No words were needed to explain what had taken place. Impossible as it had seemed, the Aztec army had been defeated. A cry broke from the two ladies, as he entered.
"The white man's God has triumphed," he said, "and the Aztecs have been defeated. You were right, Roger. Mere5 handful as they were, the white men have gained the day. Even now, I hardly know how it came about. Never did my countrymen fight more bravely. For hours, the Spaniards stood as a wall which we, in vain, tried to break. Thousands fell on our side, but not for a moment did we waver. Others took their places until, as the hours went on, the Spaniards grew weary, and victory seemed in our grasp. Their horsemen had charged through and through us, but though many chiefs were slain6, it mattered little. The ranks closed up, and each time they fell back on their infantry7, having achieved nothing. Their horses were weary, and their attacks grew more feeble.
"Already, our cries of victory were raised. An hour more, and not a Spaniard would have remained on foot. Just at this time my command had been ordered up, and we were fighting in the front rank.
"Suddenly I heard, from all parts of the field, loud cries. What had happened I knew not. We stood for a moment, irresolute8, not knowing what had befallen us elsewhere. Then a panic seized my men. In vain I shouted and ordered. They were deaf to my voice. They were deaf to everything, save fear.
"I was swept away with them, as a leaf on a stream. When at last I freed myself from the torrent9, and looked round, I saw that the whole army was in mad flight; while the whites and Tlascalans, like hounds in pursuit of deer, were hanging on their rear, slaughtering11 all they overtook.
"In vain I gathered a few men, and made a stand. It was useless. We were beaten down and overpowered. With the greatest difficulty I broke away and escaped; and had it not been for Bathalda, who fought side by side with me, I should have been taken by two or three fleet-footed Tlascalans.
"For the present, all is lost. The fight cannot be renewed tomorrow, and before the sun sets the enemy will have reached the borders of Tlascala, and will be safe there."
"But what was it that caused so sudden a panic in your ranks?" Roger asked.
"It was the death of Cihuaca, our leader. The Spanish horse, headed, as I hear, by their general himself, burst through our ranks, cut their way to his litter, overthrew12 his bodyguard13, and slew14 him. His death would have mattered little, as the victory was already won. We needed no further orders. We had but to keep on fighting, and the end would soon have come. It was simply a panic. None knew what had happened. The word passed from man to man, 'All is lost!' and, like a herd15 of deer, our bravest soldiers fled. It is not a thing to reason about--the gods deserted16 us, and we were no longer men. That is all I can tell you about it."
And the chief flung himself down upon a pile of rugs. Wine and food were brought to him, and his wounds dressed.
"Roger," he said presently, "you must leave us, tonight. Those of my followers18 who have escaped will soon make their way back, and my authority will be unable to save you. The priests would head the movement against you. You would be bound and carried to Mexico, at once.
"The whites, in their march tomorrow, will pass along the road four miles to the north of this. Conceal19 yourself in a wood until morning, and join them as they come along.
"As to the future, you can make no plans, now. You know not whether Cortez will retire to the coast and take ship there; or whether he will remain at Tlascala, till reinforcements arrive from across the sea, and then again advance. When this is decided20, you will know what course to take.
"Bathalda will accompany you. I have already given him orders to do so. He will bring down a message from you, when you know what course has been decided on."
"And if you go, dear, I will go with you," Amenche said, rising and putting her hand on Roger's shoulder. "Send for me, and Bathalda will escort me to you. I will bring such gems21 and gold as we can carry, so I shall not be a bride without a dower. You promise to send for me, do you not, Roger?"
"Certainly I do," Roger said, pressing her to him; "if I quit this land alive, you shall accompany me. I should be unworthy of your love, indeed, Amenche, were I to prove faithless to you now. I regard you as being as truly my wife, as if we were already married."
A short time afterwards Bathalda entered, and said that a number of soldiers were gathering22 in the courtyard, that some priests were among them, and that they were talking loudly about carrying the white man to Mexico, as a sacrifice to appease23 the wrath24 of the gods.
