OnthemorningafterhisdeaththeSpanisharrayenteredthepass。
Half-waydownitImetthemwithmyfivehundredmenandengagedthem，butsufferedthemtodriveusbackwithsomeloss。
Astheyfollowedtheygrewbolderandwefledfaster，tillatlengthweflewdownthedefilefollowedbytheSpanishhorse。
Now，somethreefurlongsfromitsmouththatleadstotheCityofPines，thispassturnsandnarrows，andherethecliffsaresosheerandhighthatatwilightreignsatthefootofthem。
Downthenarrowwayweraninseemingrout，andafteruscametheSpaniardsshoutingontheirsaintsandflushedwithvictory。
Butscarcelyhadweturnedthecornerwhentheysanganothersong，forthosewhowerewatchingathousandfeetaboveusgavethesignal，anddownfromonhighcamearainofstonesandbouldersthatdarkenedtheairandcrashedamongthem，crushingmanyofthem。
Ontheystruggled，seeingawiderwayinfrontwherethecliffssloped，andperhapshalfofthemwonthrough。
Butherethearcherswerewaiting，andnow，intheplaceofstones，arrowswerehaileduponthem，tillatlength，utterlybewilderedandunabletostrikeablowintheirowndefence，theyturnedtoflytowardstheopencountry。
Thisfinishedthefight，fornowweassailedtheirflank，andoncemoretherocksthunderedonthemfromabove，andtheendofitwasthatthosewhoremainedoftheSpaniardsandtheirIndianalliesweredriveninutterroutbacktotheplainbeyondthePassofPines。
AfterthisbattletheSpaniardstroubledusnomoreformanyyearsexceptbythreats，andmynamegrewgreatamongthepeopleoftheOtomie。
OneSpaniardIrescuedfromdeathandafterwardsIgavehimhisliberty。
FromhimIinquiredofthedoingsofdeGarciaorSarceda，andlearnedthathewasstillintheserviceofCortes，butthatMarinahadbeentruetoherword，andhadbroughtdisgraceuponhimbecausehehadthreatenedtoputOtomietothetorture。
MoreoverCorteswasangrywithhimbecauseofourescape，theburdenofwhichMarinahadlaiduponhisshoulders，hintingthathehadtakenabribetosufferustopassthegate。
OfthefourteenyearsofmylifewhichfollowedthedefeatoftheSpaniardsIcanspeakbriefly，forcomparedtothetimethathadgonebeforetheywereyearsofquiet。
InthemchildrenwereborntomeandOtomie，threesons，andthesechildrenweremygreatjoy，forIlovedthemdearlyandtheylovedme。
Indeed，exceptforthestrainoftheirmother’sblood，theywereEnglishboysandnotIndian，forIchristenedthemall，andtaughtthemourEnglishtongueandfaith，andtheirmienandeyesweremoreEnglishthanIndian，thoughtheirskinsweredark。
ButIhadnoluckwiththesedearchildrenofmine，anymorethanIhavehadwiththatwhichLilyboreme。
Twoofthemdied——onefromafeverthatallmyskillwouldnotavailtocure，andanotherbyafallfromaloftycedartree，whichheclimbedsearchingforakite’snest。
Thusofthethreeofthem——sinceIdonotspeaknowofthatinfant，myfirstborn，whoperishedinthesiege——thereremainedtomeonlytheeldestandbestbelovedofwhomImusttellhereafter。
Fortherest，jointlywithOtomieIwasnamedcaciqueoftheCityofPinesatagreatcouncilthatwasheldafterIhaddestroyedtheSpaniardsandtheirallies，andassuchwehadwidethoughnotabsolutepower。
Bytheexerciseofthispower，intheendI
succeededinabolishingthehorribleritesofhumansacrifice，though，becauseofthis，alargenumberoftheoutlyingtribesfellawayfromourrule，andtheenmityofthepriestswasexcitedagainstme。
Thelastsacrifice，exceptoneonly，themostterribleofthemall，ofwhichIwilltellafterwards，thatwasevercelebratedontheteocalliinfrontofthepalace，tookplaceafterthedefeatoftheSpaniardsinthepass。
WhenIhaddweltthreeyearsintheCityofPinesandtwosonshadbeenborntomethere，secretmessengersarrivedthatweresentbythefriendsofGuatemoc，whohadsurvivedthetortureandwasstillaprisonerinthehandsofCortes。
