ButOtomie，ceasingfromhertears，kissedhisclayandcriedaloud:
’Omyfather，itiswellthatyouaredead，fornonewholovedyoucoulddesiretoseeyouliveoninshameandservitude。
Maythegodsyouworshippedgivemestrengthtoavengeyou，oriftheybenogods，thenmayIfinditinmyself。
Iswearthis，myfather，thatwhileamanislefttomeIwillnotceasefromseekingtoavengeyou。’
Thentakingmyhand，withoutanotherwordsheturnedandpassedthence。
Aswillbeseen，shekeptheroath。
OnthatdayandonthemorrowtherewasfightingwiththeSpaniards，whosalliedouttofillupthegapsinthedykesofthecauseway，ataskinwhichtheysucceeded，thoughwithsomeloss。
Butitavailedthemnothing，forsosoonastheirbackswereturnedweopenedthedykesagain。
ItwasonthesedaysthatforthefirsttimeIhadexperienceofwar，andarmedwithmybowmadeaftertheEnglishpattern，Ididgoodservice。
Asitchanced，theveryfirstarrowthatIdrewwasonmyhatedfoedeGarcia，butheremycommonfortunepursuedme，forbeingoutofpractice，orover-anxious，I
aimedtoohigh，thoughthemarkwasaneasyone，andtheshaftpiercedtheironofhiscasque，causinghimtoreelinhissaddle，butdoinghimnofurtherhurt。
Stillthismarksmanship，poorasitwas，gainedmegreatrenownamongtheAztecs，whowerebutfeeblearchers，fortheyhadneverbeforeseenanarrowpiercethroughtheSpanishmail。
NorwouldminehavedonesohadInotcollectedtheironbarbsoffthecrossbowboltsoftheSpaniards，andfittedthemtomyownshafts。
Iseldomfoundthemailthatwouldwithstandarrowsmadethus，whentherangewasshortandtheaimgood。
Afterthefirstday’sfightIwasappointedgeneraloverabodyofthreethousandarchers，andwasgivenabannertobebornebeforemeandagorgeouscaptain’sdresstowear。
ButwhatpleasedmebetterwasachainshirtwhichcamefromthebodyofaSpanishcavalier。
FormanyyearsIalwaysworethisshirtbeneathmycottonmail，anditsavedmylifemorethanonce，forevenbulletswouldnotpiercethetwoofthem。
Ihadtakenoverthecommandofmyarchersbutforty-eighthours，ascanttimeinwhichtoteachthemdisciplinewhereoftheyhadlittle，thoughtheywerebraveenough，whentheoccasioncametousethemingoodearnest，andwithitthenightofdisasterthatisstillknownamongtheSpaniardsasthenochetriste。
OntheafternoonbeforethatnightacouncilwasheldinthepalaceatwhichIspoke，saying，IwascertainthattheTeulesthoughtofretreatfromthecity，andinthedark，forotherwisetheywouldnothavebeensoeagertofillupthecanalsinthecauseway。
TothisCuitlahua，whonowthatMontezumawasdeadwouldbeemperor，thoughhewasnotyetchosenandcrowned，answeredthatitmightwellbethattheTeulesmeditatedflight，butthattheycouldneverattemptitinthedarkness，sinceinsodoingtheymustbecomeentangledinthestreetsanddykes。
IrepliedthatthoughitwasnottheAztechabittomarchandfightatnight，suchthingswerecommonenoughamongwhitemenastheyhadseenalready，andthatbecausetheSpaniardsknewitwasnottheirhabit，theywouldbethemorelikelytoattemptescapeundercoverofthedarkness，whentheythoughttheirenemiesasleep。
ThereforeIcounselledthatsentriesshouldbesetatalltheentrancestoeverycauseway。
TothisCuitlahuaassented，andassignedthecausewayofTlacopantoGuatemocandmyself，makingustheguardiansofitssafety。
ThatnightGuatemocandI，withsomesoldiers，wentouttowardsmidnighttovisittheguardthatwehadplaceduponthecauseway。
