with Melca, his escort, who
-decided, after being recognized by the guard, that it might not be safe
-for him to return to Azcapozalco.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXV.
-
-
-One night and a day in Tenochtitlan found Euetzin and Cacami ready to
-proceed to some other point, they having effected the object of their
-visit to the Mexican capital.
-
-The tzin had laid out to spend one night at home; and, as Tezcuco must
-necessarily be visited in his short tour of inquiry, it was decided to
-go to Zelmonco first, and from there to the city. Their plan was to
-cross the lake to a small village which was situated about two leagues
-and a half south of Tezcuco, and go from there to the villa, which
-would save time, distance, and a walk of one league, as compared with
-their going to Tezcuco by one of the barks which plied regularly
-between the two great cities for the purpose of transporting persons
-and merchandise.
-
-There is sufficient ground for believing that traffic between
-Tenochtitlan and other cities on Lake Tezcuco was carried on at that
-time exclusively by canoes, and it is not an unreasonable thing to
-suppose that it was done systematically, and with a view to gain.
-
-So, in the afternoon of the day following their arrival at
-Tenochtitlan, Euetzin and his companion secured the services of a
-boatman to row them across to the little town. It was quite a pull for
-the boatman and his one assistant, for the distance was between three
-and four leagues. The trip was made, however, in time for our friends
-to reach Zelmonco just at dusk of evening. We will not undertake to
-describe the meeting which followed their arrival at the villa. It is
-sufficient to say that it was a happy one, and that the evening was
-passed by the reunited family and their guest in a most agreeable
-manner.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Cacami was an early riser, and usually up with the sun. The morning
-following his coming to Zelmonco was not an exception in his
-commendable habit; he was out in the park betime, enjoying the
-invigoration which the first hour of the day imparts. The morning's
-breath was most delightful, too, loaded as it was with the exhalations
-of a thousand buds and flowers.
-
-The time and conditions were especially favorable for thought;
-particularly to a man affected as he was. Itlza had not been out of his
-mind for a moment during his absence, except when important matters
-were in, or when he was sleeping, and not always then. When in the
-presence of Mitla and her vivacious young sister a pair of laughing
-eyes continually rose up before him, reminding him of one who seemed to
-exercise an influence, even in her absence, which made him almost
-negligent of the hunter's daughters. Euetzin, knowing nothing of the
-attachment which his companion had formed for his sister, thought it
-very strange that the young fellow should be so indifferent to the
-charms of the mountain girls--Mitla especially; and, yet, away down in
-his heart the tzin experienced a sense of relief and gratification that
-such was the case.
-
-Believing that a suitable opportunity would reveal the fact that his
-hopes, which Itlza's actions at their last meeting had quickened, were
-well founded, Cacami heartily wished that one might arise before the
-hour for his departure should come around.
-
-In pursuing his solitary stroll through the park he came to the oak
-tree by the fountain, and had paused for a moment to contemplate upon
-the pleasant surroundings. He had only been there once before; yet, the
-spot was endeared to him because of his meeting with Itlza on that
-occasion. Recalling the felicitous event his eyes lingered fondly on
-the rustic seat, where she had sat and looked down upon him with her
-beautiful, laughing eyes, as he reclined on the ground almost at her
-feet. He remembered the pledge of silence she had exacted of him, which
-he felt was no longer binding since the episode of the flower-heart,
-the trend of which he had rightly interpreted. Feeling thus, he
-resolved to renew his wooing at the first offered opportunity. While he
-stood indulging in his retrospective reverie, he was suddenly made
-aware of the approach of someone. Turning to see who it was, he
-discovered, to his delight, the charming Itlza coming toward him from
-the villa.
-
-It was a supreme moment to the very much enthralled Cacami; the
-culmination of his most cherished desires were reached when he beheld
-the idol of his thoughts advancing toward him. Nothing could have
-happened so perfectly in accord with the conditions--his feelings, the
-hour and its alluring train of exquisite delights--as Itlza's
-unexpected but longed for advent upon the scene. He waited her approach
-with a pleased sense of expectation, for he saw in her coming the
-opportunity he had only just been wishing for. He greeted her with a
-delight to which he gave full expression, both in manner and voice. He
-said:
-
-"You come, O Laughing-eyes, to add by your presence the crowning joy to
-a splendid morning stroll, which I have had."
-
-"I shall be pleased if my coming out will add to the pleasure of your
-ramblings, which are just a little too early to agree with my habits,"
-she answered, with a sparkling eye and smiling face. He looked
-admiringly at her and said:
-
-"The air at such a time and in such a place is always delightfully
-fragrant. To drink of its sweetness is a pleasure no one should fail to
-enjoy, not excepting the leisured Laughing-eyes."
-
-"Yes, it is a pleasure; but what an effort some of us would have to
-make to gain it. Then, oft repeated, it loses much of its charm," she
-replied, and, continuing, inquired: "How long have you been out in the
-park?"
-
-"For more than an hour I have been strolling among the shrubs and
-flowers; but, delightful as the beautiful park is, there was one thing
-wanting to make it perfect: one flower which I did not find--the
-loveliest that blooms at Zelmonco; it was not there," he said, fixing
-on her a look which plainly revealed his meaning. She returned the look
-with one expressing comprehension, and answered, jestingly:
-
-"You came out too soon to find the flower you are pleased to think so
-lovely; it does not bloom so early."
-
-"It has bloomed but now; and I am more than happy to find it here," he
-said, taking her hand and leading her to a seat at the foot of the oak
-tree. With her hand still resting in his he continued: "Do you
-remember, Laughing-eyes, our tryst on this love-inspiring spot, which
-seems to me so very long ago, and like a dream?"
-
-"Yes, I remember; and more," she answered, looking up at him archly,
-while she continued: "I remember that you gave me a promise, Cacami,
-which I fear you are about to forget." This rejoinder was uttered
-insinuatingly, and accompanied by a coquettish side glance. Cacami,
-believing that the words were intended to be convertible, put his own
-construction on them, and said:
-
-"I do not forget, Laughing-eyes, but only remember my promise now as a
-thing of the past, and no longer binding upon me. The flower-heart, and
-the voice of the little love-bird singing through your beautiful eyes,
-which came to me that day, when Teochma's call so cruelly disturbed us,
-were the signs which made me free. Is it not so, Laughing-eyes?"
-Cacami's voice and manner were full of pleading, and Itlza, loving as
-she did, could not resist their influence, and said:
-
-"Yes, Cacami, I may not longer trifle; you have read my thoughts and
-actions rightly. The flower-heart, in which was entwined my best love,
-was wrought for you, and made the messenger of release."
-
-"I thought as much, and yet there was a doubt, which your blessed words
-have removed, and I am free to tell you how dear you are to me. From
-the moment when I first looked into those laughing eyes I have loved
-them and their adored possessor. You must recall how earnest was my
-wooing from the very beginning--not a happy wooing either, Itlza, for I
-thought it was in vain. But now I know it was not, for the love of the
-Laughing-eyes is mine. When the battle comes my sword shall make me
-worthy of it. Then you shall pledge yourself to be my wife--not before.
-Until that hour love alone shall keep us for each other," he spoke with
-passionate emphasis.
-
-"It shall be as you have said--love shall keep us for each other," she
-replied, looking beseechingly into his face. "My heart is sad, even
-while it is happy," she continued. "War is ever terrible, but doubly so
-when those we love are in it--Euetzin, my brother, and you, my
-new-found love." Here her disengaged hand was laid lovingly on his arm,
-and her eyes, moist with the dew of affection, looked pleadingly up to
-him. "Both must go. Will both, or even one, return?" She dropped her
-head upon his hand and wept.
-
-"Be brave, dear heart; those bright, laughing eyes were never made for
-tears," said he, consoling her tenderly. "The gods, you may be sure,
-will shield your loved ones in the fight for freedom, and bring them
-safely back to you." Said encouragingly.
-
-A call to the morning meal interrupted further conversation on the
-subject so near to the hearts of the twain; and they went in, happy now
-in each other's love, yet sad from the thoughts which had caused the
-Laughing-eyes to weep.
-
-Two hours later Euetzin and Cacami were on the road to Tezcuco. That
-their stay at the villa had to be so brief was a source of regret to
-both.
-
-The fond associations of a beautiful and attractive home, the dearest
-of which were found in the presence and love of Teochma and Itlza, were
-pressing inducements for the tzin to prolong his stay, but there was no
-time to spare just then for gratifying the tenderer impulses; so,
-stifling the cry in his heart--the voice of filial love--he went sadly
-away, in answer to duty's call.
-
-Cacami, in the character of an accepted lover--though somewhat
-regretful at having to go from the scene of his late successful wooing
-so soon, possessed as he was with the blissful assurance of a
-reciprocated affection--could not be other than felicitous. Still, his
-happiness was not cloudless. There was mingled with it a disquieting
-doubt as to the acquiescence of the aristocratic mother and brother in
-his _affaire_ with Itlza. He was hopeful, however, in view of his
-intimacy with the brother. He had no intention of informing them, at
-this time, of the state of his feelings, and was confident that Itlza
-would be equally reticent. When he had won honor and fame as a warrior
-he could approach them with a stronger assurance of approval.
-
-Thus it happened that a knowledge of the existing state of their
-feelings toward each other was kept from Teochma and the tzin by the
-lovers, which, as it subsequently proved, was an unfortunate course for
-them to pursue; and yet, in view of the fact that no betrothal had
-taken place, they were not to be blamed for keeping the matter a secret
-between themselves.
-
-On arriving at Tezcuco Euetzin went about his errand of procuring
-information and the transaction of other business, for which he had
-come to the city. While he was thus occupied, Cacami went to visit for
-a brief spell with his people, returning in time to accompany him to
-other points, and finally back to Tlacopan for the appointed audience
-with Macua, the king.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVI.
-
-
-The fifth day subsequent to the one on which Euetzin and Cacami made
-their first visit to Macua, King of Tlacopan, and the one appointed for
-a second audience with him, had dawned, and the sun was on its upward
-course.
-
-A number of notables--princes, caciques, and chiefs--had recently
-arrived in Tlacopan, and were being entertained by Macua, at the king's
-palace. Much speculation was indulged in by the city's denizens, as to
-what they were there for. Their mission, however, was of a secret
-character, known only to themselves, the king and his advisers, and was
-scrupulously guarded by the close-mouthed leaders.
-
-An important council was about to convene, the result of Maxtla's
-aggressiveness, which proved, in the end, to be a memorable event in
-the lives of those who took part in it, and also for those in whose
-interest it was held.
-
-The meeting took place in the audience hall of the king's palace, and
-the most prominent person present was the king himself. He was seated
-on his throne, arrayed in magnificent attire, and bore himself with
-kingly dignity, as one after another the gathering warriors advanced to
-salute him as the presiding official of the occasion.
-
-On looking over the body of dignified and sober appearing individuals
-there assembled, one would have decided at once that it was no ordinary
-gathering of the king's subjects. Seated on his right was a man whose
-dress and bearing were significant of royalty; while on his left was
-another equally as notable. Richly caparisoned caciques and warriors
-were present, some seated, and others standing about the chamber, all
-waiting expectantly for the king to announce the opening of the
-council.
-
-Macua presently rose to speak, and every eye was fixed upon him with
-interested attention. When perfect silence prevailed he said:
-
-"I am pleased to witness the presence here at this time of so many
-nobles and warriors, who have come to engage in important
-deliberations. I have reason to believe that all of you are inspired by
-a common thought: that of a mutual defense of our liberties. The
-promptness with which the call has been met presages success in what
-shall follow this meeting. As the head of this nation I extend to all a
-cordial welcome to Tlacopan." Turning to a person who was evidently the
-keeper of records, he continued: "The names of those who are to sit in
-council with us will now be read, and the person named will rise and
-acknowledge the same in the usual manner."
-
-As the name was announced the person bearing it rose and made an
-obeisance. After a number of names were gone over and acknowledged, the
-recorder called out:
-
-"Euetzin of Tezcuco!" to which no one responded. The tzin had not
-arrived. At this moment an interruption occurred in consequence of the
-entrance to the hall of a person who was conducted into the presence of
-the assembly, causing a suspension of the roll call.
-
-The newcomer appeared to be a stranger to all present, for no one
-seemed to recognize him. If he was known his identity was not apparent.
-Advancing before the king he saluted his majesty very profoundly. Macua
-acknowledged the courtesy, but gave no sign of recognition.
-
-"You do not remember me, O King, for which omission you are pardonable,
-since my former appearance before you was in an assumed character.
-This," he continued, holding up a signet, "may prove a reminder to
-you."
-
-"Euetzin of Tezcuco!" exclaimed Macua. "We were looking for a hunter,
-not a tzin."
-
-"I am the accredited representative of a prince to-day, if your majesty
-pleases," replied Euetzin, with proper dignity.
-
-"You are; and as the King of Tlacopan I greet you as such," returned
-Macua, leaving the throne to extend to the tzin an honor seldom
-conferred except upon a prince.
-
-Euetzin was attired in the costume of a tzin, which changed his
-appearance greatly, preventing his recognition by the king. His dress
-was of the finest material, but not gaudy; showing a conservatism in
-his notions of apparel. In this his second appearance before Macua he
-felt that the dignity of his position as the representative of
-Hualcoyotl demanded that he should be becomingly clothed; he
-accordingly came to Tlacopan prepared to abandon the character and garb
-of a hunter, and appear, temporarily, in his rightful one.
-
-After greeting the tzin the king bade him take a seat with the
-assembly.
-
-The call of the roll was resumed and completed. It was found that all
-were present who were expected to take part in the council. At its
-conclusion Macua again arose and said:
-
-"We are assembled here to-day to consider a matter of vital interest to
-all of us: the matter of a threatened invasion of our territories by
-Maxtla, the new king at Azcapozalco. The fate of Tezcuco is before us.
-Shall this man be allowed to spoil us while our eyes are open? This,
-friends, is the question you have been called together to consider. Let
-your words be words of wisdom, that our council may result in good."
-
-After a brief period of silence an old man--a Tlacopan chief--rose up,
-and addressed the king:
-
-"Your majesty's words are words of warning. We are, of a truth, menaced
-by this Maxtla, of Azcapozalco, whose power is great. The army of
-Tlacopan, combined with the armies of all the principalities here
-represented, would be as naught before the hosts of his mighty empire.
-Have you not something to say that will give encouragement? What is in
-your mind that has not been revealed to us?"
-
-The king spoke in reply:
-
-"The armies of all the principalities represented here to-day would,
-indeed, be unequal to cope with Maxtla in the field; but, friends,
-there is offered us a hope in a union with the oppressed Tezcucans. A
-voice has come to me from Tezcuco: Tezcuco would be free. Euetzin, a
-representative of that people, is with us to-day. He is here as the
-envoy of Hualcoyotl, their prince, who is now a fugitive, unjustly
-pursued--a man who is beloved of his own, but hated by the monarch we
-fear. We would join the Tezcucans in a war against Maxtla, if the
-appearances are favorable to success. We would hear what Euetzin may
-have to offer us."
-
-There was a stir about the chamber at this declaration from Macua, and
-the tzin at once became an object of much interest. He arose, at a
-motion from the king, and, after casting his eyes over the assemblage
-of stern-looking warriors, said:
-
-"Tezcuco will be free, or go down deeper into the slough of oppression.
-To Maxtla she will no longer submit, if a mighty struggle will give her
-liberty. An army of patriots, though unseen, are now waiting for the
-signal to march to victory, death, or a lower degradation. Tezcuco
-would secure the aid of those who would have the Tepanec usurper
-overthrown. Many would make our victory sure. I am here, to-day,
-seeking coalition." Turning about, he addressed Macua: "Will it please
-the King to read this paper?" As he concluded, the tzin handed a
-document to the king, which proved to be an estimate of the Tezcucan
-forces, based on their secret enrollment.
-
-When Macua had perused and understood the significance of the contents
-of the paper, he looked at the tzin in astonishment, and said:
-
-"I am filled with wonder at what is here set forth. If Tezcuco can do
-so much, then, indeed, is there hope. Maxtla might well tremble for his
-supremacy, did he know the magnitude of his opposition."
-
-After a further examination of the paper the king continued:
-
-"With your consent, Euetzin, I would make known to our friends what is
-here written."
-
-"The wisdom of Macua must direct him. He should understand the
-importance to Tezcuco of the knowledge which is contained in the paper.
-Should it be made public it would be most unfortunate for her cause,"
-replied the tzin, courteously.
-
-"I have faith in our friends, and will be responsible for their
-silence," returned Macua, proceeding to acquaint the council with the
-contents of the document. Its members were no less astonished than was
-the king at the measure of their significance. Macua then said:
-
-"We remember the mild and generous disposition of the late king of
-Tezcuco, and how deeply our people regretted his fall, and the
-subversion of his government. A restoration of that government under
-the rule of his son, Prince Hualcoyotl, would give us complete
-security. Euetzin comes to us bearing evidence, which we can not doubt,
-that he is, in truth, the representative of the Tezcucan prince, and,
-as such, would not deceive us by misrepresentation. I, therefore, as
-the King of Tlacopan, having confidence in him, am ready to accept his
-statements as correct, and, with the consent of my advisers, will join
-Tezcuco in a war against the Tepanec king."
-
-There were a number of high officials present from two states, besides
-Tlacopan, who were unanimous in their approval of Macua's declaration.
-It was, therefore, sustained by his chiefs, which led to an agreement
-of coalition being entered into, and its ratification in their
-accustomed manner.
-
-After a further consideration of the matter as to plans of procedure,
-it was decided to hold a great tourney at Tlacopan on a certain day in
-the near future, which would afford the Tezcucans a pretense to
-withdraw from Tezcuco for the purpose of massing. It was also decided
-that envoys should be sent to Azcapozalco, to appear before Maxtla the
-same day on which the tourney was to take place, to present to him the
-ultimatum of the allied states, the principal condition of which should
-be the liberation of Tezcuco, and the enthronement of her prince.
-
-It was further agreed that the army of each state should be under the
-command of its own prince and warriors, the whole to be commanded by
-the prince furnishing the greatest number of soldiers. The council then
-broke up, subject to a call from Macua.
-
-There was much to accomplish before the time appointed for holding the
-tournament, which was to be nothing more nor less than the assembling
-of the hosts of the allied states. The secret councils of Tezcucans had
-to be notified and instructed, and the arms, which were already
-provided for their equipment, transported secretly to the vicinity of
-Tlacopan. In addition to this, Hualcoyotl was to be brought secretly to
-Tlacopan, for it was expected that he would be placed at the head of
-the army. These preparations would depend largely on the tzin and his
-companion, and they permitted no time to go by unimproved, but
-proceeded at once to the consummation of them.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVII.
-
-
-Euetzin and his fellow conspirators found the time very brief for
-completing their preparations for the massing of the insurgent army of
-Tezcuco on the day appointed. The work was attended with so much
-secrecy that it had to be carried on in a very quiet manner, keeping
-them constantly on the alert. This being the case, the tzin and Cacami
-were kept continually employed, with not a moment of time to spare in
-which to visit their homes. However, just before starting for the
-mountains, to escort Hualcoyotl into Tlacopan, they took time to go and
-say good-by, and procure what was necessary to complete their outfits.
-
-While the Tezcucans were secretly pushing forward their preparations,
-Macua was busily engaged in replenishing his store-houses with
-provisions and other supplies for the armies.
-
-A commendable feature in the economy and foresight of the Aztecs--and
-no less that of the other nations of Anahuac, for what may be said of
-one will apply to all--was the establishment of great granaries, or
-store-houses, where supplies were garnered up to meet future
-exigencies. This was accomplished by tribute from the agricultural
-districts of the province.
-
-The time appointed for holding the tournament was at hand, and Tlacopan
-was gorgeously attired for the occasion. The day was propitious, and
-the city was filled to overflowing with people, who had come from far
-and near to witness the achievements of the contestants.
-
-The number of foreigners present was unprecedented. The primal cause of
-this unusual spectacle will be apparent to the reader.
-
-The hour for the tourney to open had arrived, and an immense throng of
-people was assembled on the city's market-place, where it was thought
-best to hold the meeting, in view of the expected crowd. The _tianguez_
-was a great square, inwalled by buildings, store-houses, etc., and made
-to accommodate anywhere from twenty-five to fifty thousand people. Much
-of its space, on this day, was protected by coverings, cotton awnings,
-canopies, etc., and was arranged to seat a multitude.
-
-Tournaments were not an uncommon occurrence among the nations of
-Anahuac, and the people were encouraged to participate in them by
-awards of merit--jewels, medals, decorations, etc., which were bestowed
-upon the successful contestants. Every ruler of any importance was
-provided with a suitable place in which to hold the contests, usually a
-great inclosed court attached to the king's palace, but which, on this
-occasion, was not adequate to the demands.
-
-In many instances, among the more barbarous nations, the tourney of the
-Aztecs was not less bloody than those of the ancients of Pompeii and
-Rome, resulting purposely in the death of one or more of the
-contestants.
-
-In view of the immense concourse of people in attendance at Tlacopan,
-the occasion would prove a proud one for the victors.
-
-Contests with the bow and arrow, and tilts with the javelin, were to be
-especial features of the approaching tourney, which were open to all
-comers.
-
-It was not required of a contestant that he or she be personally known;
-a badge, however, was usually worn, denoting the tribal connection.
-
-A trial of skill between bowmen was announced, and the babbling throng
-became hushed. The signal for the contestants to appear was sounded,
-and a score or more of athletic warriors leaped into the arena. They
-were clothed in their military tunic, which covered the body and
-thighs. About the head was a band surmounted with featherwork.
-Ornaments and decorations of different kinds, denoting former
-victories, were worn by a number of them. A buckler, or shield, was
-carried by each one as a protection against the arrows of an opponent.
-
-There were two points of excellence considered in this contest: the
-accuracy with which the arrow was dispatched, and the dexterity with
-which it was caught upon the shield.
-
-The contest was opened by two of the warriors taking positions opposite
-and facing each other, at a fixed distance apart. The assembled
-multitude became instantly stilled, and all eyes were centered upon
-them. The bows of the opposing bowmen were deliberately brought to
-position, and at a given signal two arrows sped across the space which
-separated them, and which were neatly stopped by the respective
-shields. The effect upon the audience was electrical; a shout of
-approval went up for the splendid exhibition of skill manifested by the
-contestants. The opponents, in this instance, were of Tlacopan and
-Tenochtitlan. After three trials the score was recorded in favor of the
-latter.