FromthesemessengerswelearnedthatCorteswasabouttostartuponanexpeditiontotheGulfofHonduras，acrossthecountrythatisnowknownasYucatan，takingGuatemocandotherAztecnobleswithhimforhefearedtoleavethembehind。
WeheardalsothattherewasmuchmurmuringamongtheconqueredtribesofAnahuacbecauseofthecrueltiesandextortionsoftheSpaniards，andmanythoughtthatthehourhadcomewhenarisingagainstthemmightbecarriedtoasuccessfulissue。
Thiswastheprayerofthosewhosenttheenvoys，thatIshouldraiseaforceofOtomiesandtravelwithitacrossthecountrytoYucatan，andtherewithotherswhowouldbegathered，waitafavourableopportunitytothrowmyselfupontheSpaniardswhentheywereentangledintheforestsandswamps，puttingthemtotheswordandreleasingGuatemoc。
Suchwasthefirstpurposeoftheplot，thoughithadmanyothersofwhichitisuselesstospeak，seeingthattheycametonothing。
WhenthemessagehadbeendeliveredIshookmyheadsadly，forI
couldseenohopeinsuchascheme，butthechiefofthemessengersroseandledmeaside，sayingthathehadawordformyear。
’Guatemocsendsthesewords，’hesaid；’Ihearthatyou，mybrother，arefreeandsafewithmycousinOtomieinthemountainsoftheOtomie。
I，alas！lingerintheprisonsoftheTeuleslikeacrippledeagleinacage。
Mybrother，ifitisinyourpowertohelpme，dosoIconjureyoubythememoryofourancientfriendship，andofallthatwehavesufferedtogether。
ThenatimemaystillcomewhenIshallruleagaininAnahuac，andyoushallsitatmyside。’
Iheardandmyheartwasstirred，forthen，astothishour，I
lovedGuatemocasabrother。
’Goback，’Isaid，’andfindmeanstotellGuatemocthatifIcansavehimIwill，thoughIhavesmallhopesthatway。
Still，lethimlookformeintheforestsofYucatan。’
NowwhenOtomieheardofthispromiseofmineshewasvexed，forshesaidthatitwasfoolishandwouldonlyendinmylosingmylife。
Still，havinggivenitsheheldwithmethatitmustbecarriedout，andtheendofitwasthatIraisedfivehundredmen，andwiththemsetoutuponmylongandtoilsomemarch，whichI
timedsoastomeetCortesinthepassesofYucatan。
AtthelastmomentOtomiewishedtoaccompanyme，butIforbadeit，pointingoutthatshecouldleaveneitherherchildrennorherpeople，andwepartedwithbittergriefforthefirsttime。
OfallthehardshipsthatIunderwentIwillnotwrite。
Fortwoandahalfmonthswestruggledonacrossmountainsandriversandthroughswampsandforests，tillatlastwereachedamightydesertedcity，thatiscalledPalenquebytheIndiansofthoseparts，whichhasbeenuninhabitedformanygenerations。
ThiscityisthemostmarvellousplacethatIhaveseeninallmytravels，thoughmuchofitishiddeninbush，forwhereverthetravellerwanderstherehefindsvastpalacesofmarble，carvenwithinandwithout，andsculpturedteocallisandthehugeimagesofgrinninggods。
OftenhaveIwonderedwhatnationwasstrongenoughtobuildsuchacapital，andwhowerethekingsthatdweltinit。
Butthesearesecretsbelongingtothepast，andtheycannotbeansweredtillsomelearnedmanhasfoundthekeytothestonesymbolsandwritingswithwhichthewallsofthebuildingsarecoveredover。
InthiscityIhidwithmymen，thoughitwasnoeasytasktopersuadethemtotakeuptheirhabitationamongsomanyghostsofthedeparted，nottospeakofthenoisomefeversandthewildbeastsandsnakesthathauntedit，forIhadinformationthattheSpaniardswouldpassthroughtheswampthatliesbetweentheruinsandtheriver，andthereIhopedtoambushthem。
ButontheeighthdayofmyhidingIlearnedfromspiesthatCorteshadcrossedthegreatriverhigherup，andwascuttinghiswaythroughtheforest，forofswampshehadpassedmorethanenough。
SoIhurriedalsototheriverintendingtocrossit。