Itwasverydarkandafinerainfell，sothatamancouldseenofurtherbeforehiseyesthanhecanateveningthroughaNorfolkrokeinautumn。
Wefoundandrelievedtheguard，whichreportedthatallwasquiet，andwewerereturningtowardsthegreatsquarewhenofasuddenIheardadullsoundasofthousandsofmentramping。
’Listen，’Isaid。
’ItistheTeuleswhoescape，’whisperedGuatemoc。
Quicklywerantowherethestreetfromthegreatsquareopensontothecauseway，andthereeventhroughthedarknessandrainwecaughtthegleamofarmour。
ThenIcriedaloudinagreatvoice，’Toarms！
Toarms！
TheTeulesescapebythecausewayofTlacopan。’
Instantlymywordswerecaughtupbythesentriesandpassedfromposttoposttillthecityrangwiththem。
Theywerecriedineverystreetandcanal，theyechoedfromtheroofsofhouses，andamongthesummitsofahundredtemples。
Thecityawokewithamurmur，fromthelakecamethesoundofwaterbeatenbytenthousandoars，asthoughmyriadsofwild-fowlhadsprungsuddenlyfromtheirreedybeds。
Here，there，andeverywheretorchesflashedoutlikefallingstars，wildnoteswereblownonhornsandshells，andaboveallarosetheboomingofthesnakeskindrumwhichthepriestsupontheteocallibeatfuriously。
Presentlythemurmurgrewtoaroar，andfromthisdirectionandfromthat，armedmenpouredtowardsthecausewayofTlacopan。
Somecameonfoot，butthemostofthemwereincanoeswhichcoveredthewatersofthelakefurtherthantheearcouldhear。
NowtheSpaniardstothenumberoffifteenhundredorso，accompaniedbysomesixoreightthousandTlascalans，wereemergingonthecausewayinalongthinline。
GuatemocandIrushedbeforethem，collectingmenaswewent，tillwecametothefirstcanal，wherecanoeswerealreadygatheringbyscores。
TheheadoftheSpanishcolumnreachedthecanalandthefightbegan，whichsofarastheAztecswereconcernedwasafraywithoutplanororder，forinthatdarknessandconfusionthecaptainscouldnotseetheirmenorthemenheartheircaptains。
Buttheywerethereincountlessnumbersandhadonlyonedesireintheirbreasts，tokilltheTeules。
A
cannonroared，sendingastormofbulletsthroughus，andbyitsflashwesawthattheSpaniardscarriedatimberbridgewiththem，whichtheywereplacingacrossthecanal。
Thenwefellonthem，everymanfightingforhimself。
GuatemocandIweresweptoverthatbridgebythefirstrushoftheenemy，asleavesaresweptinagale，andthoughbothofuswonthroughsafelywesaweachothernomorethatnight。
WithusandafteruscamethelongarrayofSpaniardsandTlascalans，andfromeverysidetheAztecspoureduponthem，clingingtotheirstrugglinglineasantsclingtoawoundedworm。
HowcanItellallthatcametopassthatnight？
Icannot，forI
sawbutlittleofit。
AllIknowisthatfortwohoursIwasfightinglikeamadman。
Thefoecrossedthefirstcanal，butwhenallwereoverthebridgewassunksodeepinthemudthatitcouldnotbestirred，andthreefurlongsonranasecondcanaldeeperandwiderthanthefirst。
Overthistheycouldnotcrosstillitwasbridgedwiththedead。
Itseemedasthoughallhellhadbrokenlooseuponthatnarrowridgeofground。
Thesoundofcannonsandofarquebusses，theshrieksofagonyandfear，theshoutsoftheSpanishsoldiers，thewar-criesoftheAztecs，thescreamsofwoundedhorses，thewailofwomen，thehissofhurtlingdartsandarrows，andthedullnoiseoffallingblowswentuptoheaveninonehideoushurly-burly。