-
-Another two advanced to position, and a record was made. Thus the
-contest proceeded to the fifth entry, when a Tepanec and Tezcucan stood
-opposed. Two trials were successfully achieved, but at the third the
-arrow of the Tezcucan clipped a piece from the ear of the Tepanec,
-carrying away the ring which adorned it. A prolonged shout of
-exultation from the Tezcucans present followed the discovery of the
-result of the shot.
-
-The wounded contestant was a warrior of note in his own country, which
-was evidenced by the number of decorations he wore. He was greatly
-chagrined and angered at his mishap, and retired from the arena with
-bitterness in his heart, and a vengeful scowl upon his face. He was
-stoutly built, and would prove a dangerous adversary in a contest of
-strength.
-
-The first of the series of contests was conducted to a finish, and the
-second was called, which was to be a contest in target shooting, to
-which none but women were admitted.
-
-When the signal for their entrance was given, an array of beauty, in
-person and dress seldom witnessed, glided upon the scene. There were
-princesses, the wives and daughters of caciques and chiefs, and others
-with no royal blood to give them prestige--a double score.
-
-We will not pause to describe the costumes--suffice it to say that the
-majority of them were gorgeous in the extreme, with elaborately wrought
-trimmings of gold and silver, and beautifully designed featherwork,
-making altogether a most fanciful picture of barbaric splendor.
-
-The target, which in this case was the representation of a heart, was
-placed, and the contest opened.
-
-The order of succession had been determined, and the first archer
-stepped to the front, receiving, as she did so, a good round of
-applause. After a moment's deliberation the arrow from her bow was sent
-on its harmless mission. It was well directed, but did not cut the
-target. She moved to one side, and another took her place.
-
-"Look!" exclaimed a spectator to an associate as the second archer
-stepped into position. "By the bearded Quetzal, there's a beauty for
-you! Superb, isn't she?" The contestant was a stranger to that vast
-throng, but, had the reader of our story been present, a glance would
-have sufficed to reveal who it was; for it was none other than Mitla,
-the "Mountain Princess," who, through the persuasion of the tzin, had
-consented to enter the contest. After taking position she paused to
-recover her composure, giving the spectators time to note her admirable
-physique. A buzz of admiration was heard to pass through the great
-audience, and then as her bow was deliberately raised to shoot, all
-became silent! The silence was breathless--almost oppressive--while the
-vast crowd awaited the result of her shot. A snap was heard to break
-the stillness, followed by a sudden shadowy streak, which touched the
-target and disappeared; but the substance of it, the arrow from Mitla's
-bow, was left buried directly in the center of the heart. When the
-splendid feat of archery she had accomplished was realized, it was
-greeted with the wildest demonstrations of delight, accompanied by a
-shower of flowers, which fell in profusion about her. She had won the
-heart of the multitude by her superb, native presence, and unexcelled
-exhibition of skill.
-
-Mitla cast her eyes in the direction of the king's canopied platform,
-and the look drew forth from friends there lively manifestations of
-recognition and applause. Coming, as these demonstrations did, from
-Macua's place on the _tianguez_, they were regarded by those who
-observed them as highly significant, fixing upon her the prestige of
-royal favor, raising the unknown archer, in their semi-barbarous minds,
-far above the plain of her uneventful life.
-
-Many splendid shots were made by Mitla's competitors, but to no
-purpose. Her unerring accuracy could not be excelled, and at the close
-of the contest, amid shouts and acclamations of satisfaction, she was
-declared the winner.
-
-The victorious girl was conducted before King Macua, who presented to
-her the prize she had won--a beautiful necklace of gold and gems, which
-was clasped about her throat by the hand of Euetzin, who was of the
-king's party. It was a superlatively happy moment to the beautiful
-mountain girl, and her eyes were effervescing with love's softest light
-as they rested on him whom, unknown to all save herself, she almost
-worshiped.
-
-Mitla at once became an object of royal favor, and was escorted onto
-Macua's platform, and given a place with the king's elect.
-
-A tilt with javelins was the next thing in order. This was in the
-nature of a challenge contest; a very dangerous one for the
-participants, and exciting to the beholders.
-
-A challenge to engage in a tilt, or contest, was always in order, and
-usually proved to be the most popular and exciting feature of the
-tourney.
-
-The signal for the bout to commence was hardly sounded before the
-Tepanec warrior who had been wounded in the bowmen's contest was in the
-arena. His challenge was directed to the Tezcucan who had inflicted
-humiliation upon him. His appearance and actions showed that his object
-was to have revenge for the disgrace which the peculiar wound he had
-received in the bowmen's contest would fasten upon him.
-
-The challenge was accepted, and the two warriors stood face to face,
-awaiting the moment of action; hatred depicted on the countenance of
-one, the other calm and defiant. They were each equipped with javelin
-and heavy buckler, and clothed about the body and thighs with a thick
-cotton tunic--the arms and lower limbs being entirely free from
-covering. They were without the customary headgear--a band only being
-worn to confine the long, coarse, black hair.
-
-The instructions to the opposing warriors were to advance rapidly to a
-given point, and throw their weapons to kill--injury or death being
-avoided by dodging or catching the javelin on the buckler.
-
-The great crowd was again hushed. The signals were given, and the rush
-of the opponents quickly followed. A whiz and crash were heard, and the
-Tezcucan was almost thrown from his feet by the force of the Tepanec's
-javelin, which he had succeeded in catching on his buckler. He
-immediately recovered himself, and faced his opponent, who, having
-dodged his adversary's weapon, stood fiercely watching the effect of
-his throw.
-
-The advantage gained by the Tepanec over the Tezcucan, in the tilt, was
-not hailed with any degree of enthusiasm. There were too many friends
-of the latter, and others, present, in whose hearts burned the
-bitterest national hatred--a hatred for grievances inflicted--for which
-every Tepanec, no matter what his position, high or low, was held
-responsible.
-
-It was evident that the Tepanec was the superior adversary, and he knew
-it. He was not satisfied with the result of the bout, and a second
-trial was demanded. Rather than be branded a coward, the Tezcucan
-granted it, but, in doing so, realized that he was no match for his
-enemy, and could hardly expect to come out of the contest with a whole
-skin, if he did not lose his life.
-
-The lancers took their respective positions for a second trial. The
-signals were given, and they advanced quickly to the throwing point. A
-cutting of the air was heard, followed by a crash of javelins and
-shields, and the Tezcucan was knocked from his feet to the earth, where
-he lay powerless to rise, his buckler having been torn from his hand,
-and the weapon of his opponent buried in his body.
-
-The Tepanec warrior, now insane with rage, rushed upon his fallen foe,
-with the evident intention of dispatching him.
-
-Savage as they were, the Anahuacans had a profound sense of fair play.
-When the purpose of the crazed contestant was fully comprehended, the
-spectators, as by a single impulse, jumped to their feet, and a shout
-of derision went up from them for his wicked and unmanly design. The
-time was brief, but not too brief for an avenging hand to come between
-the would-be murderer and his fallen adversary. While all eyes were
-bent upon the insane victor, with no other thought but that he would
-accomplish his revengeful purpose, a hunter leaped into the arena, and,
-before the mad deed was consummated, a javelin was sent flying through
-the air, which struck the warrior in the neck, felling him, a lifeless
-heap, at the side of the prostrate Tezcucan.
-
-The excitement was now intense. The dead Tepanec and his severely
-wounded adversary were forgotten for the moment by the excited
-audience, whose attention became centered on the hunter. This man,
-whose hand had sent the messenger of death, which so materially
-affected the aspect of the tragedy, suddenly became an object of
-speculation and the hero of the hour.
-
-The king commanded that the slayer of the insane warrior be brought
-into his presence. When he appeared, in obedience to the command, great
-was the surprise and pleasure of Macua, and those with him, to see in
-the expert lancer the tzin's companion, Cacami.
-
-The king said:
-
-"We would honor the man who can throw a javelin so true, and at such a
-time; especially do we take pleasure in honoring Cacami. Wear this," he
-continued, placing upon Cacami's breast a decoration which carried with
-it honorable preferment, "as a mark of distinction, and also as a
-memorial of the valorous deed you have this day performed in behalf of
-a fallen man."
-
-A shout of approbation ascended from the assembled throng, while the
-tzin warmly embraced his comrade and friend.
-
-Cacami was a spectator only, not having determined to take part in the
-tournament, because of his engagements, especially on account of his
-recent journey to the mountains to assist in bringing the prince to the
-city. He was greatly interested in the tourney, however; particularly
-so in the tilt with javelins, and excitement might have led him to
-enter the contest had the first bout not ended as it did. No eye in
-that immense throng took in the situation as promptly as did his; and,
-instantly comprehending the purpose of the maddened warrior, he did not
-stop to think twice, but sprang to the defense of his fellow Tezcucan,
-which resulted, as we have seen, in his killing the vicious Tepanec.
-
-When quiet was restored and the arena cleared, the tourney was
-conducted to a finish, and the great throng gradually melted away, most
-of it, however, to reassemble in a different capacity and place outside
-of Tlacopan.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVIII.
-
-
-While the exciting scenes of the tourney were being witnessed on
-Tlacopan's _tianguez_, events of an entirely different nature were
-transpiring in the palace of Maxtla, at Azcapozalco. The embassy,
-consisting of three prominent persons and their attendants, which had
-been sent to him with the ultimatum of the allied principalities,
-arrived at his capital in great pomp the day preceding the one on which
-they were instructed to present it.
-
-The envoys were royally entertained, as was the custom, by fete and
-feast, and made to feel that they were guests of a great monarch.
-
-The nature of their mission was not known beyond the three
-representatives, nor was it expected to be until officially announced.
-Maxtla had not the slightest idea as to the significance of it.
-
-In the forenoon of the day following their arrival at the palace, and
-about the time of the opening of the tourney at Tlacopan, an audience
-was granted the envoys; and, in the presence of the king and his
-counselors, the embassy's mission was made known, and the conditions of
-the ultimatum presented.
-
-Maxtla was astounded and exasperated by what seemed to him the audacity
-of his petty neighbors. He, however, held his feelings partially under
-subjection. With all his fierceness and cruelty of disposition he was
-politic and cunning. He saw, as he thought, in the action of Tlacopan
-and her allies, a pretense for advancing his interests in that
-direction--the very thing he had been scheming to bring about, and
-shaped his course accordingly.
-
-His reply to the envoys was to the effect that the action of the
-governments they represented was an insult, not only to his own dignity
-as a monarch, but that of his great empire. Tezcuco, he said, was his
-by conquest, and would not be relinquished except by force of arms. The
-enthronement of the despised Hualcoyotl, he further said, would be
-resisted to the last extremity.
-
-"Go back to your masters," said he, "and say to them that we scorn
-their implied threats, and will resent the insult they have offered us
-with the whole force of our empire."
-
-Maxtla's reply to the conditions of the ultimatum was equivalent to a
-declaration of war, and as such the embassy interpreted it.
-
-Every respect was shown the envoys and their suit; and, when they
-departed from the Tepanec capital, they were escorted with due courtesy
-beyond the city's confines.
-
-In a very short time after their departure the word went abroad
-throughout Maxtla's dominions that a war was imminent. His scattered
-forces began immediately to concentrate, and orders were issued for new
-levies to be made on Tezcuco and his other dependencies for additional
-troops.
-
-In due time the couriers returned from Tezcuco with the startling
-intelligence that all the Tezcucans proper, who were subject to
-military duty, had gone to attend the tourney at Tlacopan, leaving only
-his own adherents available for immediate service.
-
-Maxtla was thunderstruck at this information, for he saw in it the
-secret of Tlacopan's temerity. His eyes were opened to the fact that he
-had been outwitted by somebody, and that Tezcuco was about to slip away
-from him. His anticipations of an easy conquest of the little states
-opposed to him assumed a somewhat doubtful aspect, and instead of an
-extended empire he saw before him a struggle to maintain his supremacy
-over his already acquired territory. Realizing that celerity of action
-was imperative, if he would succeed, no time was lost in getting ready
-for the strife.
-
-The circumstances attending the situation pointed to Tezcuco as the
-probable field of contention, and troops were therefore sent forward to
-that locality as rapidly as organization was effected.
-
-While Maxtla was marshaling his hosts for war, Macua and his
-confederates were not idle at Tlacopan.
-
-When the concourse of people, which had assembled to witness the
-tourney, quietly melted away at its close, preparations were at once
-begun to get the allied armies into a condition of mobility. It was not
-expected that Maxtla would accede to the demands made in the ultimatum,
-so the work of organization went on.
-
-In the evening of the same day on which the embassy had audience with
-Maxtla, advance couriers reached Tlacopan with his reply. Its import
-was anticipated, but definite action could not be taken before it
-arrived.
-
-Orders were immediately issued for the armies to be ready to move for
-concentration the next morning. It was no longer a secret that war was
-to be waged with the Tepanec king, and great excitement and bustle
-prevailed on the heels of the tournament. The excitement was of the
-profound and solemn sort which is peculiar to preparations preceding a
-sanguinary strife for supremacy between opposing armies, especially
-with a semi-civilized people. The priests were actively engaged in
-their incitations to self-immolation by ceremonies accompanied with
-dolefully tuned cantations, causing a weirdness to pervade the very
-heart of the multitude, which brought a hush of awe upon the scene,
-giving it an aspect at once ominous and funereal.
-
-All through the fore part of the night following the tournament the
-secret councils of Tezcuco were moving in a disorganized but orderly
-procession away from Tlacopan, going to the place of armament. When the
-morning dawned, an army of them might have been seen massed on the
-border of lake Tezcuco, east of the city. Some of them were already
-armed, while others were arming, preparatory to marching for
-concentration.
-
-The armies of the nations of Anahuac were, to say the least,
-picturesque, and, from a historical standpoint, worthy of a brief
-description.
-
-The higher grades of warriors--caciques, chiefs, etc.--wore, as a
-protection to the body, a heavy, quilted, cotton tunic, over which was
-usually thrown and fastened their superbly elegant _tilmatli_--mantle
-of featherwork. Their legs, in most cases, were protected by leggings
-made from various kinds of material, and elaborately fringed with
-trimmings of gold and silver, or other bright substance. Short boots,
-made from animal skin, or close fitting moccasins encased their feet.
-Their headgear was varied in character, often representing the head of
-some animal, a fish or other object. The more grotesque and hideous it
-was made to appear, the nearer was its purpose attained. However, the
-indispensable feather decorations generally prevailed.
-
-It is quite safe to venture the assertion that the dress of the lords
-of Anahuac was not only gorgeously grotesque, but truly magnificent;
-while, on the other hand, the uniform of the common soldiers was
-strikingly undress, consisting, as it did, for the most part, of a
-plain gird about the loins, and a band of some kind to confine the
-hair--nothing more. There may have been exceptions to this airiness of
-apparel, but, as a rule, not enough to place the very convenient
-costume in danger of being superseded by a more elaborate and less airy
-one.
-
-The principal arms used by them in battle were the bow and arrow and
-javelin. They were also provided with sling and dart. These instruments
-of warfare were pointed with either copper, bone, or obsidian
-(_itztli_, a transparent mineral substance, very hard, and capable of
-being reduced to the sharpness of a razor).
-
-The Indian sword (_maquahuitl_) was a heavy staff, on which were
-inserted, at regular intervals, short, sharp blades of obsidian. This
-weapon was used by the principal warriors.
-
-The ensemble of an army consisted of battalions, divisions and grand
-divisions. The first named numbered four or five hundred warriors; the
-second, six or eight thousand; and the last, proportionately larger;
-each division and subdivision being under the command of a proper
-official--cacique, or chief. At the head of each organization was borne
-an appropriate banner, on which was usually to be seen the insignia of
-the commandant; while the national standard--the armorial ensign of the
-ruling house--usually indicated the position of the person in
-command--great chief.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The ancient standard of Tezcuco was once more unfurled to the breeze,
-and her patriotic hosts stood organized, and ready to receive their
-prince.
-
-Hualcoyotl, accompanied by a retinue of chosen warriors, among whom
-were our friends Euetzin and Cacami, both having been generously
-remembered by the prince in the distribution of honors, was advancing
-to assume command. When discovered by the army, and recognized, they
-were received with the acclamation: "Hualcoyotl! Hualcoyotl! Long live
-Hualcoyotl and Euetzin!" The latter was regarded for his untiring
-efforts in behalf of Tezcuco's independence as being entitled to all
-the honor due to any Tezcucan living, and his people were ready at all
-times to accord it.
-
-The hour was a proud one to the two young men: To Euetzin in view of
-the crowning of his labors with the grand military display which was
-there spread out before him; to the prince for the opportunity which
-placed him in position to meet his cruel persecutor on equal footing,
-where he could demand, at the point of the javelin, his rights as the
-Prince of Tezcuco. He spoke as follows:
-
-"Warriors, men of Tezcuco: after many years of degradation and
-enslavement, you are again permitted to stand beneath your own loved
-banner, which was once the delight of our fathers and the pride of our
-nation. It has been trailing in the dirt for long; but your determined
-look assures me that it will no longer be thus dishonored. There is no
-need for me, as your commander, to say, stand firm in the cause of
-liberty, for I read upon your faces the will to do or die. Then let us
-waste no time until Maxtla and his hordes have been met and brought to
-feel the avenging power of wronged Tezcuco's arm. Let our war cry be--"
-
-"Hualcoyotl and victory! Hualcoyotl and victory!"
-
-The words which the prince would have spoken were left unsaid, and the
-acclamation with which he was interrupted passed like a wave from right
-to left, and back again. When quiet was restored, he only said:
-
-"As you will, and may your victory be complete."
-
-The order was given to march, and the army of patriotic Tezcucans was
-quickly in motion, and on its way to join the allied armies at the
-place of rendezvous.
-
-To strike the confederate armies Maxtla was obliged to march all his
-forces around the north end of lake Tezcuco, and south through Tezcucan
-territory, as the possessions of the Mexican king were on the west, and
-could not be crossed except in disregard of the laws of neutrality. It
-therefore required several days for him to get his army into position
-for taking the offensive.
-
-A day or two after the allied armies began to move, they were united on
-the borders of Tezcuco, south of its capital city. The combined army
-was formed in a hollow square, to receive its commanding general. A
-procession approached, which was led by an escort composed of men who
-were peculiarly dressed. They were dressed more like hunters than
-warriors. In the rear of the escort a palanquin was borne by four men
-who were dressed in the same manner as was the escort. When the square
-was reached the escort halted, and the chair was borne forward into the
-inclosed space.
-
-Six men walked in front of the palanquin, in five of whom we would have
-recognized Hualcoyotl, Macua, tzin Euet, and the other two ruling
-caciques. The dress of the sixth person was the same as that worn by
-the men in the escort, with the addition of a _tilmatli_. A closer
-scrutiny would have made us acquainted with his identity, for in him we
-would have found an estimable friend. It was Tezcot. He was the chief
-of the escort which was composed of his friends, the mountaineers. The
-reason for their being there in the capacity they were will be
-presented later.
-
-When the center of the closely packed square was gained the palanquin
-was placed on the ground, and the occupant emerged from it. Hualcoyotl
-advanced to his side, and, in a strong voice, addressed the army:
-
-"Warriors, friends: When the good king, who was the father of him who
-now addresses you, ruled the people of Tezcuco, he was surrounded by
-wise men and great generals. Many of them shared his fate, which was
-death at the hands of the despoilers of our country. One of them,
-however, a wise man and great warrior, who was counted lost, escaped
-from Tezcuco, and became an unknown refugee. By the stipulations of
-coalition, under which this army is organized, I should be its
-commander; but, for the good of our cause, I put aside personal
-ambition and the honor the high position would confer upon me, and will
-name as your commander Ixtlilchoatl, the great warrior, to whom I have
-just alluded, who for more than eight years has been living alone in a
-fastness on yonder mountains, and known to the mountaineers as Ix, the
-hermit. Warriors, in this wise man, who has returned to his own,"
-continued the prince, taking the hermit by the arm, "behold your
-general. Long live Ixtlilchoatl!"
-
-The acclamation, with which the prince concluded, was taken up by the
-army, and vociferated with a will, when it again became still.
-
-"For this day I have prayed," spoke Ix. "Not that I might stand where I
-do at this moment, but that Tezcuco might find friends to help her in a
-mighty effort to regain her freedom. To you, who are allied with us
-to-day in the cause of liberty, my heart goes out in gratitude. Our
-people will remember you in kindness always, no matter what may be
-their condition. I have faith in the patriotism of this great army, and
-trust in its might. Be firm when the shock of strife shall come, and
-the victory will be yours."
-
-When Ix concluded, he reentered the palanquin and was borne back whence
-he came. At the same time the armies began to move for the purpose of
-taking up their respective positions, to wait for the advancing host of
-Maxtla to offer them battle.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIX.
-
-
-In order to make plain certain things which have come under our notice
-in the last two chapters, it will be necessary for us to go back to
-Tezcot's, and the hermit's cave, and note the doings of our mountain
-friends in the interim between the departure from there of Euetzin and
-Cacami and the holding of the tournament at Tlacopan.
-
-Mitla became a changed girl. She had lived to learn that older hearts
-than Oxie's were liable to impressions that wound, and that to fall in
-love with a noble was, indeed, a serious matter for a mere mountain
-girl to do. Her formerly bright and joyous life was clouded. She went
-about her duties with a half-heartedness, and seemed most contented
-when alone. Her parents and sister divined the cause of the great
-change in her disposition, and left her to occupy the time as best
-suited her. Knowing so well her generous nature, and how deep was her
-gratitude to the tzin for her rescue from the rascally Tepanec
-soldiers, they were not surprised that her feelings toward him had
-become those of a consuming passion. They treated her with true
-sympathy, deeply regretting the circumstances which had led to her
-unfortunate condition of mind.
-
-Tezcot became an almost constant companion of the prince and Ix, and
-appeared to have lost all interest in his hunting exploits.
-
-The management of the surveillance over the hermitage, which had been
-established for the protection of the prince, had been intrusted to
-Menke, who performed the duty faithfully, securing the vicinity of the
-cavern-retreat from intrusion.
