Itwasagaysight，forinthebrightsunlighttheirfeatherdressesflashedlikecoatsofgems，andnonewouldhaveguessedhowitwastoend。
MinglingwiththedancersweregroupsofSpaniardscladinmailandarmedwithswordsandmatchlocks，butInotedthat，asthetimewenton，thesemenseparatedthemselvesfromtheIndiansandbegantoclusterlikebeesaboutthegatesandatvariouspointsundertheshadowoftheWallofSerpents。
’Nowwhatmaythismean？’IsaidtoGuatemoc，andasIspoke，IsawaSpaniardwaveawhiteclothintheair。
Then，inaninstant，beforetheclothhadceasedtoflutter，asmokearosefromeveryside，andwithitcamethesoundofthefiringofmatchlocks。
Everywhereamongthedancersmenfelldeadorwounded，butthemassofthem，unharmedasyet，huddledthemselvestogetherlikefrightenedsheep，andstoodsilentandterror-stricken。
ThentheSpaniards，shoutingthenameoftheirpatronsaint，asitistheircustomtodowhentheyhavesomesuchwickednessinhand，drewtheirswords，andrushingontheunarmedAztecnoblesbegantokillthem。
Nowsomeshriekedandfled，andsomestoodstilltilltheywerecutdown，butwhethertheystayedorrantheendwasthesame，forthegateswereguardedandthewallwastoohightoclimb。
Theretheywereslaughteredeverymanofthem，andmayGod，whoseesall，rewardtheirmurderers！
Itwassoonover；withintenminutesofthewavingofthecloth，thosesixhundredmenwerestretcheduponthepavementdeadordying，andwithshoutsofvictorytheSpaniardsweredespoilingtheircorpsesoftherichornamentstheyhadworn。
ThenIturnedtoGuatemocandsaid，’Itseemsthatyoudidwellnottojoininyonderrevel。’
ButGuatemocmadenoanswer。
Hestaredatthedeadandthosewhohadmurderedthem，andsaidnothing。
OnlyOtomiespoke:’YouChristiansareagentlepeople，’shesaidwithabitterlaugh；’itisthusthatyourepayourhospitality。
NowItrustthatMontezuma，myfather，ispleasedwithhisguests。
Ah！wereIhe，everymanofthemshouldlieonthestoneofsacrifice。
Ifourgodsaredevilsasyousay，whatarethosewhoworshipyours？’
ThenatlengthGuatemocsaid，’Onlyonethingremainstous，andthatisvengeance。
Montezumahasbecomeawoman，andIheedhimnomore，nay，ifitwereneedful，Iwouldkillhimwithmyownhand。
Buttwomenarestillleftintheland，Cuitlahua，myuncle，andmyself。
NowIgotosummonourarmies。’
Andhewent。
Allthatnightthecitymurmuredlikeaswarmofwasps，andnextdayatdawn，sofarastheeyecouldreach，thestreetsandmarketplacewerefilledwithtensofthousandsofarmedwarriors。
TheythrewthemselveslikeawaveuponthewallsofthepalaceofAxa，andlikeawavefromarocktheyweredrivenbackagainbythefireoftheguns。
Thricetheyattacked，andthricetheywererepulsed。
ThenMontezuma，thewomanking，appeareduponthewalls，prayingthemtodesistbecause，forsooth，didtheysucceed，hehimselfmightperish。
Eventhentheyobeyedhim，sogreatwastheirreverenceforhissacredroyalty，andforawhileattackedtheSpaniardsnomore。
Butfurtherthanthistheywouldnotgo。
IfMontezumaforbadethemtokilltheSpaniards，atleasttheydeterminedtostarvethemout，andfromthathourastraitblockadewaskeptupagainstthepalace。
HundredsoftheAztecsoldiershadbeenslainalready，butthelosswasnotallupontheirside，forsomeoftheSpaniardsandmanyoftheTlascalanshadfallenintotheirhands。
Asfortheseunluckyprisoners，theirendwasswift，fortheyweretakenatoncetothetemplesofthegreatteocalli，andsacrificedtheretothegodsinthesightoftheircomrades。