ButallthatdayandallthatnightitrainedasitcanrainnowhereelseintheworldthatI
haveseen，tillatlastwewadedonourroadkneedeepinwater，andwhenwecametothefordoftheriveritwastofindawideroaringflood，thatnomancouldpassinanythinglessfrailthanaYarmouthherringboat。
Sothereonthebankwemuststayinmisery，sufferingmanyillsfromfever，lackoffood，andplenitudeofwater，tillatlengththestreamrandown。
Threedaysandnightswewaitedthere，andonthefourthmorningI
madeshifttocross，losingfourmenbydrowninginthepassage。
Onceover，Ihidmyforceinthebushandreeds，andcreptforwardwithsixmenonly，toseeifIcoulddiscoveranythingofthewhereaboutsoftheSpaniards。
WithinanhourIstruckthetrailthattheyhadcutthroughtheforest，andfolloweditcautiously。
Presentlywecametoaspotwheretheforestwasthin，andhereCorteshadcamped，fortherewasheatleftintheashesofhisfires，andamongthemlaythebodyofanIndianwhohaddiedfromsickness。
Notfiftyyardsfromthiscampstoodahugeceiba，atreethathasahabitofgrowthnotunlikethatofourEnglishoak，thoughitissoftwoodedandwhitebarked，andwillincreasemoreinbulkintwentyyearsthananyoakmayinahundred。
IndeedI
neveryetsawanoaktreesolargeasthisceibaofwhichIwrite，eitheringirthorinitsspreadoftop，unlessitbetheKirbyoakorthetreethatiscalledthe’KingofScoto’whichgrowsatBroome，thatisthenextparishtothisofDitchinghaminNorfolk。
Onthisceibatreemanyzaphilotesorvultureswereperched，andaswecrepttowardsitIsawwhatitwastheycametoseek，forfromthelowestbranchesoftheceibathreecorpsesswunginthebreeze。
’HerearetheSpaniard’sfootprints，’Isaid。
’Letuslookatthem，’andwepassedbeneaththeshadowofthetree。
AsIcame，azaphilotealightedontheheadofthebodythathungnearesttome，anditsweight，orthewaftingofthefowl’swing，causedthedeadmantoturnroundsothathecamefacetofacewithme。
Ilooked，startedback，thenlookedagainandsanktotheearthgroaning。
ForherewashewhomIhadcometoseekandsave，myfriend，mybrother，GuatemocthelastemperorofAnahuac。
Herehehunginthedimanddesolateforest，deadbythedeathofathief，whilethevultureshriekeduponhishead。
Isatbewilderedandhorror-stricken，andasIsatIrememberedtheproudsignofAztecroyalty，abirdofpreyclaspinganadderinitsclaw。
Therebeforemewasthelastofthestock，andbehold！abirdofpreygrippedhishairinitstalons，afittingemblemindeedofthefallofAnahuacandthekingsofAnahuac。
Isprangtomyfeetwithanoath，andliftingthebowIheldIsentanarrowthroughthevultureanditfelltotheearthflutteringandscreaming。
ThenIbadethosewithmetocutdownthecorpsesofGuatemocandoftheprinceofTacubaandanothernoblewhohungwithhim，andhollowadeepgravebeneaththetree。
ThereIlaidthem，andthereIleftthemtosleepforeverinitsmelancholyshadow，andthusforthelasttimeIsawGuatemocmybrother，whomIcamefromfartosaveandfoundmadereadyforburialbytheSpaniard。
ThenIturnedmyfacehomewards，fornowAnahuachadnokingtorescue，butitchancedthatbeforeIwentIcaughtaTlascalanwhocouldspeakSpanish，andwhohaddesertedfromthearmyofCortesbecauseofthehardshipsthathesufferedintheirtoilsomemarch。
ThismanwaspresentatthemurderofGuatemocandhiscompanions，andheardtheEmperor’slastwords。
ItseemsthatsomeknavehadbetrayedtoCortesthatanattemptwouldbemadetorescuetheprince，andthatthereonCortescommandedthatheshouldbehung。
ItseemsalsothatGuatemocmethisdeathashehadmetthemisfortunesofhislife，proudlyandwithoutfear。
Thesewerehislastwords:’Ididill，Malinche，whenIheldmyhandfromtakingmyownlifebeforeIsurrenderedmyselftoyou。
Thenmyhearttoldmethatallyourpromiseswerefalse，andithasnotliedtome。