-
-The prince, on being introduced to the hermitage, thought he saw
-something familiar about its mysterious occupant, and, becoming
-interested, finally discovered who he was. He was at a loss to
-understand why the hermit, for several days, persistently avoided all
-allusions to himself, unless it was to satisfy a whim. The fact of the
-matter was that Ix wished to fathom the character and disposition of
-the prince before openly declaring himself. When he found Hualcoyotl to
-be a worthy son of his illustrious father, the hermit gave him his
-cordial adherence and valuable counsel.
-
-It is true that Ix gave the prince and tzin his invaluable assistance
-on the occasion of the latter's first visit to the hermitage; and it
-was he that inserted certain signs and language in the document which
-Euetzin bore away with him, that assured the king of Tlacopan of its
-genuineness, and secured his confidence in the bearer. Of this,
-however, the prince and tzin were not aware at the time.
-
-Though only a boy, with no particular interest in government affairs,
-when his father's sovereignty was so suddenly and disastrously
-terminated, the prince remembered Ixtlilchoatl as a person who stood
-high in the councils of the king. His discovery of so wise and
-experienced an adherent was highly gratifying to him, for he felt that
-he needed just such a man to give him counsel. So, after due
-consideration, he decided to make him his supervisor of military
-affairs, which, subsequently, led to his being placed in command of the
-allied armies.
-
-Tezcot was taken into the secret of Ix's identity, which brought an
-acknowledgment from him as to his own nativity. He was a descendant of
-the Acolhuans, whose gentle nature he inherited, though not a born
-Tezcucan. The prince and Ix welcomed him to their councils, and he
-became an almost daily participant in their deliberations.
-
-Hualcoyotl had always been of a thoughtful turn of mind, and, as an
-occupant of a lonely hermit's cave, could scarcely have been expected
-to put aside a habit which had become a characteristic. In the hours of
-restraint which he was compelled to endure he might have been found
-often in a state of abstraction, when visions of future weal, and,
-perhaps, exaltation to the high position which his royal ancestors had
-filled, would occupy his thoughts. In these absent moods, which were
-only waking dreams, it was natural that his favorites should be brought
-into an imaginary existence, to give to his fancies a semblance of
-reality. Who but Itlza, of Zelmonco, could have shared his dreamings as
-a queen, the partner of his fancied exaltation, since the affectionate
-regard of his boyhood for her had, through a later contact, suddenly
-developed into a passionate desire to possess her for his own. And now
-that there was reason to hope for the early restoration of Tezcuco to
-her former place among the nations of Anahuac, this desire was further
-strengthened by the possibilities to which such a state of affairs
-would give rise.
-
-On the occasion of his brief stop at Zelmonco villa, while journeying
-toward the mountains, he resolved, as may be remembered, that, should
-the circumstances warranting it ever obtain, she should become his
-queen; and the resolution had lost none of its force, but, on the other
-hand, had become a fixed purpose. So it happened that the drifting of
-events, and the conditions attending them, pointed to the wrecking of
-somebody's hopes, which, apparently, only waited a convenient season
-for their realization.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Successful beyond his most sanguine expectations in the achievements
-which crowned his second visit to Macua, King of Tlacopan, on which
-occasion he found himself a conspicuous figure in the midst of an
-assembly of men high in authority, who only required the encouragement
-of a promise of success to make them the determined allies of Tezcuco
-in a war with Maxtla, Euetzin's first impulse was to go immediately and
-communicate the good news to the prince; but, after calmly weighing the
-matter, changed his mind, and proceeded first to arrange for the
-massing and equipping of the secret councils of Tezcuco preparatory to
-their joining the allied army. When this work was about completed he
-left the chiefs of councils to finish it, and, with Cacami and a strong
-guard of Tlacopan soldiers, set out with a view to escorting Hualcoyotl
-in from the mountains. At the same time he carried an urgent request
-from Macua, the King, for the prince to repair to his palace, to remain
-the guest of his majesty until the beginning of hostilities, when he
-could take his proper position at the head of the army.
-
-On arriving in the vicinity of Tezcot's, a suitable spot was found for
-an encampment, and the soldiers were left to occupy it, while the tzin
-and his companion went on to the hunter's alone.
-
-The friends arrived at the mountaineer's house in the afternoon, and,
-as luck would have it, found the hunter at home. They were received in
-a very friendly manner by the family, and made to feel that they were
-most welcome. Mitla was not so demonstrative as the others, but not
-less happy that such was the case. She could suppress all outward
-exhibition of her feelings, but could not obscure the passionate light
-which shone from her dark eyes as they rested on him whom she loved to
-the verge of idolatry. Euetzin saw the expression of gladness, intense
-in its fervidness, which greeted him, and, while Cacami occupied the
-attention of the rest of the family, found opportunity to say:
-
-"I read my welcome in your eyes, Mitla, which are wonderfully bright
-to-day, and full of gladness. Their language is better than words, for
-words are sometimes deceptive."
-
-"My eyes would always betray my feelings, yet I do not care now, for I
-would have you know how truly glad I am that you are here," she
-replied, the expression of pleasure deepening, if possible, in its
-intensity.
-
-"I am glad if I bring you pleasure. It is worth a longer journey than
-we have made to see you looking so happy," he returned.
-
-"I wish that words were not sometimes deceptive," she replied, putting
-a marked stress on the expression which she borrowed from him, "then
-would I, indeed, be happy at hearing you say that."
-
-"You do not doubt my sincerity, Mitla?" he questioned, slightly
-confused at having his own words applied to himself.
-
-"No, I do not doubt your sincerity; at least, not your desire to be
-so--that would be ungenerous; yet I can not help feeling that your
-desire to give me pleasure causes you to say what your mind, not your
-heart, suggests." This was said, accompanied by an appealing look which
-the tzin could not fail to observe. He said, feelingly:
-
-"I am very, very sorry that you feel so, for nothing that I can say
-will make you feel differently." These words were true, and yet not
-true. Doubting, as he did, the character of the sentiment which her
-presence ever inspired, honor still forbade the utterance of the
-declaration which would have made them untrue, yet the declaration
-might have been consistently made. It was doubt alone, then, which made
-them true.
-
-"I am sure you speak truly, and that you will be generous in your
-thoughts, forgiving a feeling in me which is beyond my control," she
-said, giving him a look at once tristful and yearning.
-
-"I shall not try to controvert your feelings, for they may be just," he
-answered, kindly. "But, Mitla, I must be about my business. Our stay
-must be very short on the mountains; the time allowed us for coming and
-returning will not admit of an hour's extension. However, I will try to
-find a little time in which to talk with you before we go away." Her
-answer to this was an approving smile; and the tzin turned to Tezcot
-and informed him as to the object of their mission, and the necessity
-of its hasty accomplishment. The hunter was quick to appreciate the
-situation, and immediately set about getting ready to accompany them to
-the hermit's cave.
-
-Passing over the explanations which followed the party's arrival at the
-cavern, and the arrangements which led up to the situation as we left
-it at Tlacopan, except to say that Euetzin and Cacami learned with
-astonishment and pleasure the true character of the hermit, and
-rejoiced with Hualcoyotl in view of the prospective restoration to
-Tezcuco of her great general.
-
-All saw the importance of Ix's presence, and as well that of the
-prince, at Tlacopan, and not a moment was lost in getting ready to
-leave the hermitage.
-
-Ix was loth to part from his friend Tezcot, who had done him uncounted
-acts of kindness, and relieved many of his lonely hours with his
-presence. He conceived the idea of forming a bodyguard for himself, and
-proposed that his friend should be made its chief. The project was
-warmly seconded by the prince and tzin, and pressed so earnestly by
-all, that the hunter finally yielded, with the proviso, however, that
-his friends, the mountaineers, should be asked to form the guard. This
-was agreed to, which resulted in the acquiescence of the hunters, and
-their appearance with the army, as we have seen.
-
-The friends left the hermitage with varied emotions, which we will not
-try to interpret. They went slowly down the side of the mountain into
-the long ravine, thence out upon a more cheerful lay of the ground,
-where they found the walking more to their liking. They were in no
-hurry to reach the hunter's home; for darkness, they decided, should
-cover their entrance to it.
-
-A half hour after the arrival of the party at Tezcot's found Cacami on
-his way to the camp of the soldiers to inform them of the intended
-early departure for the valley on the morrow; and also to make a detail
-of men to be at the hunter's at an early hour in the morning, to bear
-the palanquin in which the hermit was to make the journey. At the same
-time Euetzin and Mitla were out for a quiet talk. They were just
-approaching the little knoll where their last meeting occurred some
-weeks before, and he was saying:
-
-"This spot would presently become memorable to us if our meetings on it
-should be continued."
-
-"Yes, and you might add, for me, at least, not less endeared than
-memorable," she replied.
-
-"I shall take pleasure in looking back to it, be assured, Mitla, and
-will try to imagine that I see you seated upon it in quiet happiness,"
-he said, as they were sitting down. "And I am going to ask that you
-will permit your thoughts to occasionally dwell upon this hour, and
-that other; for, Mitla, I wish to be remembered."
-
-"Can it be, tzin Euet, that you deem it possible for me to forget you,
-though a cycle in years were added to my natural life? How little do
-you understand the heart of woman, especially mine, so full of undying
-gratitude," returned the stricken maiden, her voice suddenly subsiding
-in a hush of sadness; for his words told her that the door of his heart
-was still shut against her.
-
-"You say truly, Mitla; I am, indeed, incapable of understanding the
-heart of woman, or I would not be continually saying things which
-should be left unsaid. I know very well that for either of us to forget
-is an impossibility; for, to do so, it would be necessary to forget an
-incident, the terrible circumstances of which are indelibly fixed upon
-each of our memories. You must forgive my blundering, and believe me
-truly regretful, Mitla, that I am so thoughtless of speech," said he,
-contritely.
-
-"There is nothing to forgive. I am foolishly sensitive, that is all,"
-she answered, with a sigh. "Forget it."
-
-"No, Mitla, I shall not forget it," he replied, "but will only let it
-pass, to be a reminder, in the future, that I must guard my tongue."
-
-"As you please, but, pray, do not allow it to annoy you," she returned,
-with an effort at cheerfulness.
-
-Seeing the effort, and thinking to encourage it, the tzin said:
-
-"Now you appear more like yourself--more like the Mitla I first knew.
-Cheerfulness is natural to you, and you should continually court its
-presence, for its absence leaves you a loser."
-
-"I am sorry if it does, for I fear it has forever gone from me," she
-answered, falling into the same sad vein again.
-
-"I can tell you, Mitla, what will restore your cheerfulness," suddenly
-spoke the tzin, as if a happy thought had just then come to him, which
-caused her to look up expectantly. "Come with your father to Tlacopan,
-and shoot for the archers' prize, which the king has offered."
-
-"On what occasion is the prize to be awarded? I am not informed," she
-questioned.
-
-"That is true; you could hardly have heard it. There is to be a great
-tournament soon, at Tlacopan, in which women will contest with bow and
-arrow for a beautiful prize. Your father and others are going, and you
-can come with them. It will do you good to be there and become
-interested in the contest."
-
-"It would be very foolish of me to think of winning a prize in a
-contest with archers who have had experience in the arena," she
-replied, dubiously.
-
-"I do not think so. Your arrow is as true as any that will be there on
-that day. Your success would depend on the deliberation with which your
-shooting is done. If you are able to compose yourself, under such
-circumstances, I think you could win the prize," he said, persuasively.
-
-"Would it please you to have me go and shoot for the prize?" she asked,
-artlessly.
-
-"It would, indeed, please me, Mitla; and I am sure your chances for
-winning it are as good as the best," he replied, with a sincerity
-equaling her simplicity. His answer decided the matter in her mind, for
-to please, and, at the same time, be near him, she would have done
-anything in reason. She said, by way of acquiescence:
-
-"If my father will not object, I will go, if only in obedience to your
-wish."
-
-"I am grateful for your consideration of my wishes, Mitla, and shall
-hold it an honor to have been instrumental in bringing into the arena
-an archer who, I am certain, will do credit to herself and her friends.
-I will obtain your father's consent; so you may consider it settled
-that I shall have the pleasure of seeing you shoot at the tourney."
-
-She answered smilingly, and with evident satisfaction:
-
-"I hope you will not be disappointed in your debutante."
-
-"I am sure I shall not be, even should she fail to win," he rejoined,
-pleased at the happy change the idea had produced in her.
-
-After some little time spent in explanations and talk about the
-tournament they were interrupted by Cacami coming along, on his return
-from the soldiers' camp. They joined him, and together went into the
-house.
-
-The next morning found the hunter's house a scene of lively
-preparations for the departure of the tzin and his party. A rude
-palanquin had been hastily constructed in which to transport the
-hermit, who was not considered equal to the accomplishment of the
-journey on foot. Hualcoyotl had been furnished by the tzin with a
-Tlacopan warrior's outfit, which would secure him from detection.
-
-The soldiers who had been detailed to bear the palanquin were early on
-the ground, and everything was in readiness for moving.
-
-Mitla was sadly disappointed in the result of her meeting with the
-tzin; there appeared to be no cause for hope in a requital of her great
-love by a return of his. When the moment came for parting she would
-have slipped away to hide the signs of her despair, which she felt must
-be apparent; but the tzin prevented it by insisting on her going a
-short distance with him. So it happened, when the cortege moved away
-from the house, she was walking at his side; while Oxie, vivacious and
-happy, walked and talked with the prince.
-
-The opportunity for the development of Oxie's suddenly acquired
-admiration for Hualcoyotl into a stronger sentiment had not been
-afforded, as in the case of Mitla for Euetzin; she was, therefore,
-under no restraint, though in that peculiar mental condition which
-would have required but little encouragement to arouse a passionate
-sentiment which was only slumbering, and not profoundly either.
-
-The tzin had secured the hunter's promise that Mitla should accompany
-friends to Tlacopan, to be present at the tourney and contest for the
-king's prize. On learning this she became quite cheerful, in view of
-the fact that she would soon see him again, and the parting, as a
-consequence, had comparatively little of sadness in it for her.
-
-Good-byes were said, and the hunter and his daughters returned to their
-home, feeling that sense of loneliness which ever follows the breaking
-up of associations that have become dear to the heart.
-
-The prince bade adieu to the mountains, in the fastnesses of which he
-had suffered so much, with no feelings of regret. Ix had learned to
-love the solitude of his hermitage, and, while rejoicing in the
-prospect of being restored to his people and country, felt a tinge of
-sadness as he cast his eyes for the last time toward the mountain which
-had given him security for eight long years.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXX.
-
-
-The battles of the Anahuacans were not fought on scientific principles.
-They had no conception of even the ordinary maneuvers of an army. What
-they did was done by main force and strategem. Their tactics were the
-result of untutored cunning, rather than intelligent design. To be
-sure, their armies were organized--as has been previously
-described--and, with their gaudy and glittering war paraphernalia of
-gorgeously decorated banners, bright shields, helmets, and cuirasses,
-presented a sight truly magnificent--according to the story of writers
-contemporaneous with the conquerors--as they moved forward in "so
-admirable order." They usually aimed to overwhelm an adversary,
-especially if the strength of numbers was on their side. They advanced
-amid the noises of rude drums, trumpets, and other instruments, singing
-their war songs, and vociferating their war cries, which was, no doubt,
-a kind of whistle-to-keep-up-your-courage proceeding. When on the
-defensive they resorted to cunningly devised ambuscades and other
-sudden surprises. They also practiced that peculiar manner of fighting
-common with savages, known as guerilla warfare, in which men have
-stooped to engage, in this nineteenth century, who claimed to be
-civilized.
-
-Ixtlilchoatl's plans for meeting his adversary had been decided upon.
-He purposed standing on the defensive, and, if Maxtla was not informed
-as to the make-up of his army, felt that he could defeat him. He
-accordingly, at their request, placed three grand divisions--those of
-Tlacopan and the other two allies--in front to meet the onslaught of
-the enemy, while two divisions of Tezcucans were conveniently located
-to support them. The right of his line was made especially strong, in
-accordance with his plan of defense. The sixth grand division, the
-flower of the Tezcucan councils, was situated some distance to the
-left, and ordered to remain in concealment behind a strip of woods
-until the engagement was fairly opened, when it was to advance quickly
-and attack the enemy from that direction. Thus disposed, the army
-awaited the assault of the foe.
-
-The Tepanec army was splendidly caparisoned and equipped, and, as it
-marched across the country with its gorgeous banners flapping in the
-breeze, and the glittering armor and other belongings of its warriors
-scintillating in the sun's refulgent rays, left behind it the
-impression that it was an invincible force. The people, whose hearts
-beat in sympathy with those who were to oppose the mighty aggregation,
-despaired of its defeat as they looked upon its dazzling splendor. It
-was clearly the stronger of the two opposing belligerents in equipment
-if not in numbers, and yet, the difference was more than equalized by
-the spirit of determination, which inspired the hearts of its
-opponents, especially the Tezcucans, who had witnessed their country
-wasting under the hand of oppression, their homes made desolate by
-poverty and distress, and their people gradually sinking into a
-condition of ignorance and degradation, while, in the advancing hosts
-of Maxtla they recognized the power which had wrought these
-disheartening deteriorations. Was it not enough to make each Tezcucan
-arm a nemesis in itself, when the sufferer and the author of his
-suffering stood face to face, on equal footing?
-
-Some of the allied armies were as gaudily, if not so richly, accoutered
-as their adversary. The Tezcucans, however, although well armed, were
-indifferently dressed, and remarkably free from tinseled decoration,
-except in a few instances among the chiefs.
-
-Maxtla, on learning that his enemies were in the field, determined to
-attack them at once, as delay would give them time to strengthen and
-perfect their organization, in which he was, to a certain extent,
-correct; for recruits and reinforcements from various points were
-hourly arriving to swell the allied army.
-
-He was not aware of the deliberate manner in which the rising had been
-brought about, and expected to meet in the Tezcucan insurgents only a
-mob of undisciplined rebels. He had yet to learn how perfectly they
-were organized, and that Ixtlilchoatl was in command.
-
-On came the imperial hosts, intent upon crushing the insurrectionists
-and their allies at a single blow. Ixtlilchoatl's advance sentinels
-were forced back upon the main body of his warriors, and, with hideous
-yells and a multiplicity of deafening noises, the minions of Maxtla
-swooped down upon the waiting confederates.
-
-A perfect silence held the expectant lines of the patriotic allies. The
-showers of arrows and other missiles which fell about and on them moved
-them not. When the moment for action came, a shout of defiance went up
-from them, and the confident hosts of the enemy were given a reception
-they were not looking for. The javelin was used with telling effect,
-and the advancing lines of Maxtla's vassals were shaken from right to
-left, and the force of his onslaught broken. For a moment the attacking
-warriors were checked, and appeared to waver; but, quickly recovering,
-renewed the assault, and it now became a matter of force in numbers. In
-this Maxtla had the advantage, and Ix's left was forced back, as it was
-expected it would be. His right, however, being well supported, held
-the first advantage gained, and pressed the enemy hard. The left
-continued to fall back slowly, though contesting every inch of ground.
-This encouraged the Tepanec leaders, and they poured their reserve
-forces onto this point, thinking to crush the slowly retreating
-divisions. To an eye witness the situation at this moment would have
-looked very unfavorable for Ixtlilchoatl and his prince, if not
-absolutely critical. But now was the time for the sixth grand division
-of Tezcucans to strike where a stroke was least expected. Its commander
-was prompt to take advantage of the opportunity, and out from the thick
-woods poured a host of vengeful warriors, with Tezcuco's prince at
-their head. The battle-cry of "Hualcoyotl and Victory" struck upon the
-ear of the enemy like a knell, as they fell upon the rear of his right
-like an avalanche of destruction. The retreating left took up the cry
-and leaped forward with a will; the middle, or center, Macua's splendid
-division of Tlacopans, reechoed it, and it soon reached the right, the
-warriors of which sent back an inspiring shout, and from it gathered
-renewed strength for the conflict, which now became one of fierceness
-and desperation.
-
-Many were the heroic deeds enacted in that hour of terrible and
-sanguinary strife.
-
-While the battle is raging, let us turn briefly to those in whom we are
-specially interested.
-
-Hualcoyotl, as we have seen, led the grand division of Tezcucans from
-its concealed position to the sudden attack upon the rear of Maxtla's
-right. Cacami was at his side, and with his sword, along with that of
-the prince, dealt death to the now inwalled warriors of the enemy. Such
-an exhibition of fearlessness as these two young leaders showed, and
-the severe punishment they inflicted on the foe with their heavy
-swords, was an example which could not fail to stir their followers to
-deeds of savage daring. The enemy in their front became confused and
-demoralized by the impetuosity with which they fought, and from which
-confusion they were not allowed to recover, but were forced back upon
-their own men, carrying demoralization with them. More than once the
-life of the prince was saved by Cacami's strong arm, which seemed to
-wield with magic power the heavy maquahuitl in his hand.
-
-Tzin Euet, who was at the head of the Tezcucans supporting the right,
-was quickly drawn into the fight when the shock of the first assault
-came. He led his warriors gallantly into the fray, and by his intrepid
-conduct nerved their hands for the conflict. In the midst of the
-hottest and decisive tug of the strife he suddenly disappeared, and
-when the great struggle ended could not be found.
-
-Ixtlilchoatl remained calmly in his chair, watching from a position of
-eminence the progress of the mighty struggle in front of him. So long
-as the fighting went on in accordance with his plans he saw no reason
-for disturbing his chiefs by interfering. However, when he saw that
-Maxtla had fallen into his trap, messengers were hurriedly sent with
-orders to the leaders to meet the situation, and, as the battle waged,
-he saw that he would win. His guard of mountaineers, with Tezcot at
-their head, stood ready to strike for Ix, the hermit, as they still
-regarded him, should necessity require it.
-
-Macua, with his grand division of Tlacopans, was doing good work in the
-front and center. In the closing scenes of the engagement his warriors
-gathered in a host of prisoners.
-
-Everything was now in the allies' favor. Half of Maxtla's forces were
-surrounded, and the other half was being hard pressed by as determined
-a body of warriors as ever threw a javelin or swung a _maquahuitl_. The
-Tepanec tyrant saw that the battle was going against him, and his
-efforts were at once directed toward extricating his army from its
-precarious position. The signal to retreat was sounded, and the
-surrounded warriors, with the force of desperation, fought their way
-through the human wall which encircled them, and joined the main body,
-which began to slowly fall back.