LikeafrightenedmobofcattlethelongSpanisharrayswayedthiswayandthat，bellowingasitswayed。
Manyrolleddownthesidesofthecausewaytobeslaughteredinthewaterofthelake，orborneawaytosacrificeinthecanoes，manyweredrownedinthecanals，andyetmoreweretrampledtodeathinthemud。
HundredsoftheAztecsperishedalso，forthemostpartbeneaththeweaponsoftheirownfriends，whostruckandshotnotknowingonwhomtheblowshouldfallorinwhosebreastthearrowwouldfinditshome。
FormypartIfoughtonwithalittlebandofmenwhohadgatheredaboutme，tillatlastthedawnbrokeandshowedanawfulsight。
ThemostofthosewhowereleftaliveoftheSpaniardsandtheirallieshadcrossedthesecondcanaluponabridgemadeofthedeadbodiesoftheirfellowsmixedupwithawreckofbaggage，cannon，andpackagesoftreasure。
Nowthefightwasragingbeyondit。
A
mobofSpaniardsandTlascalanswerestillcrossingthesecondbreach，andontheseIfellwithsuchmenaswerewithme。
I
plungedrightintotheheartofthem，andsuddenlybeforemeIsawthefaceofdeGarcia。
WithashoutIrushedathim。
Heheardmyvoiceandknewme。
Withanoathhestruckatmyhead。
Theheavyswordcamedownuponmyhelmetofpaintedwood，shearingawayonesideofitandfellingme，butereIfellIsmotehimonthebreastwiththeclubIcarried，tumblinghimtotheearth。
NowhalfstunnedandblindedIcrepttowardshimthroughthepress。
AllthatIcouldseewasagleamofarmourinthemud。
Ithrewmyselfuponit，grippingatthewearer’sthroat，andtogetherwerolleddownthesideofthecausewayintotheshallowwaterattheedgeofthelake。
Iwasuppermost，andwithafiercejoyIdashedthebloodfrommyeyesthatImightseetokillmyenemycaughtatlast。
Hisbodywasinthelakebuthisheadlayupontheslopingbank，andmyplanwastoholdhimbeneaththewatertillhewasdrowned，forIhadlostmyclub。
’Atlength，deGarcia！’IcriedinSpanishasIshiftedmygrip。
’FortheloveofGodletmego！’gaspedaroughvoicebeneathme。
’Fool，IamnoIndiandog。’
NowIpeeredintotheman’sfacebewildered。
IhadseizeddeGarcia，butthevoicewasnothisvoice，norwasthefacehisface，butthatofaroughSpanishsoldier。
’Whoareyou？’Iasked，slackeningmyhold。
’WhereisdeGarcia——
hewhomyounameSarceda？’
’Sarceda？
Idon’tknow。
Aminuteagohewasonhisbackonthecauseway。
Thefellowpulledmedownandrolledbehindme。
LetmebeIsay。
IamnotSarceda，andifIwere，isthisatimetosettleprivatequarrels？
Iamyourcomrade，BernalDiaz。
HolyMother！whoareyou？
AnAztecwhospeaksCastilian？’
’IamnoAztec，’Ianswered。
’IamanEnglishmanandIfightwiththeAztecsthatImayslayhimwhomyounameSarceda。
ButwithyouIhavenoquarrel，BernalDiaz。
Begoneandescapeifyoucan。
No，Iwillkeeptheswordwithyourleave。’
’Englishman，Spaniard，Aztec，ordevil，’gruntedthemanashedrewhimselffromhisbedofooze，’youareagoodfellow，andIpromiseyouthatifIlivethroughthis，anditshouldevercomeaboutthatIgetYOUbythethroat，Iwillremembertheturnyoudidme。
Farewell；’andwithoutmoreadoherushedupthebankandplungedintoaknotofhisflyingcountrymen，leavinghisgoodswordinmyhand。
IstrovetofollowhimthatImightfindmyenemy，whooncemorehadescapedmebycraft，butmystrengthfailedme，fordeGarcia’sswordhadbittendeepandIbledmuch。
SoImustsitwhereIwastillacanoecameandboremebacktoOtomietobenursed，andtendayswentbybeforeIcouldwalkagain。