"There is no time to be lost," Cuitcatl said. "You had best go, Roger, before they surround the house and make escape impossible. I will fetch you a dark-colored robe, so that you may escape, unseen, by anyone who may be approaching the house on this side."
So saying, he left the room. Maclutha signed to Bathalda to follow her, and they went out, leaving Roger alone with Amenche.
The girl's firmness deserted her now, and she threw herself, weeping, into Roger's arms. He consoled her by his assurances that their parting would not be for long; and that the next time they met, whatever the circumstances, he would make her his own.
"If we retire, and you join me in Tlascala," he said, "we will be married by Father Olmedo, in Christian25 fashion. If I return hither to you, we will be married at once, in Mexican fashion, and go through the ceremony again, when we join the Spaniards."
A few minutes later Cuitcatl returned, as did Maclutha and Bathalda, the latter bearing a basket with some provisions. The parting was brief, for the servants had brought news that the soldiers were becoming more and more clamorous26; and were threatening to force an entrance, if the white man were not handed over to them.
Bathalda and Roger left by a small door at the back of the house and, passing through the garden, took their way across the country. An hour's walking brought them to a wood, near the road by which the Spaniards would travel in the morning, and there they sat down and awaited daylight.
It was not until some hours after sunrise that the little army was seen approaching. On its flanks were large bodies of natives; who, however, contented27 themselves by hovering28 at a distance; except where the ground was impracticable for the action of cavalry29, when they approached near enough to discharge their missiles at the line of troops. As the head of the column approached, Roger threw on his Aztec cloak and, accompanied by Bathalda, issued from the wood and ran towards them, and in two or three minutes reached the horsemen who rode in the van.
"Why, Sancho!" Cortez exclaimed, as Roger ran up. "Is it you? We all thought you had fallen in the fight on the causeway. I am glad to see that you are safe. How did you escape?"
"I was, like many others, your Excellency, seized by the Aztecs, pulled down the causeway, and thrown into a boat. I should have been taken to Mexico and sacrificed, had it not been that the commander of the boat was a young cazique, who had been my closest friend while dwelling30 in Tezcuco. He directed his men to row me across the lake, and took me to his house, which is but four miles away from here. There I have remained, having my wounds cared for, until now. He took part in the fight at Otompan, and returned last evening with the news of your wonderful victory, and that you would pass along here this morning.
"I had a narrow escape, last night, for some of the Aztec soldiers would have seized me and taken me a prisoner to Mexico; but the cazique aided me to escape, and gave me this follower17 of his, as a guide. He is the same man who accompanied me in my flight from Tezcuco, and brought me to join you at Tlascala."
"I am right glad that you have escaped, Sancho. Firstly, because every stout31 arm is sorely needed. Secondly32, because Marina has grieved much for your loss. Truly, had you been her brother she could not have been more affected33. She is in the center of the column. You had best tarry here until she comes along, and then join her. She will be rejoiced to see you again."
Marina was indeed delighted, when she caught sight of Roger's tall figure, and greeted him with much emotion. As they walked together, she heard how he had escaped; and she related to him how she, under the guard of the Tlascalans, had survived the terrible fight on the causeway; and then gave him a full account of the great battle, on the previous day.
"And what are we going to do now?" Roger asked, when she had finished her narration34. "Think you that we shall proceed to the coast, and take ship for Europe?"
Marina tossed her head scornfully.
"You do not know Cortez," she said, "or you would not ask such a question. He is already thinking how he can return, and capture the capital."
"But unless he receives large reinforcements, that would seem impossible," Roger said. "You have yourself told me that, had it not been for the fall of the Mexican leader, nothing could have saved you from destruction. The Aztec loss was heavy, no doubt; but they can fill up their ranks and take the field again, in a week or two, with a force as large as that which fought at Otompan. They will not be dispirited, for they will know that it was but an accident which deprived them of victory, and will no longer deem the Spaniards invincible36."