-
-It was late in the afternoon when the Tepanec army commenced its
-retrograde movement. The victorious allies followed up their advantage
-so long as it was possible, fighting and harrassing their retreating
-foe. Darkness finally came on, which put a stop to the strife.
-
-It was not so much an object to kill, with the Anahuacans, ordinarily,
-as it was to capture.
-
-Prisoners of war were reserved for sacrifice to the gods; and in order
-that greater numbers might be secured, incentives were held out to the
-soldiers to encourage the taking of them. They did not engage in the
-barbarous practice of scalping a fallen foe, but made a warrior's
-standing and promotion depend on the number of prisoners taken by him
-in battle, and any violation of his rights, by depriving him of his due
-as a captor, was severely punished--in extreme cases by death. For this
-reason their battles were attended with comparatively little loss of
-life.
-
-The losses of the allies were mostly in prisoners, the number of their
-killed being quite small. Maxtla's losses, on the contrary, were
-chiefly in killed, for the reason that the Tezcucans, on this occasion,
-fought a fight of extermination. At least one fifth of the defeated
-army was left in the hands of the victors.
-
-The victorious allies bivouacked for the night on the field of battle.
-The wounded were cared for and the dead disposed of, while the
-prisoners were put under a strong guard and sent to the rear.
-
-When order was brought out of confusion, and the missing warriors
-reported, Euetzin was found to be among them. This was a heavy blow to
-the prince and Ixtlilchoatl; for, of all the army, he was the man whom
-they would have had join them in rejoicing over their victory. His
-ominous absence robbed it of much of the joy their triumph would
-otherwise have brought them. They knew only too well the doom that
-awaited him if in Maxtla's hands; if not liberated, his fate was
-sealed.
-
-A council of war was held; and, as the tzin stood high in the esteem of
-all the princes, it was decided to push Maxtla to the wall, and, if
-possible, save the young cacique from the terrible fate of a prisoner
-of war. Ixtlilchoatl accordingly issued orders for the army to march at
-dawn the next morning, for the purpose of again engaging the enemy in
-battle.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXI.
-
-
-Tzin Euet was a prisoner, and very severely wounded. Eagerness to
-engage the enemy, and the impetuosity with which he led his warriors to
-the support of the allies, brought him, quickly, into the thickest of
-the fray. He fought as men only fight who realize the importance of a
-complete victory, which, in this instance, depended on the tenacity of
-the right wing of the army in holding the foe in check and calling for
-the engagement of his whole force by pressing him vigorously, which was
-according to Ixtlilchoatl's plan of defense, and of which Euetzin was
-fully advised.
-
-When the Tezcucan battle-cry was heard coming from the sixth grand
-division as it fell upon the enemy's right flank, and was carried from
-left to right by the sister organizations, a fresh impetus was given to
-the momentum of the whole repelling army, and the battle, if possible,
-grew more fierce and sanguinary. In the struggle which ensued the tzin
-was carried into the very midst of the seething mass of human tigers,
-where he became separated from his men. When too late to extricate
-himself, he discovered, to his dismay, that he was surrounded by
-Tepanec warriors, who, seeing in him an important capture, struck him
-down with the javelin, and bore him, a bleeding prisoner, from the
-field.
-
-In the retreat of the defeated army the prisoners were placed in the
-van--the severely wounded borne on stretchers. Euetzin was among the
-latter, feeling very much discouraged in view of his almost helpless
-condition, though glad of heart for the splendid victory his people had
-won.
-
-Soon after darkness came on, Maxtla called a halt and his shattered
-forces went into camp. In the arrangement of the bivouac the wounded
-were placed apart from the regular organizations, and put in charge of
-surgeons, with which the armies were well supplied, and of whom the
-historian has said, in commendation: "Not with a view to prolonging the
-ill to extend the bill," as might be said of some modern practitioners,
-"was their skill directed, but to a speedy restoration of the patient
-to health."
-
-Such a thing as a night attack was never considered by the Anahuacans
-in carrying on a war, and, so long as darkness covered the earth, an
-army of warriors could go to sleep with the assurance that they would
-not be disturbed by the enemy. A guard, therefore, was not established
-anywhere in Maxtla's army, except about the prisoners. This left the
-wounded almost free from surveillance.
-
-Soon after the Tepanec forces went into camp a lad, apparently about
-fourteen or fifteen years of age, and rather stoutly built, might have
-been seen moving about among the soldiers. His dress was somewhat odd,
-indicating no particular connection or occupation. When asked as to who
-he was and where he lived, he answered, evasively, that he lived over
-near the lake, which was not a league away. He did not appear to be a
-person who might be suspected of having a special object in being
-there, and require watching. He was, therefore, permitted to move about
-of his own free will.
-
-During the evening the youngster found opportunity to go among the
-wounded. He appeared to be searching for someone, for he scrutinized
-each person closely, as he passed. When he came to the tzin, and got a
-good look at him, his countenance quickly brightened--he had discovered
-the object of his search. Gaining Euetzin's attention, he gave him a
-sign of caution, and moved carelessly on.
-
-The tzin recognized in the strange visitor a lad he had seen on several
-occasions, in the last few days before the battle, apparently doing
-duty as a messenger for someone in the allied army, and wondered
-greatly at his being in the Tepanec camp. He was sure from the boy's
-actions that he had something to communicate, and kept on the lookout
-for his return. He came, sure enough, and unconcernedly approached the
-tzin, who said:
-
-"Do you wish to speak to me?"
-
-In response to the inquiry the lad came quite close, and whispered:
-
-"When the fires have burned out, and darkness hides you, come to a tree
-just beyond the camp--almost to the west--where you will find help to
-escape. Do not hesitate." Without waiting for a reply the strange youth
-turned slowly away, and disappeared.
-
-Euetzin was greatly astonished. "What interest can the boy have in me,
-that he is here to aid in my escape?" he questioned. "And yet," he
-pursued, "he may be the agent of another. If I only might," he
-concluded, realizing his seemingly helpless condition. He had quite a
-little while in which to think over the matter before the fires would
-burn sufficiently low to enable him to withdraw from the camp unseen.
-He doubted his ability to succeed, for he was feeling very sore. His
-wound was a serious one, and that he might try to get away was not
-thought of by the doctors. He knew that it would be endangering his
-life to make the attempt, but when he considered that death was ahead
-of him if he remained a prisoner, he concluded that it had better be
-met in an effort to escape than at the hands of the Tepanec priests,
-later. Thus persuaded, he decided to take the risk.
-
-When the time arrived at which he thought he might safely attempt to go
-he raised himself to a sitting posture, and looked about him to be
-assured that everything was favorable. Nothing could be seen or heard
-to deter him from starting at once, and quietly rolling from the
-stretcher onto his hands and knees, he crawled slowly and noiselessly
-from among the wounded warriors, careless as to whether they were
-sleeping or not, so long as his movements were not discovered. He
-almost forgot his suffering in the excitement he experienced from the
-hope of a possible escape, which grew stronger as, by degrees, he
-approached the limits of the camp. After getting safely beyond he
-attempted to rise to his feet, but found the exertion too painful to be
-endured, and sank back upon the ground, where he lay until the pain
-subsided, when he again started off, crawling. He had pursued, as
-nearly as he could estimate, a westerly course from the camp, and when
-he had gone a short distance farther from it, stopped to look for the
-tree alluded to by the boy. He discovered one off to his right, which
-he concluded must be the right one, and again resumed his slow and
-painful movement in its direction. It proved to be the tree referred
-to, for, on coming close to it, he was discovered by the lad, who was
-on the watch for him, and seemed highly delighted at his appearance.
-
-"I am so glad!" he exclaimed, "for I feared you would not come."
-
-"What is it to you, boy, whether I come or stay?" asked the tzin,
-abruptly.
-
-"It is much to me, which I hope you will live to learn. But now, tzin
-Euet, let it be enough for you to know that I am here to help you,"
-returned the lad in some confusion, caused by tzin's abruptness.
-
-"But I would like to know who you are, that takes so much interest in
-my welfare."
-
-"My name is Hualla, tzin--just Hualla, but you must not question me.
-Time is precious to us, and we must hasten. In yonder woods, toward the
-lake, we may find security. When we are there you shall know where I
-came from."
-
-"I already know where you came from, for I have seen you in our army;
-but I would know more: I would know why you are interested in me,"
-persisted the tzin.
-
-"We are losing time; let us be off," returned the youth, evasively, and
-with increasing anxiety.
-
-"Is there no one with you?" questioned the tzin.
-
-"No one; I am alone."
-
-"My young friend, I can not walk; how then, do you imagine, am I going
-to reach those woods without assistance?" Spoken in a tone of
-disappointment.
-
-"I will assist you. I am strong, if not very large," was the confident
-reply.
-
-"You are very good, Hualla, in being so willing and anxious to help me,
-but I fear you will not be equal to the demands which my crippled
-condition will require in an effort to gain the cover of yon woods."
-
-"You will let me try, tzin; I may be stronger than you think," said the
-lad, taking hold of Euetzin's arm to assist him to rise.
-
-"Yes, you may try. Until you have done so, we will not despair; our
-combined efforts may prove successful," said Euetzin, getting onto his
-feet, with the assistance of the youth.
-
-"Now lean on me," said Hualla, putting his arm around the tzin's body.
-"In this way I think we can get on."
-
-A heroic effort was now made by both to get away from the vicinity of
-Maxtla's camp. The tzin suffered intensely at every step, and his face,
-could it have been seen, would have shown a deathly pallor. While the
-effort continued he found it necessary to gradually lean more heavily
-upon his support, until the youth, from sheer inability to proceed
-farther, allowed his burden to sink to the ground.
-
-They had covered in the effort quite a little distance, and the lad,
-though considerably exhausted, was encouraged. But just here a new
-complication entered into the situation: the bandages which confined
-the tzin's wound had become disarranged by his exertions, and
-hemorrhage ensued. There was no alternative in the matter: they must
-stop and rearrange the disordered bandages.
-
-Stretching himself on the ground, the tzin gave directions to Hualla as
-to how he should proceed, and the bleeding was checked. In performing
-the operation, no woman's fingers ever worked more gently than did
-Hualla's.
-
-The tzin once more endeavored to rise to his feet, but failed in the
-attempt because of the extreme pain it caused him.
-
-"I can go no farther, Hualla," he said, in deep distress.
-
-The lad appeared to be greatly affected by the failure, as Euetzin
-could discern, even in the darkness. He walked away a few steps, as if
-to hide his emotion. Returning presently, he said, in an excited tone
-of voice:
-
-"Tzin Euet, you must escape. Macua, my master, and Hualcoyotl--yes,
-Ixtlilchoatl, too, would have it so. I will carry you."
-
-Euetzin was astonished at the vehemence in the youth's actions, and
-also at his allusion to Ix and the two princes. He quickly inquired:
-
-"Are you a servant to Macua, and here at his bidding?"
-
-"Yes, I am a servant to Macua, but he knows nothing of my being here. I
-heard the voice of sorrow when it was discovered that you were missing,
-and in that moment resolved to save you, if it could be done," replied
-the youth, fervidly.
-
-"You are a noble lad, Hualla, and should I escape to live, your conduct
-shall be richly rewarded."
-
-"You must escape," repeated the youth in a voice of great earnestness.
-"Get upon my back, and I will bear you to the woods."
-
-"I do not think you have the strength, Hualla, to do that; and if you
-had, it would be too much to expect of you."
-
-"Yes, it would be much to expect of me, if it were not a case of life
-and death. That makes the difference, tzin, and you must allow me to
-make the attempt."
-
-Euetzin was silent for a moment, and then said:
-
-"Hualla, I think we will have to give your proposition a trial, as it
-appears to be our only hope, though a slight one, of reaching those
-woods."
-
-The tzin was not a small man, nor was he large, but, nevertheless, a
-heavy load for such a person as Hualla to carry for any considerable
-distance. The feat was undertaken with some degree of success; and as
-the tzin was borne along on the back of the youth a tinge of shame
-might have been seen to redden his tawny brow, brought there by a
-thought of his unmanly position, and the boy's wonderful and almost
-superhuman efforts to get him into the woods.
-
-Hualla succeeded in covering more than half the distance they had to
-go, but it was a fearful draught upon his strength, and he finally had
-to succumb from complete exhaustion. He said not a word, but dropped
-upon the ground and fairly gasped for breath.
-
-Euetzin was deeply moved by the evident distress of the brave lad, who
-lay panting at his side, and for whom he could do nothing. He silently
-waited for him to recover, wondering the while if there was not some
-other incentive than that of devotion to his master back of the
-prodigious efforts he was making in his behalf.
-
-Hualla lay perfectly still for some time, when he suddenly got up and
-said:
-
-"Another effort like that, tzin, will bring us safely within the woods.
-If you are ready, I will try again."
-
-"You will not try again, Hualla," replied the tzin, firmly. "If we can
-not gain the woods in some other way I will remain where I am. You
-shall not again exhaust yourself thus for my sake."
-
-"I will do anything, tzin Euet, to secure your safety," was the lad's
-earnest rejoinder.
-
-"I believe you would, Hualla. Still, I do not intend that you shall
-hurt yourself in doing it. I can not understand why you--a
-stranger--should exert yourself to the extent you are doing to secure
-my safety. The thought of it amazes me."
-
-"Do not think of it, then, tzin. So long as I am pleased to help you,
-it should not be so very wonderful. I have my own reasons for doing it;
-let that satisfy you--until you are safe, at least."
-
-"It is wonderful, nevertheless, my lad. However, if it pleases you to
-serve me in this way, and the service is accepted--which it is, with
-unbounded gratitude--its acceptance should be without question. So,
-Hualla, I'll trouble you no more about it. If you will permit me to
-lean on you for support, we will make another effort--such as we made
-in starting out. I will try my best to endure the attendant suffering,"
-said the tzin.
-
-Hualla assisted him to his feet, and caught him about the waist,
-holding him for a moment, until he was assured of his ability to
-proceed. The pain, which the effort cost him, was great, but, shutting
-hard his teeth, and leaning heavily on the lad, who put forth his best
-efforts, the tzin slowly, but surely, reduced the distance to the
-woods, until, finally, after several successful efforts, he entered its
-sheltering confines, where the two--one bruised and sore, the other
-almost exhausted--laid themselves down to await the coming morn, which
-was not very far away.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXII.
-
-
-At the dawn of morning, the day following the one on which the great
-battle was fought, the allied armies, after being addressed by their
-respective caciques, began to advance, with a view to another
-engagement with Maxtla, for the purpose, chiefly, of securing, if
-possible, the liberation of the prisoners in his hands. The chiefs, in
-addressing their warriors, dwelt especially on the capture of tzin
-Euet, the man--as they expressed it--who had done so grand a work for
-Tezcuco and the cause of liberty, who, above all others, they felt,
-should enjoy the fruits of that work, and whose release it was hoped
-might be brought about by the further discomfiture of the enemy.
-
-Flushed with the stimulus of a great victory, and anxious to again
-measure strength with the Tepanec hosts, the warriors of the coalited
-army marched away from their bivouac with a zeal which augured well for
-them and the confusion of their adversaries, should they meet again in
-deadly conflict.
-
-The camp of the enemy was known to have been pitched on a plain
-situated on the further side of a piece of woodland which lay just
-north of the field of the recent battle. Ixtlilchoatl moved his forces
-cautiously through this piece of woods, expecting to find Maxtla
-encamped beyond, in blissful ignorance of their approach. Great was the
-surprise, then, of the eager and expectant allies, when they came out
-onto the plain, to find the enemy gone--the bird had flown, though,
-evidently, only a short time before. A rapid pursuit was immediately
-ordered, and ere long the retreating foe was overtaken and another
-great battle fought.
-
-The advantages, in point of numbers and excellence of organization,
-together with the prestige of former successes, which were on the side
-of the Tepanec army when it entered the field against the allies, had
-been swept away by a disastrous defeat, and its warriors, further
-disheartened and demoralized by a humiliating retreat, which left them
-wholly unfitted to cope with an equally numerous army, whose members
-were energized by a consciousness of right, the invigoration of
-victory, and a determination to overthrow the power which had long been
-a menace to tribal independence.
-
-The second battle was fought by the Tepanec leaders more on the line
-of self-preservation and the hope of getting off with a whole skin
-than with the expectation of doing their opponents material damage.
-A desperate conflict ensued, however, in which every inch of ground
-was stubbornly contested by them, but which, as might have been
-expected, ended in that wicked and tyrannical son of a barbarian
-despot--Maxtla--being again discomfited and forced to yield to his
-hated foe. A disastrous retreat followed, and, had not darkness come
-on to check the avenging hosts of Tezcucans, who pursued with deadly
-havoc the vanquished horde, the routed army would have been
-effectually disintegrated, if not wholly annihilated.
-
-The prisoners, with whom Euetzin was supposed to be, were not found,
-and therefore not liberated. Thus was defeated one of the chief motives
-which had led to the sudden advance of the allies.
-
-Victory was won, and with it a crown, but at what a cost to Prince
-Hualcoyotl's mind, in the contemplation of the awful fate which he now
-felt awaited his best-beloved friend. Great as was the success
-achieved, he had no heart, in that supreme hour, for exultation. He
-bowed his head in sorrow for his lost friend, and, leaving the
-management of affairs to Ixtlilchoatl and his subordinates, retired to
-a spot where he could be alone, that he might wrestle with his deep
-mental distress.
-
-Maxtla, realizing that his army was crushed beyond hope of immediate
-reconstruction, continued his flight by night, to get as far from the
-victorious allies as possible before the light of day should reveal to
-the country the crippled and demoralized condition of his army. No stop
-was made until he had passed around and beyond the city of Tezcuco into
-his own territory, where a bivouac was established, and his warriors
-given a rest. So far as it could be done, order in his shattered ranks
-was restored, and the march to his capital resumed and ended.
-
-No acclamations or demonstrations of approval greeted the return of the
-imperial army to Azcapozalco. With solemn, funereal tread it entered
-the royal city, which soon became filled with a wail of woe ascending
-from the bereaved and stricken inhabitants, who mourned for the missing
-and slain. How different was its departure!
-
-Maxtla did not despair under the greatly adverse conditions in which he
-found himself after his short and disastrous campaign, but immediately
-set about reorganizing his army, with a view to recovering his imperial
-standing. His domain embraced a thickly populated territory, and was
-not lacking in material from which to reconstruct his depleted forces.
-The outcome of it was that, in a very short time, he was better
-prepared for war than when he went forth to meet the allies.
-
-The prisoners taken in the battles by his warriors were brought safely
-through, and, as was the custom, placed in confinement to await their
-doom of sacrifice upon the altars of the Tepanec deities.
-
-Ixtlilchoatl, greatly elated over the successes which had so suddenly
-been achieved by the armies under him, and, having conceived the idea
-of giving Hualcoyotl a magnificent reception back to his own, began at
-once to get things in shape for a grand entry into Tezcuco. Then
-followed the memorable march to the city, which, we are told, was one
-continued ovation to the returning prince. "He entered his capital,"
-says the chronicler, "not like a proscribed outcast, but as the
-rightful heir to a throne, receiving, at the same time, the homage of
-his joyful subjects." His triumph was complete, but, with it all, there
-was an aching void in his heart: his enemy had escaped, and carried
-with him, as he supposed, the best of all his friends.
-
-He was back in his palace, surrounded by the men who had stood with him
-in the fierce and deadly conflicts through which he was compelled to
-pass to reach it. Ix, the warrior hermit, whose intelligence and
-sagacity had directed the army to victory; Macua and his princely
-consorts; Tezcot, the wise hunter and good friend; Cacami, now a
-warrior whose undoubted bravery and skill were conspicuously shown in
-more than one furious encounter, and which were fully appreciated by
-the prince; and Menke, Oza and Kan, and many others who have held no
-particular place in our narrative, yet worthy of it when valorous deeds
-are considered, were there engaged in celebrating, in an enthusiastic
-manner, the event of their lives--the victorious close of a remarkable
-conflict.
-
-Now, indeed, was Tezcuco free from Tepanec enthrallment, her people
-restored to their ancient privileges, and her prince brought back from
-an outlawed condition to the enjoyment of his inherited rights.
-
-The power of the military immediately supervened, but its rule was not
-oppressive, for Ix, the hermit, was not a tyrant.
-
-The greatest activity in all things suddenly became apparent. The
-king's palace quickly became a scene of rustling animation. While
-artisans were laboring to restore it to its ancient splendor, the
-prince and his attendants were busily engaged in bringing order out of
-chaos. Ah, how he missed his two best friends, Euetzin and Itzalmo, in
-that hour of incipient well-being and future greatness!
-
-The teocallis were receiving needed attention, after years of neglect
-and waste, in anticipation of the coming rites, which were to be
-celebrated in honor of the prince's coronation.
-
-The spirit of self-interest and industry, which had lain dormant in the
-hearts of the enslaved Tezcucans since the subversion of their
-government, was revived with their restoration to liberty, and activity
-prevailed where only a few days before was lethargy and inaction.
-Wonderful transformation! The people were free!
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXIII.
-
-
-We will turn once more to Zelmonco villa, on which sorrow has again
-fallen through the afflicting hand of war.
-
-It is a beautiful evening, an hour after the night-shades have swept
-away the last gleam of day. The moon's golden-hued disc is beaming
-refulgently down upon the glowing face of Anahuac. The unruffled
-foliage of shrub and tree is overcast with a silvern tinge, the
-reflection of Luna's mellow light on Nature's inimitable green, while,
-like groups of twinkling stars from afar, are seen in the distance the
-sacred fires which light up every temple's summit, and which are never
-permitted to go out. At such an hour, in which inanimate Nature,
-superbly robed and serenely smiling, wholly unresponsive to the sorrow
-which saddens her animate sister, as represented in the grief-stricken
-inmates of the villa home, we are privileged, as visitors, to stroll in
-the direction of the old oak tree, under which, in the past, the now
-mourning Itlza has found her chief pleasure in idle moments. As we
-approach the spot the first object to attract our attention is the
-flowerlike appearance of the beautiful fountain. We pause for a moment
-to view with delight the graceful turn and fall of its translucent
-waters, which resemble in the moon's soft rays a great white lily. In
-the excitement of our admiration we are led to repeat, mentally:
-
-"Into the moonlight, whiter than snow, Beautiful, flower-like,
-ceaseless thy flow. Glorious fountain----!"