NowitwasthatCortesreturnedwithmanymoremen，forhehadconqueredNarvaez，whosefollowersjoinedthestandardofCortes，andwiththemothers，oneofwhomIhadgoodreasontoknow。
CorteswassufferedtorejoinhiscomradesinthepalaceofAxawithoutattack，Idonotknowwhy，andonthefollowingdayCuitlahua，Montezuma’sbrother，kingofPalapan，wasreleasedbyhimthathemightsoothethepeople。
ButCuitlahuawasnocoward。
Oncesafeoutsidehisprisonwalls，hecalledthecounciltogether，ofwhomthechiefwasGuatemoc。
Theretheyresolvedonwartotheend，givingitoutthatMontezumahadforfeitedhiskingdombyhiscowardice，andonthatresolvetheyacted。
Haditbeentakenbuttwoshortmonthsbefore，bythisdatenoSpaniardwouldhavebeenleftaliveinTenoctitlan。
ForafterMarina，theloveofCortes，whosesubtlewitbroughtabouthistriumph，itwasMontezumawhowasthechiefcauseofhisownfall，andofthatofthekingdomofAnahuac。
OnthedayafterthereturnofCortestoMexico，beforethehourofdawnIwasawakenedfrommyuneasyslumbersbythewhistlingcriesofthousandsofwarriorsandthesoundofatabalsanddrums。
Hurryingtomypostofoutlookonthelittlepyramid，whereOtomiejoinedme，Isawthatthewholepeopleweregatheredforwar。
Sofarastheeyecouldreach，insquare，marketplace，andstreet，theyweremassedinthousandsandtensofthousands。
Somewerearmedwithslings，somewithbowsandarrows，otherswithjavelinstippedwithcopper，andtheclubsetwithspikesofobsidianthatiscalledmaqua，andyetothers，citizensofthepoorersort，withstakeshardenedinthefire。
Thebodiesofsomewerecoveredwithgoldencoatsofmailandmantlesoffeatherwork，andtheirskullsprotectedbypaintedwoodenhelms，crestedwithhair，andfashionedliketheheadsofpumas，snakes，orwolves——othersworeescaupils，orcoatsofquiltedcotton，butthemostofthemwerenakedexceptforaclothabouttheloins。
Ontheflatazoteas，orroofsofhousesalso，andevenonthetopoftheteocalliofsacrifice，werebandsofmenwhosepartitwastorainmissilesintotheSpanishquarters。
Itwasastrangesighttoseeinthatredsunrise，andonenevertobeforgotten，asthelightflashedfromtemplesandpalacewalls，ontotheglitteringfeathergarmentsandgaybanners，thepointsofcountlessspearsandthearmouroftheSpaniards，whohurriedtoandfrobehindtheirbattlementsmakingreadytheirdefence。
Sosoonasthesunwasup，apriestblewashrillnoteuponashell，whichwasansweredbyatrumpetcallfromtheSpanishquarters。
ThenwithashriekofragethethousandsoftheAztecsrushedtotheattack，andtheairgrewdarkwithmissiles。
Instantlyawaveringlineoffireandsmoke，followedbyasoundasofthunder，brokefromthewallsofthepalaceofAxa，andthechargingwarriorsfelllikeautumnleavesbeneaththecannonandarquebussballsoftheChristians。
Foramomenttheywaveredandagreatgroanwentuptoheaven，butIsawGuatemocspringforward，abannerinhishand，andformingupagaintheyrushedafterhim。
Nowtheywerebeneaththewallofthepalace，andtheassaultbegan。
TheAztecsfoughtfuriously。
Timeupontimetheystrovetoclimbthewall，pilingupthebodiesofthedeadtoservethemasladders，andtimeupontimetheywererepulsedwithcruelloss。
Failinginthis，theysetthemselvestobatteringitdownwithheavybeams，butwhenthebreachwasmadeandtheyclusteredinitlikeherdedsheep，thecannonopenedfireonthem，tearinglonglanesthroughtheirmassandleavingthemdeadbyscores。