"It matters not," Marina said, carelessly. "Cortez will manage things. Whatever he undertakes, that he will carry out."
Late in the afternoon, the army arrived at the barrier across the road that marked the boundary of the Tlascalan territory. As they passed it, the native allies burst into cries of gladness; and the Spaniards joined in the shout, for to them, too, it seemed that their dangers were at an end, and that they had reached rest and abundance.
Cortez and the leaders, however, were by no means sanguine37 as to the reception they should meet with. Their alliance had brought misfortune upon the Tlascalans. Little more than one thousand out of the eight thousand men who had marched with them had returned to tell the tale. The rest had fallen in the defense38 of the palace, in the fighting in the streets of Mexico, in the passage of the causeway, or in the battle of Otompan.
What would the Tlascalans think, when they saw the broken remnant of the army, which had marched out so proudly, and knew that they brought on themselves the bitter enmity of the whole of the people of Anahuac? Might they not well be tempted39 to avert40 the wrath of the Aztecs, by falling upon the strangers, whose alliance had cost them so dearly?
At the place at which they halted for the night, a town of some fifteen thousand inhabitants, they were so kindly41 received by the natives that these apprehensions42 were somewhat laid to rest. The people came out to meet them, invited them to their houses, and treated them with the greatest hospitality. Here they remained three days, resting after their terrible fatigues43.
They were visited here by Maxixca, the most influential45 of the four great chiefs of the Tlascalans. He had been their most cordial friend, on their first arrival; and his sentiments were in no wise changed by the misfortunes that had befallen them. Indeed, his admiration46 for them was heightened, by the manner in which they had withstood the whole power of the Aztec nation.
The cordial greeting, given to them by one whose counsels were of the highest authority in the Tlascalan nation, restored the confidence of Cortez; and he accepted the invitation to continue his march, at once, to the capital, which was some fifteen miles away. The sick and wounded were placed in hammocks, which were carried on the shoulders of the friendly natives; and as the army approached the capital, crowds of people flocked out to meet them, with cries of welcome, and escorted them into the city.
Cortez and his officers took up their abode47 in the palace of Maxixca, and the rest of the army were quartered in that part of the city over which he exercised special authority. Here they remained for some weeks, during which the wounded recovered from their injuries, the sick regained48 their strength in the bracing49 mountain air, and the whole army shook off the effects of the terrible hardships they had undergone, while retreating from Mexico.
Cortez, during this time, was confined to his couch. The wound on the hand, which he had received in the conflict in the capital, had been so inflamed50 and aggravated51 that he had lost the use of two fingers; and he had, in the retreat, received two severe wounds in the head, one of which became so inflamed from inattention, and from the fatigue44 and excitement he had gone through, that a portion of the bone had to be removed; and the general lay, for some time, at the point of death.
The news came, in a day or two after the army reached its resting place, that a party of five horsemen and forty foot, who had gone forward in charge of invalids52 and treasure from Tlascala, had all been massacred; and twelve other soldiers, marching in the same direction, had also been killed. Upon the other hand, they heard that all was quiet on the coast; and the friendly demeanor53 of the natives, there, was in no way changed.
Roger, seeing that for a time nothing could be done, and that the troops were all eager to retire to the coast, dispatched Bathalda, a few days after his arrival at Tlascala, to Amenche; to say that he considered it certain that the Spaniards would retire; and that, if she would come up to him in charge of Cuitcatl, whose safety he could guarantee, while in Tlascalan territory, they might be united; as Malinche had promised to obtain the consent of Cortez, who always encouraged marriages between his followers and the natives.
Before leaving, Bathalda handed to Roger a small bag.
"This," he said, "Maclutha gave to me, for you. It was for that purpose she drew me aside, before you started. She bade me not deliver it to you, unless I was compelled to part from you. It contains some of the principal jewels taken from the treasure house; and she said they might make you and the princess rich, when you reach home.