-
-What sound is that which breaks in upon our reflection, scarcely louder
-than a murmur, rising in gentle undulations above the ripple of the
-fountain's flow as it falls into the effervescing pool below?
-
-"My heart is sad--very, very sad, and were it not for your safe return,
-O Cacami, desolation would, indeed, overwhelm me."
-
-It was Itlza's voice, low and sorrowful, addressing her lover, who had
-improved the first favorable moment, after the army became settled in
-Tezcuco, to visit the villa, where he found Teochma prostrated with
-grief, and Itlza very sad, though supported by the expectation of an
-early visit from him.
-
-"Despair not, O Laughing-eyes; Euetzin may yet find favor with the
-gods. He is not dead, or his body would have been found upon the battle
-field."
-
-"It were better, Cacami, if he were dead; for, oh, what a fate awaits
-him, if he is a prisoner!" she replied, sorrowfully.
-
-"Let us not think of that, but rather hope against such a fate, and for
-a little while rejoice that we are once more brought together."
-
-"I do rejoice, Cacami, in your preservation, and that I have you with
-me again; but how can I forget, for one moment, my poor, unfortunate
-brother?"
-
-"Do not forget him, Laughing-eyes, but be cheered by the hope that he
-is not lost."
-
-"I will try, and you will help me by recounting of yourself. How do you
-rank in this hour of our people's triumph?" she questioned, with a
-supreme effort at rallying from her dejection.
-
-"I have no particular rank as yet, Laughing-eyes, more than that of one
-of the prince's chief attendants. I stood with him through both
-battles, and we have come to be very good friends."
-
-"I see that you have been decorated, but do not know the significance
-of the badges you wear. Tell me about them, Cacami."
-
-"This decoration," he said, directing her attention to a beautifully
-constructed and highly ornamental badge, "was awarded me by Hualcoyotl
-for doing my duty--he called it valorous conduct in battle. I prize it
-above all else, for it tells me I am no longer unworthy of your love."
-Looking up at her fondly.
-
-"Who but yourself ever thought you unworthy?" she quickly answered.
-
-"It was enough that I should think so, Laughing-eyes, without
-consulting the thoughts of others."
-
-"Well, I'm glad you have changed your mind, at any rate," she rejoined,
-in quite a happy vein. "But this other one, Cacami, what deed of
-bravery brought you that?" she continued, lifting from his breast a
-superbly finished medal.
-
-"No deed of bravery brought me that, Itlza. It was won by skill; and is
-the price of a man's life."
-
-"O, why did you tell me that?" interrupted she, dropping the blood
-bought bauble.
-
-"Wait, Laughing-eyes, until you have heard the story; then you will not
-think so badly of it," he replied, in answer to her repellantly
-ejaculated question. "It was given me by Macua, king of Tlacopan, at
-the great tourney in token of his appreciation of my skill in throwing
-the javelin. I was not a contestant, but, notwithstanding, had occasion
-to use my weapon. It happened in this wise: In a bout between lancers a
-Tepanec warrior was bent on murdering his opponent after he had struck
-him down. When I saw his purpose I sprang to the defense of the fallen
-man, killing the would-be assassin with my javelin before he
-accomplished the foul deed. And know, O Laughing-eyes, the defeated
-lancer was a Tezcucan. Can you blame me for doing what the people
-applauded, and Macua rewarded?"
-
-"No, Cacami, I can not blame you. I should have judged you better. The
-badge becomes you; wear it where Macua placed it, but only as his gift,
-forgetting it was won at such a cost."
-
-"I felt sure you would not blame me for defending a fallen countryman,
-even at the cost of a foeman's life. He was a foeman, Laughing-eyes, a
-foeman of Tezcuco's, or why his bitter hatred for the warrior whom he
-had fairly defeated?"
-
-"Yes, it must have been hatred that lead him on to his death; but,
-Cacami, such scenes are best forgotten; let us talk of something else."
-
-"Shall we talk of love, then, Laughing-eyes?"
-
-"Better that than of scenes of blood. Yes, let us talk of love. What of
-the troth, O Cacami, which was left unpledged until you, with your
-sword, should win honor and fame? Are you not a decorated warrior now?"
-
-"Yes, Laughing-eyes, I am; but is it well to talk of pledges now? Had
-we not better wait? I am not less desirous than yourself to seal our
-love with the sacred kiss of troth; but, Itlza, your brother, the best
-friend I ever had, may yet be saved; and, should he be, I want him to
-know, and Teochma, your mother, too, before our pledge is sealed. Our
-love will keep, as it has in the past. Who knows, but ourselves, that
-we are lovers? And, since this is so, who may come between us?"
-
-Ah, Cacami! if you had only known what lay beyond, we think you would
-hardly have plead for delay, though in doing so you showed an honorable
-disposition.
-
-"Who, indeed, may come between us?" returned Itlza, in a spirit of
-concession. "It were honorable in you, Cacami, to be considerate of my
-mother and brother's pleasure in the matter of our troth. I should not
-be the one to urge it against your reason, nor will I. No; as you say,
-our love will keep."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-While Cacami and Itlza, secure in their own minds as to a final and
-happy consummation of their dreams, were felicitous--though sad--in
-each other's society, Hualcoyotl sat alone in his palace apartments
-laying plans, which, if successfully carried out, would bring about
-their separation, and the frustration of their cherished hopes. And
-yet, he was ignorant of the fact that two lives were to be made
-unspeakably wretched by the course he was planning to pursue. He loved
-Itlza, but never stopped to think that she might love another; and,
-possibly, did not consider such a contingency of sufficient importance
-to require a serious thought; for was he not soon to be made a king,
-whose will would be law, even in the choice of a wife? His affection
-for his lost friend, and the sympathy he felt for the bereaved mother
-and sister awakened in his already predisposed mind thoughts of an
-immediate union with the latter, and he planned accordingly.
-
-It was the custom of the ruling princes of the Anahuac, when a queen
-was to be chosen, to have the intended royal consort brought to the
-palace of the prospective royal groom, to receive such instructions as
-would fit her for the high position she would be called to fill. With
-this end in view, the prince decided that Itlza, with her mother as a
-chaperon, should be transferred to his palace at once. He was not yet a
-king, and had no authority to issue a command. What he did at this time
-was necessarily done by courtesy. When the power to command should be
-placed in his hands he would be less persuasive; before, however, his
-ends would have to be reached by the milder methods. The mother was
-accordingly apprised of his wishes, and asked to give them her
-immediate and favorable consideration.
-
-Teochma was not aware, as the reader knows, that matters had gone so
-far with Itlza and Cacami as to reach an avowal of their attachment for
-each other; although she felt they were more devoted than they should
-be, since in her mother-heart had been fostered a hope that Itlza might
-yet fill the exalted position of Queen of Tezcuco. Attributing the
-prince's proposal to the right motive, she saw in it the possible
-consummation of her aspirations, and would not have been human had she
-not experienced a certain degree of elation at the prospect. She
-acceded to the proposition, and looked forward to her temporary
-establishment in the palace as but the entrance to her future exalted
-position of mother to the queen.
-
-The ready acquiescence of Teochma to his wishes was very gratifying to
-the prince, and preparations for receiving his intended at the palace
-immediately followed.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXIV.
-
-
-After reaching the woods, and fixing himself as comfortably as he
-could, the tzin tried to get some sleep, but could not succeed in
-wooing to himself the coveted forgetfulness. The signs in his condition
-were not at all favorable; he was feverish, and his wound quite
-painful. Hualla showed much concern, and, when it grew light enough to
-see, insisted on being permitted to redress his wound. The tzin was not
-disposed to allow him to undertake it, fearing he would do him more
-harm than good, but, growing rapidly more distressed and restless,
-finally yielded, and the lad proceeded with the dressing. Euetzin was
-agreeably surprised at the handy manner in which it was done. The
-relief to him, which followed, was so marked, and the result so
-soothing, that he quickly dropped off to sleep. When Hualla saw that he
-slept, he laid himself on the ground near by, and was soon sleeping
-soundly, from a head to foot weariness.
-
-The sun was well up toward the zenith when the lad awoke. He arose and
-approached the sleeping tzin, who appeared to be suffering even while
-slumbering. His breathing was heavy, and accompanied by a sound very
-much like a moan. After looking at him searchingly for a moment, the
-youth turned away with an anxious expression on his face, and went to
-the border of the woods to ascertain if the Tepanec army was still on
-the plain. Discovering that it was not, he returned to find Euetzin
-just waking. On attempting to rise to a sitting posture, the tzin found
-that he could not, and fell back with a groan. Seeing his failure to
-get up, and the evident suffering the effort caused him, Hualla went
-quickly to his side and said:
-
-"Let me help you, tzin."
-
-"No, Hualla, it is not for want of strength, but in consequence of
-pain, that I can not rise. I fear your assistance will no longer avail,
-since I am so sore and stiff."
-
-"I am willing to do anything to serve you, tzin Euet. Can't you advise
-me?" questioned the lad, anxiously.
-
-The voice in which these words were spoken was so like something he had
-heard before, that Euetzin looked sharply at the speaker. He could
-discover nothing, however, in his appearance, which would justify the
-thought inspired by the seemingly familiar sound, and allowed it to
-pass as a possible similarity, or, perhaps, only a freak of the
-imagination.
-
-"Will you learn if Maxtla's army is still on the plain, Hualla?" he
-said.
-
-"It has gone, tzin Euet. I have only just come from looking."
-
-"Then, Hualla, you must go, at once, to Hualcoyotl for help. I will
-remain where I am until you return. Please to hasten."
-
-The lad started immediately on his fruitless errand, from which he
-returned soon after noon, with the discouraging intelligence that the
-allies had also gone. Euetzin groaned under the weight of a helpless
-discouragement at the announcement.
-
-"What am I to do, my lad, now that I am helpless?" he said, showing
-much mental distress.
-
-Hualla tried to comfort him, and proposed to go still farther in search
-of help. It was the only course left them, under the circumstances.
-After eating some of the food which he had procured at the deserted
-camp, the lad started off in the direction of the lake, hoping to find
-someone there, a fisherman or boatman, who might be induced to come to
-their assistance. He was most fortunate, and correspondingly elated, in
-finding a party of boatmen who had just landed at the beach, with whom
-he succeeded in making arrangements for the tzin's conveyance to a
-small town, which was situated on the lake, a league or so away.
-
-Having succeeded so well, Hualla was now greatly encouraged at the
-prospect of soon getting his charge to a place where he could have the
-immediate attention of a doctor. One thought, however, gave him
-considerable anxiety; it was of the suffering the wounded tzin would be
-compelled to undergo while being transferred to the beach. The distance
-was more than a mile, and the trip, he feared, would prove very
-distressing to him, should it be necessary for the men to carry him on
-their arms. This difficulty was quickly overcome by the boatmen, whose
-native cleverness soon put them in possession of a roughly constructed
-litter, on which he was borne to the beach with but little trouble, and
-only a slight addition of discomfort.
-
-When Euetzin learned that Hualla had found assistance to relieve him
-from his discouraging situation, he could hardly find words strong
-enough to express his gratitude. His appreciation of the lad's services
-was hourly growing more and more heartfelt, and he could not but marvel
-at the exhibition of interest manifested by him for his comfort and
-safety. It was, apparently, a phenomenal manifestation of disinterested
-kindness.
-
-The tzin bore his distress bravely, and helped, by an occasional
-cheerful expression, to relieve the transit of some of its
-wearisomeness.
-
-When the beach was reached he was carefully borne to a boat, on which
-he was placed, and in due time safely landed at the little Tezcucan
-town, where suitable quarters were secured for him, and the attention
-of a physician obtained, who soon had him feeling quite comfortable.
-
-So soon as it became known that a wounded Tezcucan cacique had escaped
-from Maxtla's army, and found his way to the little town, everybody
-became interested, and nothing was too good with which to provide him.
-
-Hualla received his due in praises for his brave conduct, as
-represented by Euetzin. He, however, did not seem to relish it,
-receiving it with a good deal of embarrassment.
-
-Proof of the lad's cleverness in the matter of wound dressing had been
-furnished the tzin in two instances, and, by his request, he was
-installed as his nurse. The youth was provided with an apartment of his
-own, from which he was seldom seen except when at the bedside of the
-tzin.
-
-In less than a day after his arrival at the town, Euetzin became quite
-ill. The exhaustive efforts which he had made to get away from the camp
-of the enemy, and the unavoidable aggravation and neglect of his wound,
-were followed by very serious consequences. A fever set in, and, owing
-to the dangerous character of his injury, a complication was brought on
-which, but for the careful administrations of his two faithful nurses
-and a vigorous constitution to aid them, might have terminated fatally.
-
-Who was the second nurse? we imagine the reader will wonder. We answer,
-none other than the good old Itzalmo.
-
-The old preceptor, soon after his flight from Azcapozalco, came to this
-town for better security; and, being too old to take part in the
-struggle for liberty, had remained there in concealment, waiting the
-result. Having no intercourse with the people of the town, he did not
-learn of the wounded cacique's arrival until the following day. He had,
-however, in the meantime learned of the great victory which had been
-won by the allies, and the retreat of Maxtla's army. This emboldened
-him, and he left his seclusion to rejoice with his brethren over the
-good news. By doing so he quickly learned of the presence of the
-wounded chief, and at once decided to make him a visit, thinking he
-might, in some way, be of service to him. The old man was not informed
-as to the tzin's identity, and made his visit from purely humane and
-patriotic motives. On presenting himself at his apartments he was
-greatly surprised at discovering in the supposed stranger his young
-friend and pupil, tzin Euet; and as a serious turn in the tzin's
-condition was just then evident, he became deeply concerned about him,
-and immediately gave his whole attention to the case, proving himself
-to be a most devoted and skillful attendant. When he fully realized the
-dangerous condition of his young friend he insisted upon notifying the
-prince regarding him, to which, for some reason, the tzin objected.
-
-"Wait a few days," said he, "when I will be well enough to go to
-Tezcuco by boat." Thus were his friends kept in ignorance of his escape
-and whereabouts. The few days were more than doubled before his consent
-could be obtained, because of the unconscious condition into which he
-suddenly passed, and in which he remained for several days. A messenger
-was finally dispatched with particulars of his situation, the
-communication being signed by Itzalmo, with the simple statement that
-the writer was with him.
-
-Hualla was always at the bedside of the tzin when Itzalmo was not, and
-appeared anxious and watchful for encouraging signs in the patient's
-condition. When a change for the better was at last discovered, he was
-wonderfully elated for a youngster like him, and especially one who had
-so lately entered into the endangered life.
-
-One day, while the tzin slept, the youthful nurse leaned over the bed
-to listen to his breathing; possibly to learn if any change had taken
-place in the condition of it. Suddenly, as if from an irresistible
-impulse, he pressed a kiss upon the sick man's brow. As he did so the
-word "Mitla" might have been distinctly heard coming from the sleeper's
-lips. Hualla drew back quickly, and could his face have been seen in
-that moment, the observer would have been astonished at the singularly
-happy expression upon it. The word uttered carried with it a
-revelation.
-
-As the days went by, Hualla became more devoted to the afflicted tzin,
-and actions expressive of ardent attachment were of frequent occurrence
-on his part.
-
-The patient was rapidly recovering; the nurses, however, had not
-relinquished their posts of duty, but continued careful of his every
-want. It was in Hualla's watch that we find him quietly dozing, or
-apparently so, while the young nurse sat in his accustomed place near
-the bed. Presently the latter rose from his seat and approached the
-bedside, and, as he frequently did, leaned over the sleeper and gazed
-intently into his face. As he was thus occupied Euetzin suddenly opened
-his eyes to encounter an earnest, loving expression, which the watcher
-was unconsciously revealing. Only a pair of undisguised eyes were seen
-by the tzin, in which he beheld, not Hualla, but one with whom he had
-at last come to realize he was in love, and, quick as the thought which
-impelled him, he caught the watcher's form, and drew it to him, while
-he exclaimed:
-
-"Mitla, my own true love! How is it that you are here?" and, when he
-had said this, imprinted a fervent kiss upon Hualla's lips.
-
-"The assurance that you love me brings a great joy to my heart. I am
-repaid for all that I have endured for love's sake. But, Euetzin, you
-must not forget that you are ill. Excitement might do you harm,"
-returned the young nurse in surprising language.
-
-"Such excitement will make me well," replied the tzin. "But, Mitla, you
-have not told me how you came to be here," still holding the form in
-his close embrace.
-
-"Have you forgotten Hualla?"
-
-"No, no! I have not forgotten Hualla, nor will I ever; but, my dear
-girl, what has he to do with your presence here?"
-
-"Hualla has everything to do with my presence here; for Hualla and
-Mitla are one and the same, Euetzin," was the answer which fell with
-surprising effect upon the tzin's ears. In astonishment he let go his
-hold of the yielding form, and held it off at arms' length. There was
-no mistake; what he had just heard was, indeed, true; for it was
-certainly Hualla who stood, smiling and happy, before him. He looked at
-the metamorphosed Mitla for a moment, and then, as if suddenly
-realizing the wonderful depth of devotion she had shown for him, he
-said in a voice exhibiting profound emotion:
-
-"Never love more ardent and powerful moved the heart of woman than that
-which has inspired you to do what you have done! The devotion of
-Hualla, and the familiar tone of his voice, which has often startled
-me, are now explained. From the horrors of an awful death the hand of
-Hualla--your hand, O best beloved of my heart--hath rescued me. What do
-I not owe you?" He paused, and, drawing Mitla to him, kissed her
-fondly.
-
-"Let this be my pledge of troth," he said impressively; "my pledge that
-she who has risked and done so much for me shall be my wife."
-
-Mitla's devotion to the man she loved so wildly, and the brave heart
-which had struggled through so great dangers and fatigue for his sake,
-were rewarded at last, and she made unspeakably happy. Her joy was so
-great that she could have rested indefinitely in his embrace, but
-Itzalmo must not know that Hualla was other than he seemed. She
-disengaged herself from Euetzin's arms, and when the old man came he
-found his fellow attendant in his accustomed place, and the patient
-looking unusually bright and cheerful.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXV.
-
-
-The object of the coalition against Maxtla having been achieved, and
-Tezcuco once more in position to defend herself, the league was
-dissolved. The foreign armies quietly withdrew from the city, and
-returned to their respective capitals--the hunter-guard having early
-gone back to their mountain homes.
-
-The parting between the old warrior chieftain, Ix, and his friend
-Tezcot, was expressive of a deep and lasting regard. The latter
-promised, at leaving--to please his hermit friend--that, providing his
-affairs at home would admit of it, he would return to witness the
-prince's coronation, which event was then paramount to everything else
-in the minds of the disenthralled and happy people, who were bent on
-making it a memorable occasion--a day on which not only the crowning of
-their new king should take place, but a grand celebration, also, in
-honor of Tezcuco's independence and their liberation from an enforced
-vassalage.
-
-It was customary, when an event not down on their calendar was to be
-observed, to select one of their festal days on which to celebrate it,
-of which they had a great number, every deity having one especially set
-apart for its service. One of the most prominent on their calendar was,
-accordingly, chosen for the occasion--prominent because of the latitude
-which would be afforded the priesthood, in it, to exercise its peculiar
-functions, not omitting the revolting ceremony of human sacrifice, in
-which its members seemed to delight. Not since the subversion of their
-government had a festival so impressive in character been celebrated in
-Tezcuco, and the priests, awake to the importance of an occasion which
-would restore to them privileges so long withheld, were active in its
-promotion, and a great number of victims--chiefly prisoners of
-war--were selected for sacrifice.
-
-Hualcoyotl was greatly averse to the shocking scenes of blood and
-agony, which always attended the sacrificial ceremony, but had no
-power--not even as a king--to stop it, for the authority of the
-priesthood in such matters was supreme.
-
-We have it from fairly reliable sources--mostly traditional, to be
-sure, yet worthy of credence--that he made it an especial effort of his
-long and prosperous reign to have the inhuman practice abolished, and
-bring his people to worship according to the belief which he had early
-conceived to be the correct one--which, in the light of his
-surroundings, was truly remarkable. He believed in "One unseen Cause of
-Causes"--"One all-powerful God"--a unity, to whom appeals should be
-made direct. In this particular he showed a high order of intelligence,
-for it is an established opinion, if not a fact, that the simplicity of
-the idea of one God, who has no need of inferior representatives to
-execute his will, is too vast for the conception of narrowed
-understandings, and, as a consequence, resort to a multiplicity of
-deities follows.
-
-The great Tezcucan was only partially successful in his efforts,
-because of the vitiating influence of his Aztec neighbors, who exceeded
-all the other races of Anahuac in barbaric practices, between whom and
-his people there existed the closest political relations, almost from
-the day of his coronation up to the time of the conquest.
-
-The prince's failure to establish his belief in "One Supreme
-Intelligence" did not abate in the least his personal convictions on
-the subject, but as the years went by he became more firmly fixed in
-his faith, which, if not a Christian faith, was so near to it that the
-difference could only be found in the fact that he was a barbarian,
-having no knowledge of the Christ; and, yet, who shall say, when ways
-and means for the acquiring of religious knowledge are considered, that
-Hualcoyotl's religion was not as acceptable to "Him by whom we live" as
-was that of the shepherd king?
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Itlza and her mother were in due time transferred to the Tezcucan
-palace, and no royal host was ever more considerate of the wants and
-comforts of his guests than was he of their's. The mother was elated to
-a degree which almost made her forget her affliction. In the transfer
-the first step leading to high honors for her daughter was taken, a
-sufficient cause for the excitement of a more enlightened intelligence
-than her's. Itlza, on the other hand, between love for Cacami and
-sorrow for her lost brother, took no account of the significance which
-was to be attached to the transfer of her residence from Zelmonco to
-Tezcuco, and entered upon the change with no suspicion of what it
-portended.
-
-The prince, in making his proposal to Teochma that she and Itlza should
-take up their residence in the palace, had put it as near in the form
-of a command as he could without making it direct. He pressed it upon
-her as an honor which should not be treated lightly, and being
-ambitious of her child's advancement she readily complied. As an
-obedient daughter, who really had no choice in the matter, Itlza
-acquiesced, and, amid the bustle and confusion with which the city and
-palace were filled, found the change from quiet Zelmonco very
-agreeable.