Thentheytooktotheshootingofflamingarrows，andbythismeansfiredtheoutworks，butthepalacewasofstoneandwouldnotburn。
Thusfortwelvelonghoursthestruggleragedunceasingly，tillthesuddenfallofdarknessputanendtoit，andtheonlysighttobeseenwastheflareofcountlesstorchescarriedbythosewhosoughtoutthedead，andtheonlysoundstobeheardwerethevoiceofwomenlamenting，andthegroansofthedying。
Onthemorrowthefightbrokeoutagainatdawn，whenCortessalliedforthwiththegreaterpartofhissoldiers，andsomethousandsofhisTlascalanallies。
AtfirstIthoughtthatheaimedhisattackatMontezuma’spalace，andabreathofhopewentthroughme，sincethenitmightbecomepossibleformetoescapeintheconfusion。
Butthiswasnotso，hisobjectbeingtosetfiretothehouses，fromtheflatroofsofwhichnumberlessmissileswerehailedhourlyuponhisfollowers。
Thechargewasdesperateanditsucceeded，fortheIndianscouldnotwithstandtheshockofhorsemenanymorethantheirnakedskinscouldturntheSpaniards’
steel。
Presentlyscoresofhouseswereinflames，andthickcolumnsofsmokerolleduplikethosethatfloatfromthemouthofPopo。
ButmanyofthosewhorodeandranfromthegatesofAxadidnotcomebackthither，fortheAztecsclungtothelegsofthehorsesanddraggedtheirridersawayliving。
ThatverydaythesecaptivesweresacrificedonthealtarofHuitzel，andinthesightoftheircomrades，andwiththemahorsewasofferedup，whichhadbeentakenalive，andwasborneanddraggedwithinfinitelabourupthesteepsidesofthepyramid。
Indeedneverhadthesacrificesbeensomanyasduringthesedaysofcombat。
Alldaylongthealtarsranred，andalldaylongthecriesofthevictimsranginmyears，asthemaddenedpriestswentabouttheirwork。
ForthustheythoughttopleasethegodswhoshouldgivethemvictoryovertheTeules。
Evenatnightthesacrificescontinuedbythelightofthesacredfires，thatfrombelowgavethosewhowroughtthemtheappearanceofdevilsflittingthroughtheflamesofhell，andinflictingitstormentsonthedamned，muchastheyaredepictedinthe’Doom’
paintingoftheresurrectionofthedeadthatisoverthechancelarchinthischurchofDitchingham。
Andhourbyhourthroughthedarkness，avoicecalledoutthreatsandwarningstotheSpaniards，saying，’Huitzelishungryforyourblood，yeTeules，yeshallsurelyfollowwhereyehaveseenyourfellowsgo:thecagesareready，theknivesaresharp，andtheironsarehotforthetorture。
Prepare，yeTeules，forthoughyeslaymany，yecannotescape。’
Thusthestrugglewentondayafterday，tillthousandsoftheAztecsweredead，andtheSpaniardswerewellnighwornoutwithhunger，war，andwounds，fortheycouldnotrestasinglehour。
Atlengthonemorning，whentheassaultwasatitshottest，Montezumahimselfappeareduponthecentraltowerofthepalace，cladinsplendidrobesandwearingthediadem。
Beforehimstoodheraldsbearinggoldenwands，andabouthimwerethenobleswhoattendedhiminhiscaptivity，andaguardofSpaniards。
Hestretchedouthishand，andsuddenlythefightingwasstayedandasilencefellupontheplace，eventhewoundedceasedfromtheirgroaning。
Thenheaddressedthemultitude。
WhathesaidIwastoofarofftohear，thoughIlearneditspurportafterwards。
Heprayedhispeopletoceasefromwar，fortheSpaniardswerehisfriendsandguestsandwouldpresentlyleavethecityofTenoctitlan。
Whenthesecowardlywordshadpassedhislips，afurytookhissubjects，whoforlongyearshadworshippedhimasagod，andashriekrenttheairthatseemedtosaytwowordsonly:
’Woman！
Traitor！’