"They are useless to her. She has no children and, now that Cacama has gone, it is naught54 to her who rules over Tezcuco. Moreover, these are but a small portion of the treasure in her possession."
Roger sent his warm thanks to Maclutha and, after Bathalda had started, examined the contents of the bag, which he saw at once were very valuable--consisting of large pearls, diamonds, and other gems.
On the evening of the second day after starting, Bathalda returned, alone.
"I have very bad news," he said, "so bad that I hardly like to tell it. Four days since, an officer and guard arrived from Mexico, with orders to arrest Cuitcatl, who was reported by the priests in the neighborhood to have harbored a white man, and to have permitted him to escape. Maclutha and Amenche were also arrested, and though treated with every personal courtesy, were conducted to Mexico, where the official said they were, for the present, to remain in seclusion55, in the royal palace."
Roger was stupefied by the news. What was to be done, he knew not. To desert Amenche was not to be thought of, and yet he saw no way of rejoining her, still less of rescuing her. In the present excited state of the Aztec population, it would be certain death to venture beyond the frontier of Tlascala.
He regarded his height, now, as the greatest misfortune. Had he been short and slight, he would have disguised himself as a Mexican, and under the guidance of Bathalda, have made his way to the capital; but with a figure which would be instantly remarked, wherever he went, this would be impossible.
He entered the palace, and sent in an urgent message to Malinche, who was nursing Cortez. She listened patiently to his narrative56.
"I pity you, Roger," she said, when he had finished; "but there is nothing to be done."
"But I cannot march away and leave her," he said. "Rather than that, I will disguise myself and take all risks, even though I know that I must fail."
"You must have patience, Roger," she said. "Cortez will, I feel sure, recover."
"But if so, it will only be to march down to the coast," Roger broke in. "The whole army are eager to be off, before the Mexicans can gather their forces and be ready to fall upon them."
"The army may think what it likes, and wish what it likes," Malinche said, quietly. "I am sure that Cortez will not go down to the coast; and what he wills, he does. The others may grumble57, but Cortez leads them like tame deer. When he is well enough to speak to them, they will listen and obey him. His thoughts, ill as he is, are all of a fresh march to Mexico."
Hitherto, Roger had been as desirous as any of his comrades of a return to the coast. It had seemed to him that there was no possibility of success, and he longed to be on his way to Europe, with his Indian bride.
But now everything was changed. He had come to have a faith in Cortez, almost as absolute as that entertained by the general's devoted58 followers; and he well knew that, if he still thought there was a possibility of a successful march to Mexico, that march would be made. He now, therefore, waited with impatience59 for Cortez to be on his feet again.
But the waiting was long and tedious. Four weeks passed before the general was again himself.
As soon as he became convalescent, the regulations which he issued for the army, and the orders that he sent to the coast, for every available man to be sent up to reinforce him, showed the soldiers that he had no intentions of retiring; and a remonstrance60 was signed, by a large number of officers and soldiers, against a further stay in the country. But Cortez was not shaken. He prayed them not to discredit61 the great name they had won, nor to leave their glorious enterprise for others, more daring, to finish. How could they, with honor, desert their allies who, at their persuasion62, had taken up arms, and had shared their fortunes, and so leave them to the vengeance63 of the Aztecs? To retreat now would be but to proclaim their weakness, and give confidence to their foes64.
If, however, there were any who preferred going home to the glory of this great enterprise, then in God's Name let them go. He would feel stronger, with but a few brave spirits with him, than if surrounded by a host of false or cowardly men.
The troops of Narvaez had been the loudest in their complaints, but they were silenced now by the enthusiasm with which the soldiers of Cortez responded to the appeal of their leader; and all agreed to postpone65 their departure, for the present.
A fresh source of danger speedily arose. Six Aztec ambassadors arrived, bearing presents, and inviting66 the Tlascalans to forget old animosities, and to enter into a treaty with them. All the nations of Anahuac, they urged, should make common cause in defense of their country; and they conjured67 them, by their common religion, not to allow the white men to escape from their hands; but to sacrifice them, at once, to their gods. These proposals were made at a solemn council, called to receive them.