-
-The prince took advantage of the first opportunity offered, after the
-transfer was made, to have a talk with Teochma regarding Itlza, and his
-intentions with reference to her. She gave him to understand that his
-will was her pleasure, but did not deem it politic to make any show of
-the satisfaction she experienced at having her divinations verified. He
-directed that the matter should remain a secret between them for the
-present, as he desired, before revealing to Itlza his purposes, to
-establish himself in her favor. Thus the matter was left to rest, the
-prince, the while, using every possible means at his command to gain
-the affections of his intended queen. Itlza treated him most kindly,
-accepting his attentions as a matter of course, which encouraged him to
-persevere.
-
-While seated with Teochma in his family apartments one day, talking in
-a confidential way, Hualcoyotl was informed by his personal attendant
-that a strange messenger awaited his pleasure.
-
-"You will ascertain if his business is of a private nature, Oza, and
-report to me at once," he said, and then turned to resume his
-conversation with Teochma.
-
-Notwithstanding Oza was a free man, the prince having made good his
-promise that he should have his freedom, he was still in the latter's
-service. Their experience together on the mountains had given rise to a
-warm, mutual attachment between the master and his servant, which
-resulted in Oza's retention as a special and favored attendant.
-
-The faithful servitor withdrew, and in a few minutes returned, bearing
-a written message, which he placed in the prince's hand. The latter,
-after dismissing his man with the injunction to remain near by,
-proceeded to peruse the writing. On glancing over it he suddenly turned
-to Teochma, his face beaming with an expression of joyful surprise, and
-exclaimed:
-
-"Rejoice, O mother of Euetzin, your son lives, and is among friends!"
-
-Teochma was dazed and speechless for a moment, from the sudden and
-unexpected announcement. Recovering herself, she, in turn, exclaimed:
-
-"My son, my Euet alive, and among friends! O Prince, do not unsay
-that!"
-
-"I shall not unsay it, Teochma; for it is Itzalmo who writes--Itzalmo,
-Teochma, who is truth itself," returned he, with a glad emphasis.
-
-"Itzalmo, Prince; is he, too, alive and with my son?"
-
-"Yes, he is with the tzin, but does not explain. It is enough to know,
-O Teochma, that they are not prisoners. Now, indeed, may we rejoice!"
-returned the now joyful prince.
-
-The communication was the one sent by the old preceptor, to which
-allusion was made in the last chapter.
-
-The good news quickly spread, and the cloud of sorrow which had hung
-like a pall over the friends of the tzin and the old tutor was lifted,
-and general rejoicing succeeded.
-
-Hualcoyotl immediately sent a summons to Cacami, who was at his home in
-the country, to come to him at once. The young warrior came promptly,
-in obedience to the summons, and was not less joyful than the prince at
-the surprising intelligence. He was ordered to take a sufficient number
-of men and go to the little town for the purpose of bringing the
-wounded tzin and his aged companion to the city. The duty, under the
-circumstances, was a most agreeable one to Cacami, who stood not upon
-the order of his going, but set off at once to perform it.
-
-From a house of sorrow and mourning the palace was changed to one of
-joy and gladness by the joyful news. Its halls and corridors rang with
-the music of happy voices, impressing the royal household as the
-inhabitant of the winter frozen north is impressed by the glad notes of
-spring, heard in the songs of the returning forest minstrels, after a
-long and dreary season of storm and cold--incomparable waking of
-ecstatic emotions.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXVI.
-
-
-In order that the reader may be made acquainted with the circumstances
-in Mitla's case, which led to her appearance, so opportunely for
-Euetzin, in the camp of Maxtla's defeated army, it will be necessary
-for us to go back to the holding of the tournament at Tlacopan, and
-notice, briefly, a few of the incidents connected with her movements.
-
-When Ix's mountain guard came to that city to join the army, they did
-so as individuals, and were accompanied by a number of their people,
-consisting mostly of women and men servants, who came, especially, to
-witness the tourney. Mitla was of the party, coming at the request of
-Euetzin to take part in the archers' contest, and whose skill, it will
-be remembered, proved such an interesting feature of the occasion.
-
-The real object for which the tournament was gotten up had not become
-known beyond the circle of close-mouthed projectors of the movement
-against Maxtla, and Mitla, as one of the public, was therefore ignorant
-of what was to follow. She was to have returned to her home at the
-conclusion of the tourney, with her party, but when the excitement,
-which ensued upon the heels of it because of the unavoidable publicity
-of the movement, became absorbingly intense, and she learned the true
-situation of affairs, she determined on pursuing a different course.
-Her love for the tzin, which had so quickly become an irresistible,
-absorbing passion, and which had given added fervency by the grandeur
-of the scene in which he was a conspicuous figure, and she an object of
-special attention and admiration--together with a longing desire to be
-near him, which had suddenly taken possession of her--outweighed all
-other considerations, and she resolved on following him to the field.
-How to accomplish this, without her presence in the army becoming known
-to him, was a matter of no little moment--especially to her, an
-inexperienced mountain girl. However, love knows no barriers too great
-to be surmounted, and hers was not an exception. She settled the
-question by procuring the necessary apparel with which to change her
-appearance to that of a boy, which she carried away with her when she
-left the city--presumably to return to her home.
-
-The first night out, after leaving Tlacopan, the madly infatuated
-maiden took advantage of circumstances to quietly slip from among her
-people, with a view to carrying out her determination to follow the
-tzin. Getting far enough away from the camp of her friends to feel
-reasonably secure from discovery, she made the intended transformation,
-at the same time deepening the color of her complexion by using a stain
-procured from the bark of a tree. When the disguise was completed, and
-her discarded clothing carefully concealed where it could be found,
-should the opportunity ever come around for recovering it, she started
-on her backward journey.
-
-Mitla was now completely lost in the character she had assumed. Her
-closest friends would not have recognized her, so perfect was the
-disguise. Instead of a beautiful young maiden, a stoutly-built,
-well-appearing lad, with a very dark complexion, moved with hurried
-step, and eyes peering almost expectantly into the darkness ahead of
-him, in the direction of Tlacopan.
-
-The adoption of a name for herself, corresponding with her disguise,
-before reaching her destination, now became a necessary expedient, and
-Mitla's genius for that kind of invention was for the first time--and,
-we might add, the last--brought into operation. After calling up all
-the names within her recollection, and, inventing not a few, she
-finally settled upon Hualla--very appropriate and well suited, and
-under it found her way into the allied army.
-
-Fear of detection made the disguised maiden wary of getting into a too
-close proximity to those who knew her best. This led her to avoid the
-mountain guard and her Tezcucan friends, and to go in search of the
-gallant young leader of the Tlacopan army, for whom she had conceived
-quite a liking, from his genial and kindly disposition. After
-considerable trouble and worry she found the gracious Macua, and, on
-being admitted to his presence, told him that she wished to go with the
-army, and could think of no position which she could fill except that
-of messenger, in which capacity, she asked, would he kindly allow her
-to serve him. She made an attractive appearing youth, and readily found
-favor with the young chief, who immediately installed her a member of
-his military household. To become an attachee of Macua's official
-family was not to become a slave, by any means, and our mountain
-heroine found frequent means for gratifying her peculiar longings.
-
-To be where she could occasionally have a look at the man she so wildly
-loved, her idol, was the sole object of Mitla's self-imposed
-masquerading. The tzin's division of Tezcucans was soon located by her,
-and no move or change was made by it that she was not aware of.
-Whenever her duty brought her near to where the young cacique--a title
-the tzin had acquired by virtue of his position as a leader--was
-stationed, she made it a point to have a good look at him, on several
-of which occasions he saw her, but, thinking her only an inquisitive
-lad, paid little attention to her actions.
-
-When the great battle occurred, Mitla stationed herself where every
-move the tzin made could be watched by her unerring eye of love. When
-Maxtla made his attack, she saw with bated breath the terrible struggle
-which ensued, and when Euetzin, at the head of his Tezcucan legion,
-rushed to the aid of the hard pressed allies, her heart stood still
-from fear and dread. It was not long after this when it became a
-difficult matter to distinguish friend from foe, and the tzin passed
-from her sight to be seen not again until found by her in the enemy's
-camp. His disappearance relieved the nervous strain the sight of his
-exposure caused her to experience, yet deepened her anxiety for his
-safety. The time seemed an age to her in which the opposing forces
-struggled with each other for the mastery. Victory finally came,
-however, to crown the efforts of those in whom she was interested, and
-when it did come she was quickly mingling with the triumphant warriors
-of the tzin's division, to learn if he were safe or not. When it was
-discovered that he was missing, her feelings of grief and dread were
-indescribable. She could be brave while Euetzin was near and safe; but,
-if lost, what should she do? After learning to a certainty that her
-beloved was surely a prisoner, as the failure to find his body on the
-battle field had proven to the satisfaction of the leaders, she
-resolved to follow the retreating army, and, if he were discovered, to
-liberate him or die in the attempt. She put her resolution into
-execution, with the happy result already known to the reader.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-Euetzin experienced a good deal of solicitude for Mitla's people after
-learning what had been her course. Their anxiety and distress at her
-strange and mysterious disappearance, he thought, could not be other
-than extreme, and he determined that they should be relieved at the
-earliest possible moment. He communicated his feelings on the subject
-to her, and found that she was not a little worried over the matter
-herself, now that her identity was revealed. It was decided, in view of
-the unpropitious circumstances, that she should go home so soon as
-arrangements for a suitable escort could be made. It was at this
-juncture of the situation that Cacami and his party came upon the
-scene.
-
-The meeting between the two friends was very cordial, which evidenced
-the warm feelings of friendship which had grown up between them.
-
-The particulars of the tzin's capture and escape, in which the
-invaluable services rendered by Hualla in effecting the latter were
-made a subject of special mention, were detailed to Cacami, who heard
-the account, especially that portion of it relating to the lad's
-conduct, with no little astonishment. His astonishment in this
-connection, however, was not to be compared with that which followed
-when he was let into the secret of Hualla's identity, and informed by
-the tzin that it was his purpose to make the brave girl his wife.
-
-"I am lost in amazement," he exclaimed, "at the surprises which seem to
-meet me at every turn! When will they cease?"
-
-"Not until you have found your affinity, Cacami; have made your
-proposal, and surprised us with a denouement," replied the tzin
-pleasantly, little dreaming that his friend had already found his
-affinity in his own dear sister, and that a surprise would come out of
-it, in comparison with which the surprise of Cacami at his declaration
-would be as nothing--but we anticipate.
-
-Euetzin was not yet sufficiently recovered to bear moving, and as
-Cacami would be obliged to wait or return to Tezcuco without him, the
-latter, on learning of the tzin's desire that Mitla should return
-quickly as might be to her people, proposed that he and his men should
-be her escort. Euetzin thanked him for the suggestion, and accepted it
-as a most opportune way out of a very peculiar dilemma.
-
-A transformation now took place, and Hualla ceased to be, except in the
-recollections of the tzin, as an inseparable factor in a portion of his
-experience which he could never forget, and which went to make up the
-most eventful period of his life; while Mitla, happy in the
-consciousness of a requited love--though realizing that her beauty was
-somewhat marred by the unnatural darkness of her complexion--sat by the
-bedside of her afflicted lover listening to the words of endearment
-which he was speaking.
-
-"Hualla, the noble lad, to whom I owed so great a debt, is no more," he
-was saying; "yet he will never be forgotten. He has left a legacy to
-you, Mitla, in my gratitude for his brave conduct in my behalf. Thus
-you will have a double portion: my gratitude to him, and my best love
-for your dear self. Are you not happy, Mitla?"
-
-"Yes, Euetzin, more happy than I can tell," was her reply; still, her
-actions did not warrant it. The thought that she must part from him at
-this time pressed heavily upon her heart, and when she had spoken, she
-dropped her head upon the hand which she was holding; as she did so, a
-tear trickled down over her cheek and fell upon it.
-
-"Why, Mitla!" exclaimed the tzin, anxiously, "you are in tears! What
-has disturbed you?"
-
-"They are tears of joy, Euetzin, mingled with sadness--sadness that I
-am about to leave you, and you so ill. I would remain to nurse you back
-to health, but you have advised, wisely, no doubt, that I should go;
-and I feel restrained, against inclination, to do so, that my people
-may no longer mourn for me as lost."
-
-"Yes, Mitla, it will be better so. I will soon be well--thanks to
-you--and back in Tezcuco, where you shall early join me, to go away no
-more; then our happiness will be complete. You must be brave; it were
-not like Hualla to weep," spoke the tzin, persuasively.
-
-"I will weep no more, Euetzin; you shall see that she whom you love is
-brave, even as Hualla," she replied, wiping away her tears.
-
-Euetzin realized that the time was close at hand when the escort would
-come to take his loved Mitla from him, and drawing her to him, he said:
-
-"Your unbounded love, which saved and brought me where I am, is worth
-more than all else in the world to me; and my life's best effort shall
-be to make you happy. Go from me with this assurance, and think only of
-the joy our reunion will bring."
-
-The lover's parting kiss was exchanged, and Mitla disengaged herself
-from the tzin's embrace--none too soon either; for just then Cacami
-entered to say that the palanquin awaited her occupancy. A few minutes
-later she had taken her seat in the chair, and the little procession
-moved away.
-
-Under Cacami's careful direction Mitla was transported in comfort and
-safety back to her mountain home. Her arrival there was the return of a
-loved one given up as lost. The meeting was very affecting, filled as
-it was with a terrible struggle between love and joy, and a feeling of
-injured confidence and resentment for the mastery in the hearts of the
-aggrieved parents. Cacami, fearful that harsh treatment might be in
-store for the offending daughter, pleaded her cause with earnestness
-and eloquence:
-
-"Mitla, though blamable from a prudential standpoint, has proven
-herself a heroine. Had not her hand, O Tezcot, the hand of your child,
-brought succor and release to Euetzin, he would to-day, if alive, be in
-the hands of Maxtla, awaiting the awful fate of a prisoner of war. It
-was her great love that saved to us a noble friend. Such devotion is
-worthy the reward it has won: Euetzin's plighted troth. They will wed,
-and the daughter of the wise hunter, the friend of the great
-Ixtlilchoatl, will become the happy wife of a noble, who will assuredly
-be among the exalted of the king's household. Forget her imprudence, O
-Tezcot, O Xochitl, and forgive. Euetzin asks it, and I plead for it."
-
-"Mitla is dear to the hearts of all her people, and we do not forget,
-while blaming her, that she should have our sympathy, for she was
-greatly affected by love for the tzin," replied the generous Tezcot.
-"Yes, we will forget and forgive, for our love's sake, and the sake of
-our friends. So say you to Euetzin."
-
-After a day of rejoicing and feasting with the family of the hunter,
-Cacami and his party started on their return journey, the young warrior
-leader happy and exultant from the success of his efforts as a
-peacemaker.
-
-In due time the little party was back with the tzin, to find him
-sufficiently recovered to allow of his transfer to Tezcuco.
-
-Happy, indeed, was the hour in which Euetzin and Itzalmo were set down
-in the Tezcucan palace, and the little circle of friends, so ruthlessly
-broken up by the Tepanec despot, was again complete. To emphasize his
-pleasure, the prince ordered a grand reception and banquet to be given
-in honor of the restoration of his friends. It was a glorious time of
-rejoicing, hardly less affecting than were the scenes which followed
-the prince's return to his joyful people a victorious leader.
-
-"Let joy be unconfined!" Hualcoyotl might have proclaimed in that hour
-of a happy reunion; and yet, how deep was the mental affliction which,
-all unknown to him, was then hanging over and threatening not only his
-own peace of mind, but that of nearly all the chief participants in the
-pleasurable event.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXVII.
-
-
-We pass over the ceremonies which made Hualcoyotl a king, except to say
-that the occasion was of an exceptional character, and one that could
-take place only under conditions in which barbaric ideas of pomp and
-splendor are brought into operation in the achievement of a climax at
-once imposing and ostentatious. Many of the nobility from the
-surrounding principalities were present to witness the grand pageant,
-among whom was the Aztec monarch, one of the line from which sprang the
-first and second Montezumas--possibly Itzcoatl, a son of the first. He
-was there not only as a witness of the pageantry, but to congratulate
-his young kinsman, the Prince of Tezcuco, on his accession to the
-throne of his ancestors; and, also--we may further presume--to seek an
-immediate alliance with him for the purpose of waging a war of
-extermination against Maxtla, whose arbitrary and insolent conduct had
-so wrought upon the feelings of the Mexican prince that he had
-resolved, with the help of his neighbor, to destroy the power and
-influence of the Tepanec dynasty forever, by its complete subversion.
-
-Hualcoyotl could not be assured of a continued and uninterrupted reign
-so long as his powerful and mortal enemy was permitted to exercise his
-despotic and aggressive disposition, and readily consented to join his
-royal cousin, of Tenochtitlan, in a crusade against him.
-
-The first business of the new king, however, was the organization of
-his governmental household--the selection of his chief officials who
-should comprise his privy council. In filling the most exalted
-positions, he remembered those who had been his personal friends when
-friendship was at a premium with him. Itzalmo was made his chief
-counselor, Ixtlilchoatl his chief war officer, and Euetzin his chief
-officer of state. In the latter he invested unusual authority, placing
-in his charge all matters of a tribal character. Cacami was not
-forgotten, but, by his own expressed wish, assigned to an important
-position in the army, near the person of Ixtlilchoatl.
-
-Tezcot and Menke, who were in attendance at the ceremony of
-enthronement, were pressed to unite their destiny with Tezcuco, but,
-preferring a life in the mountains to one of luxury at the capital of
-their newly acquired friends, declined to do so. This the appreciative
-prince regretted, for he was anxious to express his gratitude, in some
-substantial manner, for the friendship they had shown him when he was
-an outlawed wanderer--which he could do best by making them favored
-retainers in his official retinue.
-
-Hualcoyotl was not too busy to think of carrying out his purpose of
-making Itlza his queen, and now, that he was a king, sought, without
-delay, an opportunity in which to communicate to her his intentions.
-
-The extensive conservatory, connected with the palace, of which
-previous mention has been made, was a favorite retreat of Itzla's,
-which the prince had discovered, and here he determined to find and
-acquaint her with his designs.
-
-At a certain hour on each day, in the afternoon, it was her custom to
-go into this pleasant and retired place alone. That she remained
-unaccompanied while there may be doubted, however, since Cacami spent
-much of his time at the palace.
-
-On an afternoon only a few days subsequent to the crowning of the
-prince, Itlza entered the conservatory with light and eager step. Her
-face was brightened by a joyous gleaming which beamed from her
-beautiful laughing eyes, and there was upon it an expression of
-expectancy, as if some pleasurable event was anticipated and near at
-hand. She hummed, in monotone, a droll little theme of native music, as
-she moved about the place on pleasure bent.
-
-Although the work of restoration had been commenced, and the erstwhile
-beauty of the once enchanting resort had begun to reassert itself;
-still, traces of neglect, which had been permitted to creep over and
-mar a former perfection of arrangement, were present in the
-conservatory to disenchant the esthetical beholder. Yet, to a person
-who might have been suspected of only seeking a means whereby to gain
-an end, as in Itlza's case, the imperfection was of little consequence.
-
-Presently, and without notice to the happy dreamer, she was brought
-face to face with Hualcoyotl, who had come upon her unobserved. She
-greeted him courteously, yet was slightly confused and uneasy, as if a
-pleasant anticipation had suddenly been broken in on.
-
-"Will you be seated, Itlza?" said he, graciously, directing her to a
-low bench a little distance away. "I have something of interest--at
-least of interest to me, and which ought to be to yourself--to say to
-you."
-
-What could the surprised and disquieted maiden do but comply? A request
-from Hualcoyotl was to her a command, and she permitted herself to be
-conducted to the bench. When she was seated, he continued:
-
-"Are you happy, Itlza, in this palace home of mine?"
-
-"Your home is very enjoyable, and will be beautiful and full of
-pleasantness when you are through with its improvement. I would be very
-unappreciative not to enjoy it to the extent of being happy," she
-replied, wondering to what the question would lead.
-
-"Yes, my home will be beautiful; but, Itlza, it will be like the cage
-of a bird, the one occupant of which is without a mate," he returned,
-looking at her with an expression of fondness, which, when she raised
-her eyes inquiringly to his, she did not fail to comprehend. She became
-much disturbed, but thought she must say something, and spoke as
-follows:
-
-"The King of Tezcuco need not be long without a mate; for there is many
-a charming _cihuatl_ (woman) who would be pleased to come into his
-palace home to reign as queen. He has only to command, and the most
-beautiful princesses in all the Anahuac will be his to choose from."
-
-"Itlza, have you forgotten the hours, long ago, when a lad and little
-lass played and romped over the hills of Zelmonco?" he questioned. "If
-you have forgotten, I am sorry; for I have not. Blissfully ignorant
-were we then," he went on, "of the sorrows and griefs of the future;
-and happy in our innocent simplicity, thinking only of the joys and
-pleasures of an artless childhood."
-
-"No, I have not forgotten. Those were, indeed, happy times," she
-replied, a frightened look covering her face.
-
-"In those times, Itlza, I thought of you as my future mate, and now
-that I am a man, with wisdom to choose, I would verify those boyish
-dreams by making you my queen. You will fill that place in my heart, as
-well as in my palace, as no other can, though she were the greatest
-princess of Anahuac; for, Itlza, I love you." He paused an instant to
-watch the effect of his declaration. "I would have you come to me," he
-continued, "not by command, but by choice. Will you be my queen,
-Itlza?"
-
-The graveness of the situation now dawned upon her mind with a terrible
-force--Hualcoyotl had chosen her to be his queen. She was dumbfounded,
-and consternation was depicted on her face. She did not dare to look
-up. The prince, after waiting a moment for a reply, again spoke:
-
-"You are silent, Itlza; have you nothing to say for the honor I am
-about to confer upon you?"
-
-Recovering herself sufficiently to speak, she said, in a scared tone of
-voice:
-
-"Your proposal, O Hualcoyotl, has come upon me so suddenly that I am
-confused; I was not expecting it. What says Teochma, my mother?"
-
-"That Itlza shall be Queen of Tezcuco," he replied, piquantly, being
-disappointed and displeased with her reception of his proposal.
-
-"It is all so sudden, so startling, I am overwhelmed with confusion.
-You will, I'm sure, O noblest of friends, give me time to think?" she
-questioned, hoping to secure a respite, if only for a little time, that
-she might become reconciled to the inevitable, if such a thing were
-possible.
-
-"Yes, I will give you time, Itlza--a few days, but I may not be
-disappointed, for I have set my heart upon making you Queen of
-Tezcuco--my queen."
-
-Unobserved by the prince and Itlza, another person, a man, entered the
-conservatory, hurriedly and expectantly, but, on coming near to where
-they were, he heard the sound of someone talking, which caused him to
-stop and listen. His position was screened from observation by foliage,
-and, had he been so disposed, he might have remained an unseen listener
-to what followed, but he did not. He recognized the prince's voice,
-and, although he could not see her, he felt sure it was Itlza he was
-speaking to. He caught the words, "for I have set my heart upon making
-you Queen of Tezcuco--my queen," and they fell upon his ear like the
-crack of a fearful doom. He waited to hear no more, but quickly turned
-away and left the place as hurriedly as he had entered it.
-
-Itlza gathered herself together for a final plea, and said:
-
-"I would not seem unkind or unappreciative toward the dear friend of my
-childhood, whom I esteem above all men, and look upon almost as one of
-my own blood. You are like a brother to me, noble Hualcoyotl, but not
-like a lover."
-
-"You will yet learn to love me, Itlza. You shall remain in my palace,
-and I will teach you," he rejoined, persuasively.
-
-"Is there not someone else, O prince, more worthy and lovable than I,
-who would be pleased to become your queen, whose love might be had for
-the asking?" she pleaded, paying no attention to his persuasive tones.
-
-Hualcoyotl was inexorable. He had resolved on a purpose, and was not to
-be dissuaded from pursuing it to the end. He said decidedly:
-
-"The King of Tezcuco may find others to love him, but not another to be
-his queen. You, O Itlza, my first and only love, shall fill that place.
-I am king--my word is law. I have said it. Be wise, O Itlza, in this
-matter, and study to become the chief lady of the nation." As he
-finished speaking he knelt on one knee, took her hand and pressed it to
-his forehead--a mode of affectionate salutation, the kiss being
-reserved for those who were endeared--after which action he turned
-away, leaving her to the terrible realization of the hopelessness of
-her love for Cacami, and the certainty of a compulsory marriage with
-him, which death alone could prevent.
-
-She was now alone, in the saddest sense, with no eye to witness the
-anguish of soul with which she was stricken, and to which she now gave
-away. Throwing herself prostrate upon the ground she forgot all else
-but her crushed hopes, and moaned in the agony of despair. She did not
-realize the quick approach and presence of the one for the love of whom
-she was now caused to suffer. He stood over her for a moment,
-contemplating her agony, while on his face was unmistakable evidence of
-great distress of mind. Though strong in his manhood, he could not
-entirely restrain his feelings, and could not have been expected to
-while his breast was being torn by a tempest of conflicting emotions.
-He presently kneeled at her side, and called softly:
-
-"Itlza!" At the sound of her name on her loved one's lips she arose,
-and, throwing herself into his arms, cried in accents of unutterable
-woe:
-
-"Cacami! Cacami!"
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-The lovers had arranged for a meeting in the conservatory, and Itlza,
-happy in the anticipation of an hour of sweet converse with her
-beloved, had come to fulfill her tryst, and, as we have seen, was met
-by the prince. Just when the latter, with mind wholly absorbed in the
-object which had brought him to the conservatory, was becoming
-impatient and imperative in his language at the unexpected evidence of
-a disinclination on the part of the former to look with favor upon his
-proposal to honor her above all other women, and she, too much
-frightened to think of anything save the terrible fact that her
-anticipations of a happy future with him she loved were about to be
-shipwrecked--forever swept away--Cacami, unheard by them, came upon the
-ground in the joyful expectation of soon meeting the object of his
-love. On discovering that Hualcoyotl was there ahead of him, talking
-with Itlza, and learning the significance of his presence from the few
-words which reached him, he was overwhelmed with amazement at the
-disclosure. He could not in honor remain to hear another word, so,
-quickly turning on his heel, withdrew.
-
-The hopelessness of his suit with Itlza was at once apparent to the
-astounded lover; a king stood between them, and, according to law--an
-established fiat, especially favorable to rulers to protect them in
-their family relations, particularly in the choice of a wife--death
-would be the consequence should he marry her, or even persist in
-meeting her clandestinely and be detected in it.
-
-It would have been different had he made Itlza his affianced previous
-to her coming to the palace, even without the knowledge of the mother
-and brother; and possibly afterward had he anticipated the prince; but
-now his chance was gone; and, O, how he regretted the delay. No one,
-save themselves, knew that they were lovers, so closely had they
-guarded their secret; and since no pledge of troth had been exchanged,
-they must bide the result.
-
-How could he give her up? The more he reflected on the matter, the
-greater became his distress of mind. He did not for a moment think of
-Itlza as a willing listener to the king's proposal to make her his
-queen, and he resolved to return to the conservatory so soon as his
-royal rival should depart from it, to condole with her, which he did,
-only to find her in the throes of an utter hopelessness. Their
-discovery of each other, so full of woebegoneness, has been noted.
-
-The despairing maiden clung to her lover, pleadingly, as if he might
-have saved her from her impending fate. He held her to his breast in a
-close embrace, and if endearing words and passionate kisses--the first
-he had dared to bestow--could have effected a relief to her overwrought
-feelings, they must have found it in his.
-
-"You must not be torn from me thus," he said, passionately, after she
-had explained, between sobs and moans, how determined the prince was in
-his purpose. "No, dear, sorrowing Laughing-eyes, death alone shall
-separate us."
-
-"What, indeed, O Cacami, but death or submission is left for both of
-us," moaned the hapless maiden.
-
-"You put it well and true, Itlza. I had not thought of death for you; I
-was thinking only of myself; but, alas! the result will be the same for
-both of us. I should not ask of you so great a sacrifice. No, my poor,
-lorne love, I must give you up."
-
-"You shall not give me up, Cacami! Let it be mine to choose whether I
-will wear a crown, or cleave to you at the risk of death. It will be no
-fault of yours, then, if I should choose to die," she answered,
-determinedly.
-
-"What can I say? If I alone were held responsible I could quickly
-choose; but you, poor darling, must suffer too."
-
-"If you can suffer for the love of me, why not I for a like reason? Is
-my love less powerful than yours, that I am a woman? Cacami, you shall
-not choose to cast me off, even if it be to save my life. The choice, I
-pray you, shall be mine."
-
-"Then, if you will, choose wisely, Laughing-eyes; remembering that a
-crown and the love of a noble man are on one hand, while on the other
-are only Cacami and death."
-
-"Yes, I will choose between you--the good king and Cacami--but it will
-not be to trample on my love--my heart. No, not for a crown at the
-hands of so good a man as Hualcoyotl," she answered, earnestly.
-Continuing, she said: "I would not lead you to death, O Cacami, my
-love; yet, I choose to go with you, even to that end."
-
-"Then be it so; we will stand or fall together," he returned, holding
-her in a closer embrace.
-
-An idea at this instant occurred to Itlza, and, gathering a little
-courage from it, she said:
-
-"Why may we not escape to another country, Cacami, or to the
-mountains--anywhere, so we be not separated?"
-
-"Hualcoyotl would find us though we were hidden in the fastness of the
-farthest mountain. No, Laughing-eyes, there is hope only in marriage,
-and the kindness of the court which shall try us; otherwise it must be
-separation or death," he replied, despondingly.
-
-"Then, let us wed. I will be your bride, though it be unto death," she
-said, creeping closer to him.
-
-"If you so decide, thus it shall be, my brave Laughing-eyes. We will
-wed, and, if need be, die together."
-
-"I vow to you, O Cacami, that naught but death shall part us, and,
-since thus to you I give my pledge, I pray you bind it with the seal of
-troth," she said, trustingly, putting up her carmine-tinted lips to
-receive the kiss which was to seal the sacred compact. Their lips met,
-and two souls were united unto death by one prolonged, loving embrace,
-from which they drew calmness--the calmness which is found in the
-strength of a plighted faith, made enduring by the kiss, which, to
-them, was a seal, indissoluble except by death.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXVIII.
-
-
-An alliance between the Mexican and Tezcucan kings, for the purpose of
-engaging in a crusade against the Tepanec monarch, was duly effected,
-and the usual preliminaries--a declaration of war, etc.--were gone
-through with, preparatory to the opening of hostilities.
-
-Maxtla had reconstructed his imperial army, and his faith in its
-ability to cope with the combined armies of his adversaries led him to
-meet the demands made upon him with reckless defiance. He reckoned on
-having all the advantages of a defensive warfare on his side in which
-his opponents would be compelled to meet him on ground of his own
-choosing--a situation which would put him in a position of vantage not
-to be contemned.
-
-Hualcoyotl, meanwhile, made many kindly advances with a view to
-reconciling Itlza to their contemplated union. She received his
-attentions with due respect, and at the same time tried to be affable,
-but there was that in her conduct which was not natural--a lack of
-spontaneity of manner, so marked in her former naive, unaffected
-bearing. The prince saw that he was not succeeding to any appreciable
-degree, and decided to let matters rest as they were, for the present,
-hoping that time, and a proper consideration of the advantages held out
-to her in a marriage with him, would work a favorable change in her
-inexplicable attitude, thus avoiding a resort to compulsory measures.
-Having decided on this course, he turned his attention wholly to state
-affairs, and the necessary preparations for leading his army to the
-field against his old enemy.
-
-Ixtlilchoatl was again placed where he could exercise his wonderful
-genius as a leader of armies, by being put in command of the combined
-forces of Mexico and Tezcuco, leaving the kings to lead their
-respective warriors. The great aggregation, with the hermit chief at
-its head, was soon on the move, and the fight began. The campaign was a
-vigorous one, which, after a series of hard-fought battles, ended in
-Maxtla being forced back behind the walls of his capital, where he was
-encompassed and a close siege of the royal city entered upon.
-
-In his confidence of being able to repel the invaders of his imperial
-domain the Tepanec monarch had neglected to provide against such an
-emergency as a siege, and was, therefore, wholly unprepared for it.
-Under such conditions it became, in due time, a question of surrender,
-or marching out and giving the beleaguerants battle. The result was a
-mass sally, and the ensuance of a desperate and bloody struggle, which
-terminated in the complete rout and dispersion of the beleaguered army,
-and Maxtla's undiscovered flight for personal safety.
-
-The proud city of Azcapozalco was totally destroyed, and those of its
-inhabitants who were not killed, or did not get away, were doomed to a
-life of slavery, or death by sacrifice, while the territory of the once
-dominant empire was converted into a great slave mart--which, in after
-years, became the central market for that nefarious traffic for the
-whole of Anahuac.
-
-Maxtla was hunted down, captured and turned over to the mercies of the
-Aztec king, who condemned him to death at the hands of the priests--a
-victim of sacrifice to the Mexican gods. Thus perished the most cruel
-and despotic of all the named princes of Anahuac, and was avenged one
-who proved himself to be the peer of the noblest.
-
-In the destruction of the Tepanec domination was removed the only cause
-of apprehension to the new king of Tezcuco. He returned to his capital
-in the confidence of a perfect security, and engaged in his kingly
-duties with a mind free from the fear of invasion or opposition, and
-with the determination to make his reign a successful and brilliant
-one, which he did, as history records; in fact, it excelled in wisdom
-and grandeur that of any known prince of Anahuac, not excepting the
-Montezumas.
-
-The king was again brought into daily intercourse with his household, a
-member of which Itlza continued to be. She had kept her own counsel, so
-far as her affairs with the prince and Cacami were concerned, leaving
-her family in ignorance of what had transpired. There had come a
-settled purpose in the expression of her face, which was careworn and
-deeply thoughtful.
-
-Feeling secure in his rights as the king of Tezcuco, Hualcoyotl now
-felt that his palace should have a queen, and he resolved to bring
-matters between himself and Itlza to a crisis. So the first opportunity
-which should offer itself was to be improved to inform her that the
-marriage must take place at an early day. He had gone too far to recede
-from his purpose of making her his wife. He was a man of firmness, and
-would not be defeated in the accomplishment of designs so closely
-affecting his honor. He was a king, and the wish of a king was law.
-
-It so happened that he met Itlza at the entrance to the conservatory,
-and, deeming it a favorable opportunity to make known his wishes, he
-requested her to accompany him within. He conducted her to the same
-bench on which she was seated at their former meeting.
-
-Itlza divined the object he had in asking her to go with him to that
-sadly memorable spot, and her soul was filled with apprehension as to
-what would follow. When she was seated, Hualcoyotl, who continued to
-occupy a standing posture before her, began by saying:
-
-"Itlza, you no doubt understand why I have brought you here. It is to
-talk with you about our marriage. You asked me for time. I have granted
-it to you to an extent which should satisfy you that I am desirous of
-showing you the greatest consideration. I have chosen to exalt you by
-making you my queen; in doing which I feel that I am conferring
-honorable distinction upon a most worthy family, as well as gratifying
-the fondest wish of my heart. I now ask that you will prepare to wed me
-at an early day. Let us have done with pleadings and expostulations,
-and look forward to our union with that happy anticipation which should
-mark the period of an approaching coronation of a lovely queen."
-
-"You and yours, O King, have ever been friends of my people. From time
-immemorial my ancestors have served yours, and will doubtless continue
-to do so, faithfully and loyally. May I not ask, as the child of
-Euzelmozin, O Hualcoyotl, and, still, as the sister of your loyal
-servitor and friend, Euetzin, that you will deal kindly with us--me and
-mine, in this hour of my distress? I am sorely troubled, yes, even unto
-death."
-
-Her pleading look and words were strangely at variance with the subject
-of marriage which the king had introduced, and he looked deeply
-perplexed--dazed--in consequence.
-
-"Those are strange words, Itlza, very strange, indeed, coming from you,
-whom it is proposed to raise to the highest place a woman can fill in
-our country. What is the matter? It can not be that I am so repulsive,
-so repellant. Speak, Itlza, tell me; is this so?"
-
-"O, no! no! You are the peer of the greatest and best, and worthy to
-wed whom you will; but, Hualcoyotl, I can not be your queen. I throw
-myself at your feet, and upon your compassion, imploring that you will
-send me away--forget me." She had dropped upon her knees in front of
-him, and was looking beseechingly up into his face. He gazed at her in
-confused amazement, and presently said:
-
-"What have I done, O Itlza, to merit this remarkable rejection of my
-proposal?"
-
-"You have done nothing, O best of friends. It is all my own doing; I
-have put an impassable barrier between us," she answered, dropping her
-head as if to hide her face from an expected blow.
-
-"A barrier between us! What do you mean? Speak, I beseech you, and end
-this unparalleled and humiliating scene," spoke the patience-tried
-prince.
-
-With head bowed down, the kneeling maiden answered in a shrinking
-voice:
-
-"I mean, O king, that I am the wife of another."
-
-Now, indeed, was Hualcoyotl dumbfounded. Had the earth opened at his
-feet he could not have been more astounded. He finally said, becoming
-angry and excited:
-
-"Who has dared to come between the king and his chosen--his intended
-queen?"
-
-Itlza was almost prostrated from the strain upon her feelings; and now,
-at hearing the prince's angry tones, began to sink, but managed, in a
-hoarse whisper, to say "Cacami," and then fell to the ground
-insensible.
-
-Hualcoyotl was staggered as by a blow when he heard the name of Cacami
-fall from Itlza's lips. That estimable young warrior, counted among his
-closest friends, had deceived him. He turned away for a moment to
-strive with his rising anger and feelings of resentment; then back to
-where Itlza was lying. He looked at her in a commiserating manner, and
-exclaimed in a hard, pained voice:
-
-"Itlza! Itlza! this from you, whom Hualcoyotl would have delighted to
-honor, and been so proud!" Her appearance seemed to stir the nobler
-impulses within the man, for he knelt down and began trying to bring
-about her resuscitation. While thus engaged he was suddenly made aware
-of the presence of Itzalmo, who, in passing through the conservatory,
-had discovered him striving with the unconscious maiden, and, becoming
-alarmed, cried out:
-
-"Father of Light! what is the meaning of this? Is the child dead?"
-
-"She is not dead, but 'twere better if she was," returned the prince,
-without pausing in his efforts to restore her to consciousness.
-
-"Your words, O King, are very strange. Why do you speak thus?"
-
-"I can not explain to you now, Itzalmo. You will retire, and at the
-instance of the king have Cacami arrested immediately. Go at once, and
-seek not to know more at present," returned he, showing great but
-restrained excitement.
-
-Itzalmo left the conservatory in a state of wonderment at what he had
-seen and heard, and went immediately to execute the command of the
-king.
-
-Itlza gradually returned to consciousness, through the endeavors of the
-prince, and, when sufficiently recovered to walk, was conducted in
-silence to her mother, who was told that she had fainted.
-
-In a semiconscious condition she was taken charge of by her attendants,
-while the king passed to his private apartments to compose, if
-possible, his overwrought feelings.
-
-In obedience to the king's fiat, Itzalmo had Cacami arrested and placed
-in confinement, to await the further action of his royal master.
-
-Cacami was not surprised at his apprehension. He felt quite certain
-that a disclosure of his secret marriage would take place, should the
-king persist in pressing his suit with Itlza, which he did not doubt he
-would do, and which would be followed by his arrest and committal. He
-had taken the fatal step, knowing the consequences which would in all
-probability ensue, and now met them as became a man of courage, which
-he had on more than one occasion proven himself to be.
-
-The king was distracted to the verge of madness at what he considered
-his humiliation, and in the heat of passion could think of nothing but
-punishment for the man who had brought it upon him. He therefore
-permitted no delay to occur in entering his charge against Cacami. In
-placing his charge, he put the case beyond his authority, and at the
-absolute disposal of a Tezcucan court of justice.
-
-Hualcoyotl, in reestablishing the Tezcucan government, among other
-things, we may presume, adopted the laws and means of enforcing them
-which had prevailed at the close of his esteemed father's reign.
-
-Although the governments of Anahuac were to a certain extent despotic,
-there was to be found much in them that was commendable; especially was
-this true of Tezcuco.
-
-The enforcement of the laws was vested in a tribunal of justice,
-composed of judges appointed by the king, an appeal from which might be
-taken to a supreme magistrate, the highest authority in the government,
-from whose decision there was no appeal, not even to the king himself,
-though he had the power to make or unmake the court. We infer that,
-under certain circumstances, these courts were combined, forming a
-court whose findings were final. In the hands of such a tribunal rested
-the fate of Cacami and Itlza, the latter depending on the result of the
-former's arraignment.
-
-We are told that the court proceedings were conducted with the greatest
-decorum. The judges wore a peculiar and appropriate dress, and were
-attended by officers whose duty it was to preserve order, while others
-summoned and brought the parties into court.
-
-The court records were portrayed in hieroglyphical paintings, from
-which the decision of the judges was made. If the sentence proved to be
-capital, it was indicated by a line traced with an arrow across the
-portrait of the condemned, which was always a part of the record.
-
-When the lovers determined to stake their lives on their fidelity to
-each other, they proceeded to settle the matter, at once and for all,
-by uniting themselves in marriage, which they did just before the
-armies of Mexico and Tezcuco marched against Maxtla, in which campaign
-Cacami bore a brave and honorable part. The ceremony of marriage was
-performed by a priest, in the prescribed form, and no earthly power
-could nullify its force, except a due process of law, and then only on
-just grounds for divorce, so strict was the law of marriage among these
-semicivilized people.
-
-When Euetzin and his mother learned the true situation of affairs, the
-latter was horrified at the terrible dilemma into which her child had
-been brought, and was entirely overcome and prostrated from the effects
-of it. Euetzin was greatly troubled, dividing his sympathy between his
-friends. Having so lately experienced the power of love in his own
-case, with Mitla, he was deeply moved with compassion for his
-much-loved sister, and also felt a deep, friendly interest for Cacami.
-He was more hopeful of a favorable termination of the matter than
-anyone else, if, as he suspected, there was reason in the mad step they
-had taken. He resolved to enter the case, and, if in his power, clear
-the good name of his beloved sister, and that of his friend, from all
-opprobrium, and restore to them their freedom and their love.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXIX.
-
-
-The case of Hualcoyotl against Cacami was one of the first, of a
-special character, which came up for trial under the new organization
-of the courts.
-
-The sessions of the court which was to try the case were held in a hall
-set apart for court purposes, called the hall of justice.
-
-The day set for the hearing was at hand, and the court had convened.
-The judges, dressed in their court costumes, which gave them a solemn
-and dignified appearance, were in their seats. The chief officer in
-attendance had commanded silence, and a hush of expectancy had fallen
-upon those present. The case was an interesting one in its character,
-and prominent from the fact that the king was a party to it, and had
-attracted quite a large audience to witness the proceedings, which were
-opened by the presiding justice saying, very impressively:
-
-"The keeper of records will read the order of the court for the
-delivery of one Cacami into its presence."
-
-The official indicated rose up and read, in a manner peculiarly his
-own, yet native in the nasalized expression with which his delivery was
-effected:
-
-"It is ordered," he began, scrutinizing with care the hieroglyphical
-painting, which he held up before him, "that Cacami, a warrior, be
-brought into the presence of this, the king's highest tribunal of
-justice, that he may have opportunity to show why he should not suffer
-the penalty of death for the violation of a sacred and duly established
-law of the realm."
-
-The keeper of prisoners retired, and, after a few minutes' absence,
-returned, accompanied by Cacami. The young warrior was looking pale,
-but resolute. He walked with a firm step to his place in the court; and
-being a man of superb physique, admirably proportioned, with a bright
-eye and handsome face, his appearance elicited a murmur of voices,
-which was evidently an expression of admiration. Directly followed
-Itlza, in company with Euetzin. She was beautifully but plainly
-dressed, and never looked more attractive. The audience was perfectly
-quiet for a moment, while she was being seated, when its tongue again
-became active and a subdued buzz arose from it.
-
-Itlza was given a seat near her husband, while the tzin occupied one
-only a short distance off. When she sat down, her hand quickly found
-its way into Cacami's, the clasp of which seemed to give her courage.
-
-The officer, whose duty it was to observe order, commanded silence, and
-the chief justice proceeded to say:
-
-"The keeper of records will read the charge under which the prisoner at
-the bar is held accused."