There had, even before the arrival of the ambassadors, been a strong party in Tlascala who viewed the Spaniards, with hostility68, as the authors of the heavy losses they had suffered; and as becoming, by their continued stay there, a burden to the state. The head of this party was the young chief Xicotencatl, who had led the Tlascalan armies in the desperate resistance they offered to the Spaniards, on their first coming. When the ambassadors had made their offers, he rose and urged his hearers to assent69 to the proposal; saying that it were better to unite with their kindred, and those of their own language, faith, and custom, than with these fierce strangers.
The young warriors70 enthusiastically agreed; but, happily for the Spaniards, the four great chiefs, one of whom was the father of Xicotencatl, were opposed to the proposal. Maxixca especially combated the idea.
"The Aztecs," he said, "are always false in speech, and false in heart. It is fear that drives them, now, to offer their friendship to the Tlascalans; and when the cause for fear has passed, they will again be hostile. What? Are we to sacrifice the white men to the gods--the men who have fought with us side by side against our enemies, and who are now our guests? Were we to act thus, it would be an act of the grossest perfidy71."
Xicotencatl replied; but Maxixca, losing his temper, seized him and, with sudden violence, thrust him from the chamber72. So unusual a step so astonished the assembly that it silenced all opposition73, and the alliance with the Mexicans was unanimously rejected.
Confident now that the Tlascalans were to be trusted, Cortez sent out expeditions, composed of his own men and bodies of the allies, and inflicted74 terrible punishment on the districts where the isolated75 parties of Spaniards had been cut off and destroyed; and defeated the natives in several hardly fought battles, capturing their towns and enslaving the inhabitants.
Having thus restored the confidence of his followers and allies, he prepared for a forward movement. Martin Lopez, ship builder to the expedition, had escaped the slaughter10 on the causeway; and he now ordered him to build at Tlascala thirteen ships, which could be taken to pieces and carried on the shoulders of the Indians, to be launched on Lake Tezcuco. The sails, rigging, and ironwork were to be brought from the coast, where they had been stored since Cortez had sunk his ships.
The Tlascalans placed a great number of men at the ship builders' disposal. Timber was cut from the forest. Pitch, an article unknown to the natives, obtained from the pines. New arms were manufactured. Powder was made, with sulphur obtained from the volcanoes. And the work, heavy though it was, was rapidly brought to a conclusion.
While it was going on, however, a terrible scourge76 swept over the country. Smallpox77, a disease hitherto unknown there, broke out on the seacoast and swept across Mexico, carrying off great numbers--among the victims being Maxixca, the faithful friend of the Spaniards; and Cuitlahua, Montezuma's successor.
The latter was succeeded by Guatimozin, nephew of the two last monarchs78, who had married his cousin, one of Montezuma's daughters. Like Cuitlahua he was a gallant79 prince, and had distinguished80 himself greatly in the attacks on the Spaniards, in Mexico. He continued the preparations Cuitlahua had begun for the defense; but, like him, was greatly hampered81 by the fact that a large proportion of the tribes recently conquered by the Aztecs had seized the opportunity, caused by the confusion in the empire, to throw off their allegiance; the royal orders being really obeyed only by the population of the Valley of Mexico, itself.
Before starting on his march towards Mexico, Cortez permitted several of his companions, who were disinclined to face a renewal82 of the trials and hardships they had suffered, to leave; placing his best ship at their disposal. Their loss was more than made up by the capture of two vessels83 sent by Velasquez, who was ignorant of the fate which had befallen Narvaez; and who considered it certain that Cortez was a prisoner in his hands. The ships sailed into port, where the captains and crews were at once seized, and were then easily persuaded to join Cortez. Two ships fitted out by the Governor of Jamaica also put into port, to repair damages after a storm; and their crews were also persuaded, by the liberal promises of Cortez, to abandon their service and join him. He thus received a reinforcement of at least a hundred and fifty well-armed men, together with fifty horses.