-
-Again the nasalated twang of the recorder's voice was heard to wring
-out quite distinctly, as he read:
-
-"It is charged that Cacami, a warrior and subject of the realm,
-contrary to, and in defiance of, a most sacred law of the same, did
-hurt and injure the feelings, and spoil the affections of Hualcoyotl,
-the king, by engaging and marrying with Itlza, a daughter of
-Euzelmozin, who was the chosen of Hualcoyotl to be his queen; to which
-charge Cacami shall give satisfactory answer, or stand convicted, and
-shall, if it be so decided, suffer the penalty therefor, which is
-death."
-
-"What has the prisoner, Cacami, to say in answer to the charge under
-which he stands committed?" asked the judge of the accused.
-
-Cacami rose in his place, and calmly replied:
-
-"I will abide the decision of the court. Let the trial proceed."
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-We are informed by traditional history that the profession and practice
-of law was not extant among the Anahuacans. No counsel was, therefore,
-at hand to be employed in the defense of a prisoner or litigant. The
-parties involved in the trial stated their own case, and won or lost,
-according to the weight of the evidence furnished through their
-witnesses. In criminal cases the procedure was necessarily different,
-charges being preferred and published in open court, which the accused
-was compelled to refute or stand convicted.
-
-The laws regulating testimony were most liberal. The accused was
-entitled to give evidence, and, if he so desired, address the court in
-his own behalf, and the force of what he said was not impaired by the
-fact that he was on trial.
-
-                 *       *       *       *       *
-
-After a few preliminary matters were attended to, the judge again
-addressed the accused:
-
-"Cacami, the prisoner, will rise and answer."
-
-Cacami stood up, and the judge continued:
-
-"How long have you been acquainted with Itlza, the daughter of
-Euzelmozin?"
-
-"I met her first, and made her acquaintance, about the time of
-Hualcoyotl's escape to the mountains."
-
-"When did the desire to possess the maiden first enter your heart?"
-continued the judge.
-
-"My heart went out to Itlza the first time I saw her, and I resolved to
-win her if I could."
-
-"Did Itlza encourage you in this?"
-
-"She certainly did."
-
-"In what manner?"
-
-"By teaching me to love her."
-
-"When did Itlza become your affianced?"
-
-"Only a few days before we were married."
-
-"And when were you married?"
-
-"Just before our army moved against Azcapozalco."
-
-"Was there no understanding between you previous to the time of your
-betrothal that you were to wed?"
-
-"There was not, except in the fact that we were acknowledged lovers,
-intending, in due time, to become affianced."
-
-"About what time did you become acknowledged lovers?"
-
-"A short time previous to the tourney at Tlacopan."
-
-"The love was mutual?"
-
-"I believe it was."
-
-"And you said nothing about it to anyone?"
-
-"I did not, and do not think she did."
-
-"You should have informed the mother and brother of your attachment, if
-only in justice to them. Just here was your first mistake." Continuing,
-the judge inquired:
-
-"Did you know at the time of your marriage that Itlza had been chosen
-by Hualcoyotl to be his queen?"
-
-"I did."
-
-"Were you aware of the consequences of such a step, under the
-circumstances?"
-
-"I was."
-
-"And took the step in the face of such knowledge?" questioned the judge
-in a severe stress of voice.
-
-"Even so," answered Cacami, undaunted by the sternness of the judge;
-"rather than see her whom I love the wife of another, though that other
-was the king."
-
-This answer produced such a commotion and hum of voices that the
-officer in attendance had to command order.
-
-"Thus did you err a second time, and grievously," said the judge, and
-the court looked grave and foreboding.
-
-Cacami was now told to be seated.
-
-"Itlza will rise and answer," said the judge, addressing her
-courteously. When she had risen he continued:
-
-"You are the wife of Cacami, the prisoner at the bar?"
-
-"I am proud to acknowledge myself the wife of Cacami," was her earnest
-reply, accompanied by an affectionate glance at the object of her
-adoration.
-
-"Did Cacami persuade you to do so unwise an act as to wed with him
-under the grave circumstances which existed at the time of your
-marriage?"
-
-"Cacami did not persuade me. My love was pledged to him, and I was the
-first to say, let us wed, though it be unto death."
-
-This declaration from Itlza was received by the spectators with evident
-admiration for her courage and fidelity; and, had it not been for the
-great respect in which the court was held, would have been followed by
-a demonstration of approval. The gravity of the judges, on the other
-hand, deepened, for in her answer, so earnestly and honestly given, she
-had convicted herself of voluntary complicity with Cacami in the
-offense against the king. It was not necessary to question her further,
-and she was told to be seated.
-
-The tzin looked perplexed and troubled, on account of the gravity of
-the position in which his beloved sister's ingenuous reply had placed
-her.
-
-"Euetzin will rise and answer," said the judge, at which the witness
-was not a little surprised, as he was not expecting a call at the
-moment.
-
-"When did you learn of the marriage of your sister with the prisoner?"
-
-"At the time of Cacami's arrest," he replied.
-
-"Had you no previous knowledge or intimation of the sentiments
-entertained by the young people for each other?"
-
-"None whatever. I did not even suspect it, though, since the facts have
-become known, I can see that I might have done so with reason."
-
-"You have been a close and intimate friend of Cacami's, tzin Euet. Will
-you state to the court what you know of him personally?"
-
-The court, like the audience, had been favorably impressed with the
-bearing and perfect candor of the young people, who were being tried
-for their lives, and was evidently seeking palliating conditions
-relevant to their case. The last quest of the judge could have been
-made with no other intent. It was just the position in which the tzin
-desired to be placed; for it gave him the ear of the court, and the
-liberty to address it in behalf of his friend, without the fear of
-interruption so long as he observed a due regard for its dignity. He
-began by saying:
-
-"The court is very kind in conferring upon me the liberty to address
-it--a privilege I very much desired, for which I am profoundly
-thankful." Here the tzin made his obeisance to the court, and
-continued:
-
-"I have known Cacami long enough, and well enough, to be able to speak
-of him in no doubtful language. Cacami and myself labored side by side
-for the freedom of Tezcuco, in times that tried the patriotism of her
-sons. I know him to be a patriot and true friend, which I have proven,
-not only once, but many times. He is a brave and valiant warrior, to
-which our noble Hualcoyotl can bear abundant testimony. He is a true
-man, in that he has staked his life in an issue which involves those
-emotions and sentiments of the heart which honor a man above all
-others--a pure, unsullied love for the woman of his choice. He stands
-to-day, though a prisoner at the bar of justice, a man to whom Tezcuco
-owes as much as to any one person within or without her borders. Had it
-not been for the strong right arm of this valiant man, both as citizen
-and warrior, Hualcoyotl would not be king to-day. You look at me in
-amazement, and well you may, for the words I speak are the words of
-truth and soberness; and when this court condemns to die the warrior
-Cacami, for following the dictates of an attachment stronger than the
-fear of death, it robs Tezcuco of one of her bravest and best; a man to
-whom every Tezcucan should give honor and respect, which is his due;
-for out of his hand came the life of Hualcoyotl, the king, whom all
-delight to honor." The audience, at this point in the tzin's speech,
-was like a mine prepared, ready to break out in a storm of approval,
-from the effect of his impressive eloquence. His heart was in the
-subject, and his face illumined by the earnestness of his effort to
-place the character of his friend in the best possible light before the
-judges. He continued:
-
-"The words of commendation which I am compelled to speak in behalf of
-the warrior Cacami are not spoken out of sympathy for a friend who is
-passing through an ordeal, but from a feeling of regard for his
-personal worth. I admire a man who is brave and fearless in the
-discharge of his duty, be that duty what it may. Such a man is found in
-the prisoner at the bar--the man whom you are to liberate or condemn to
-death. I do not negative the possibility that a feeling of friendship
-for the accused may influence me to some extent in what I say; it could
-hardly be otherwise; but, while this may be admitted, there underlies
-it all an esteem and admiration for the man--as a man--which have
-developed through daily intercourse and observation, and which would
-obtain were we less friendly. My language has not been too strong, I
-would impress upon you, but rather lacking in strength; for the words
-have not yet been coined that will do justice to the worth of him whom
-the law would condemn. Were the king to stand in my place at this
-moment, I believe that he would, in the magnanimity of his noble
-nature, be compelled to reecho the words I have spoken. If worth, in
-those attributes which are esteemed above all others in a man's
-character: honesty, fidelity, courage, and patriotism, may be counted
-in the prisoner's favor, then I pray the court to give him the benefit
-of its weight; for, if any man is entitled to it, that man is Cacami,
-the defendant at the bar."
-
-It will be in order here to enlighten the reader relative to the
-demeanor of the king during the time which elapsed after he entered the
-charge against Cacami up to the day of his trial.
-
-When too late to recall his action, the sting of mortification and
-chagrin having subsided sufficiently to permit him to reason,
-Hualcoyotl became conscious of the fact that he had acted rashly and
-unwisely. When he recalled the many instances wherein Cacami had stood
-between him and death, especially when, a stranger to him, he had
-undoubtedly saved him from the fate which finally overtook his enemy,
-the Tepanec king, he was filled with remorse for the ungenerous course
-he had taken. He had promised to remember his deliverer in the future,
-and how had he done it? By committing him to the mercy of an exacting
-tribunal of justice, from the decision of which there was no appeal.
-
-The day of trial found the repentant king wrought up to a degree of
-mental excitement so great that he could not be composed for a minute.
-He walked the floor of his apartments almost incessantly, and would see
-no one. He was waiting impatiently for a summons to appear before the
-court, but no summons came. It came to that point when he could endure
-the suspense no longer, and he resolved to go to the hall uncalled,
-where he would listen to the proceedings unobserved. He came to the
-door of the court-room and paused, just in time to hear Itlza's last
-answer, which condemned her, in the minds of the judges. When the tzin
-rose to give in his testimony--which proved to be more in the nature of
-a speech--he was all attention, and heard every word the speaker said,
-apparently forgetting his distress of mind in the absorption of the
-moment, while listening to his friend's eloquent plea.
-
-When Euetzin concluded his address to the court, and was seated,
-Hualcoyotl entered the hall and walked straight to the spot on which
-the former had stood, and paused. The court and spectators were
-astonished alike at the singular conduct of the king. His majesty was
-laboring under suppressed excitement and, for a moment, after facing
-the court, appeared unable to speak. He, however, quickly recovered his
-equanimity, and spoke as follows:
-
-"Well, and true, did my friend, the tzin, speak, when he said the king
-would be compelled to reecho his words were he standing in his place. I
-am here to confirm, in the presence of this great tribunal, the words
-Euetzin has spoken. And, further, to admit that, while overwhelmed with
-humiliation and chagrin at my defeat, I did err in causing the arrest
-and committal of the warrior Cacami. Hualcoyotl would better kiss than
-smite the hand that delivered him from his enemy. The defendant at the
-bar once saved your king from a terrible death at the hands of Maxtla;
-and, now, instead of remembering the brave act of his deliverer, as he
-should, your king so far forgot his obligation as to consign him to a
-fate hardly less severe than that from which he rescued him. The
-disposition of the case is in the hands of this tribunal, from the
-decision of which there is no appeal. If, in the end, Cacami is found
-guilty, he must die, and with him Itlza, his wife, who is equally
-liable. Since it was my hand that brought the accused to his present
-position of a threatened destruction, most willingly would I step into
-his place, if I might, and bear the penalty of his offense, but that
-can not be; our laws recognize no substitutions, and the defendant must
-suffer if found guilty of the charge. If there be extenuating
-circumstances favorable to the warrior Cacami, your king prays the
-court to employ them to his advantage. If, by any honorable means, a
-suspension of action, or mitigation of sentence might be effected,
-great will be the relief and satisfaction of your sovereign."
-
-The king took a seat near the accused, and at once assumed the relation
-of an interested friend. Itlza saw him now as the noble and magnanimous
-prince he had always seemed to her; Cacami felt the weight of his
-impending doom grow lighter in the friendly attitude of the king, while
-Euetzin only recognized in the action the generous, forgiving man he
-knew his royal friend to be.
-
-The judges consulted together for a few minutes, when an adjournment of
-the court followed.
-
-The court retired to another room for the purpose of holding a private
-consultation, at which the king was invited to be present. After an
-absence of quite a half hour it returned and the session was resumed.
-
-Cacami was in his place, with the faithful Itlza beside him.
-
-The presiding judge proceeded to address the prisoner and his friends.
-After informing them that a decision had been reached by the court, he
-continued, by saying:
-
-"The case we have been called to consider is an extraordinary one. The
-accused is represented to be a man of sterling qualities, and worthy of
-our highest regard. He is charged, however, with a grave offense
-against his king. The evidence is not wanting to make a case against
-him, but there have come to our notice, during the trial, conditions
-which place the court in doubt as to the wisdom of a further
-prosecution of the defendant. Since this is true, the court has
-decided, at the instance of the king, who is the injured party, to
-dismiss the case. The accused is, therefore, honorably discharged from
-the custody of the court."
-
-Itlza, forgetting all save her great joy, in knowing that Cacami was
-free, threw herself upon his breast and wept.
-
-Cacami was deeply affected, but he belonged to a race of men who
-scorned to exhibit a weakness, under any circumstances, and was calm
-while he held in his strong embrace the weeping Itlza.
-
-Hualcoyotl was the first to speak to them, and, in doing so, assured
-his now successful rival that he experienced great pleasure in knowing
-that he was free.
-
-Euetzin was quite rejoiced, and, with a happy smile upon his face, so
-lately covered by a cloud of anxiety, conducted his now joyful sister
-and her forever-famous young husband from the court-room, and into the
-presence of Teochma, the mother, who received them with demonstrations
-of joy and gladness, forgetting, in the happiness of the moment, her
-disappointment at not becoming the mother of a queen.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XL.
-
-
-Immediately after the trial Cacami and Itlza accompanied Teochma to
-Zelmonco villa, where the twain remained for a time in the enjoyment of
-each other's society, made unspeakably felicitous by a love which had
-been purified and intensified, in the crucible of affliction. The
-reward of their fidelity was a rich one--the consciousness of having
-been true to each other through an ordeal little less terrible than
-death itself.
-
-The stay of the happy couple at the villa was suddenly brought to a
-close by an edict from the king, conferring upon Cacami a title of
-nobility, accompanied by a domain commensurate with the dignity it
-entailed. He was ordered to appear before the proper authority, that he
-might be inducted into the high and honorable station he was to fill,
-and be put in possession of his estates, which included a beautiful
-villa, provided with everything necessary to make it a home worthy of
-one who was to be an associate of the king.
-
-The prescribed forms were complied with, which raised the young farmer
-warrior to a position of distinction, and he and his faithful wife were
-duly installed in their new home.
-
-Itlza, if not a queen, was the happy, loving consort of a noble, who in
-after years became one of the great men of his nation.
-
-Euetzin was in due time wedded to Mitla, at the king's palace.
-
-Hualcoyotl, remembering the act which saved him from capture by the
-Tepanec soldiers and brought him to a final refuge, expressed a wish to
-the tzin that the marriage ceremony between Mitla and himself should be
-celebrated in his presence. The latter, as a result of the request,
-made a trip to the mountaineer's home--not, however, as on previous
-occasions, in a pedestrial fashion, but as a dignitary, within a royal
-palanquin borne by _tamanes_--for the purpose of consulting the wishes
-of the hunters' chief and his family, with reference to the matter. The
-prestige such a wedding would confer upon the favored ones was
-sufficient inducement to cause a concurrence in the arrangement by the
-hunter and his family, and the tzin returned to his royal patron the
-bearer of the gratifying intelligence that he was to be chief sponsor
-of the occasion.
-
-While elaborate preparations for the event were going on, Tezcot and
-his family were brought to the palace of the king to become his guests
-until after the nuptial ceremony.
-
-The eventful day came around, and Mitla, beautiful as she was happy,
-became the wife of Euetzin, the man who was enshrined in her heart and
-mind a veritable hero.
-
-No real princess was ever wedded amid scenes of greater splendor. The
-munificence of the king was lavished upon her, and the occasion, with
-prodigal liberality, which ended only when he bestowed upon the tzin
-and herself a magnificent palace home near his own.
-
-The villa of Zelmonco reverted to Euetzin by entailment, and much of
-the time of Mitla and himself was spent there in the society of his
-mother, who continued to be its mistress and head.
-
-Ixtlilchoatl and Itzalmo lived to see their country raised far above
-its pristine glory, and died in the fullness of years, honored for
-their respective excellence and upright lives.
-
-Oza, though a freeman, was installed in the king's household as an
-over-servant, with liberal provisions for his comfort.
-
-Kan, the weaver, whose cottage had given shelter to the prince at the
-time of his escape from the palace, and whose words, addressed to the
-Tepanec soldier, no doubt, in after years, proved a blessing to more
-than one Tezcucan subject, was not forgotten, but remembered in a
-substantial manner by the king.
-
-Thus did Hualcoyotl remember all his friends.
-
-One of the first acts performed by the prince on his accession to power
-was to extend amnesty to all those who had cast in their lot with
-Maxtla and his predecessor. It is written that he should have said: "A
-monarch may punish, but revenge is unworthy of him." Being averse to
-punishing, in this case, his alienated subjects were all restored to
-citizenship.
-
-Soon after the restoration of the Tezcucan government a triple alliance
-was formed between the states of Mexico, Tezcuco, and Tlacopan for
-offensive and defensive purposes. In this alliance, which was never
-abrogated by the parties themselves, was undoubtedly to be found the
-incipiency of the great Aztec Empire, which ended with the downfall of
-the last Montezuma, and the supremacy of the Spaniards.
-
-Hualcoyotl remained unmarried for many years, in consequence of his
-disappointment in not securing Itlza for his queen. He finally,
-however, determined to marry.
-
-In referring to this chapter in his life we are impelled, out of regard
-for the many excellent qualities which history attributes to him, to
-disregard that portion of it which is prejudicial--the manner in which
-he secured his queen; a parallel case with that of David and Uriah, an
-account of which can be found in Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico."
-
-As the years advanced, Oxie, the younger daughter of Tezcot and
-Xochitl, developed into a very attractive woman. Much of her time was
-spent at the home of Euetzin, and the king was often brought into
-intercourse with her.
-
-The little episode of the bouquet of flowers at the hunter's home, when
-the prince was in hiding there, was not forgotten; and, from it, there
-grew a friendship, which finally ended in a declaration of preference,
-if not of love, from Hualcoyotl, and Oxie became one of his favorite
-wives.
-
-The king had a great fondness for country life, which was to be seen in
-the many magnificent villas he possessed. These grand resorts were
-furnished with everything the heart could wish, to beautify and make
-them pleasant. His chief and favorite retreat was the villa of
-Tezcotzinco, so named, we opine, in honor of the hunters' chief, who,
-after the marriage of both his daughters, decided to become a subject
-of Hualcoyotl's, and was rewarded for it by having the title of tzin
-conferred upon him, and his being established at the king's most
-attractive resort, where he lived to enjoy a good old age.
-
-The ruins of Tezcotzinco have long been designated as the "Baths of
-Montezuma," which, there is reason for saying, is an erroneous
-application, perpetuated through the ignorance of the natives.
-
-A description of the villa Tezcotzinco, as it existed in its ancient
-beauty and grandeur, according to traditional history, will be
-interesting in this connection, to give the reader some idea of the
-splendor and elegance of the great Indian Prince, Hualcoyotl's, manner
-of living.
-
-The villa was situated on a cone-shaped hill, about two leagues from
-the city of Tezcuco. We here quote from the historian: "It was laid out
-in terraces, or hanging gardens, having a flight of steps five hundred
-and twenty in number, many of them hewn in the natural porphyry. In the
-garden on the summit was a reservoir of water, fed by an aqueduct that
-was carried over hill and valley for several miles on huge buttresses
-of masonry. On a lower level there were three other reservoirs. From
-these copious basins the water was distributed in numerous channels
-through the gardens, or was made to tumble over the rocks in cascades.
-In the depths below, marble porticoes and pavilions were erected, and
-baths excavated in the solid rock, which have become noted as the
-'Baths of Montezuma.' The visitor made the descent by steps cut in the
-rock and polished so bright as to reflect like mirrors. Toward the base
-of the hill, in the midst of cedar groves, rose the royal villa, with
-its light arcades and airy halls."
-
-Such was Tezcotzinco, the chief country seat of Prince Nezahualcoyotl,
-to which he often retired to throw off the cares of state, and
-recuperate his jaded spirits in the society of his favorite wives, of
-whom Oxie was one, and especially favored. Here he often entertained
-his royal brothers of Mexico and Tlacopan, and other close friends, in
-the pleasures of the chase through the grand forests that surrounded
-the villa, or in the milder pleasures of its paradisaical bowers and
-alluring shades.
-
-The prince did everything he could to promote and broaden the
-intelligence of his people. Among other things, of an educational
-character, which he established, was a tribunal before which, on stated
-days, compositions of prose and poetry were recited by competitors for
-valuable prizes. The compositions in prose were restricted to the
-subjects of science and history; while the poems treated of moral and
-traditional topics.
-
-The great benefit derived from this and similar institutions was seen
-in the Tezcucan authors and orators, who stood far in advance of those
-of any other nation of Anahuac.
-
-Prince Hualcoyotl himself was one of the most illustrious of their
-writers, especially in compositions of a poetical nature. Such lines as
-the following are attributed to him by historians:
-
-    "If there are bounds to pleasure, the saddest life must also have
-        an end.
-    Then weave the chaplet of flowers, and sing thy songs in
-        praise of the all powerful God, for the glory of this world
-        soon fadeth away.
-    Rejoice in the green freshness of the spring, for the day will
-        soon come when thou shalt sigh for these joys in vain."
-
-And again:
-
-    "The goods of this life, its glories and riches, are but lent to
-        us;
-    The substance is but an illusory shadow, and the things of today
-        shall change on the coming of the morrow.
-    Then gather the fairest flowers from the gardens, to bind round thy
-        brow, and seize the joys of the present ere they perish."
-
-In the poetic thoughts which these lines represent we have the
-reflection of a mind endowed with beauty and simplicity--attributes of
-greatness; and, though surrounded by the darkness of ignorance and
-superstition, the man who possessed it lived to honor the high position
-he was born to fill, that of A Prince of Anahuac.
-
-
-
-
-
-
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