But this was not the end of the good fortune of Cortez. A merchant ship, laden84 with arms and military stores, touched at Cuba; and the captain, hearing of the discoveries in Mexico, thought that he should find a good market there. He therefore sailed to Vera Cruz, where his ship and cargo85 were purchased by Cortez, and the crew swelled86 the force under him.
By Christmas everything was ready for the advance. The army now amounted to six hundred men, forty of whom were cavalry, with eighty musketeers and crossbow men. It had also nine cannon87 taken from the ships. The force of the native allies which joined them was estimated at from one hundred and ten thousand, to one hundred and fifty thousand; and consisted not only of the Tlascalan troops, but of those of Cholula, Tepeaca, and other neighboring towns; who, after their defeat by Cortez, had submitted themselves to the Spanish rule.
But Cortez had no idea of taking all these with him, as it would be difficult to obtain provisions for such a host; and he left them behind, to bring on the vessels when completed, and to aid in further operations. He himself marched with the Spaniards and a small body of allies, and reached Tezcuco without opposition. The prince whom Montezuma had appointed to succeed Cacama, fearing the vengeance of the population, had fled to Tlascala; but returning, in hopes of finding a party there in his favor, was seized and put to death by Coanaco, another brother, who had been recognized as king by the Tezcucans.
When the Spaniards approached the city, they found it almost entirely88 deserted, the inhabitants having fled across the lake to Mexico. Their ruler had accompanied them, and Cortez appointed another brother in his place. This prince lived but a few months, and was succeeded by another member of the royal house--the prince who had, during Cacama's lifetime, obtained a large portion of his dominion89; and who proved a valiant90 and faithful ally of the Spaniards, in their struggle with his countrymen.
The Tezcucans gradually returned after Cortez had nominated a new sovereign, and Cortez at once set a large number of them to dig a canal from the town itself to the lake, so that the men putting together the ships could labor91 under his very eye.
Several of the cities round sent in to make their submission92; and a week after his arrival Cortez marched, with a body of Spaniards and allies, against Iztapalapan, a town of fifty thousand inhabitants, lying near the narrow tongue of land dividing the great lake from that of Xochicalco.
The natives came out to meet them, and fought bravely, but were driven into the city. The greater part of those who could not escape were slaughtered93. While engaged in the work of plunder94, the Spaniards were alarmed by a rush of water; the natives having broken the bank of the great lake. The troops with the greatest difficulty escaped with their lives, many of the allies being drowned.
The fate of Iztapalapan excited consternation95 among the other cities, and many sent in to make their submission, among them Otompan and Chalco. Not only had the Mexican Empire fallen to pieces, by the detachment of its distant provinces; but even near home long smoldering96 rivalries97 broke into flame. The Aztecs were but a small portion, even of the people of the Valley of Mexico; and the greater portion of these were glad to take advantage of the distress98 of the capital to break up the union that had so long existed. Cortez, by promises and presents, assisted the work.
After some weeks' stay at Tezcuco, the news came that the ships were all completed, and ready to be carried down; and two hundred foot and fifteen horse, under the command of Sandoval, were sent to escort them. But scarcely had he reached the frontier of Tlascala than he saw a vast procession advancing. The ships had already been put together, and tried on a lake among the hills; and were now being brought down in pieces by an immense number of porters, with a great military escort. Sandoval sent the larger portion of the Indian escort home, but kept twenty thousand of the best warriors. After four days of painful labor, the host of porters and fighting men reached Tezcuco. It was, indeed, an immense undertaking99 that had been accomplished100; for the whole of the wood and iron work, of thirteen ships, had to be carried for upwards101 of sixty miles, over a difficult and mountainous country.
A few days later, Cortez took half of his Spanish force and the whole of his allies, and started on an expedition to reconnoiter the capital, and to punish some of the towns which had returned insolent102 answers in reply to his summons.
The town of Xaltocan, standing103 on an island, was first attacked. The dike104 leading to it was found to be cut through; and the Spaniards, for a time, suffered greatly. They found a ford105, however; reached the town, and put all who resisted to the sword.
Three other towns, which had been deserted by their inhabitants, were occupied and sacked. They then marched against Tlacopan and, after a battle outside the town, occupied the suburbs. Another hot fight was necessary before the town was fully35 taken.
Here the Spaniards halted for some days, fighting almost daily with the Aztecs. In one encounter, Cortez allowed himself to be decoyed on to the great causeway, upon which he had before suffered such disaster. When he was halfway106 across the Aztecs turned, reinforcements arrived from the city, swarms107 of canoes attacked the Spaniards in flank; and it was only after desperate fighting, and some loss, that they regained the mainland.
Having accomplished their object, the force returned to Tezcuco, greatly harassed108 on the march by the enemy. Other expeditions were undertaken. During these events the work of putting together the vessels was continued and, to the great satisfaction of the Spaniards, news reached them from the coast of the arrival of three ships, with reinforcements: two hundred men, seventy or eighty horses, arms, and ammunition109.
When these reached Tezcuco, Cortez felt confident that he should now be able to overcome all opposition. On the fifth of April he again started on an expedition. Passing through some deep gorges110, he attempted to carry a mountain fortress111; but was repulsed112, with loss, from the volleys of stones and rocks rolled down upon the assailants.
After several other battles they neared Xochimilco, one of the richest of the Aztec towns. Like Mexico, it stood in the water, but at a small distance from the edge of the lake. This was only captured after desperate fighting, Cortez himself having a narrow escape of his life. The next morning at dawn, great numbers of Aztecs landed from canoes, and fell upon the Spaniards; and it was only after a long and desperate struggle that the latter gained the day.
They now continued their march to Tlacopan, the enemy following closely, and striking whenever they saw an opportunity; and the troops were glad, indeed, when they again reached Tezcuco. By this time the canal was finished and the ships were put together; and after discovering and punishing another conspiracy113 against his life, Cortez gave orders for the fleet to advance. Solemn mass was held, and then the vessels, in the sight of an enormous concourse of people, dropped down the canal, one after the other, and reached the lake.
Cortez mustered114 his men, and found that he had eighty-seven horse; eight hundred and eighteen foot, of which one hundred and eighteen were musketeers or crossbow men; three large iron field pieces, and fifteen light brass115 guns. Three hundred of the men were told off to man the ships.
The Indian confederates arrived punctually: fifty thousand Tlascalans, and a vast number of levies116 from the other tribes.
The army was divided into three corps117. One was to take up its post, under Alvarado, at Tlacopan. Another, under Olid, was to aid in capturing the causeway; while Sandoval had command of the third, whose movements were to be determined118 by circumstances. Cortez himself took charge of the fleet.
A quarrel arose between a Spanish soldier and a Tlascalan chief, who was a relation of Xicotencatl; who at once left the army, and started for Tlascala. He had always been bitterly hostile to the Spaniards; and Cortez saw that, unless the movement was stopped, it might become very serious. He sent a party of natives after him, with instructions to prevail upon him, if possible, to return. He refused to do so. Cortez dispatched a body of cavalry in pursuit, arrested him in Tlascala, brought him down to Tezcuco, and there hung him in the sight of his own countrymen.
The divisions of Alvarado and Olid met with no resistance in establishing themselves at Tlacopan. They cut the reservoir that supplied the city with fresh water, the great lake being salt. The next day the two divisions marched on to the causeway to make themselves masters, if possible, of the first bridge.
The natives pursued their former tactics, desperately119 defending barricades120 thrown across the causeway, and attacking the invaders121 with a crowd of missiles from canoes. After a long and obstinate122 fight, the Spaniards and their allies were obliged to fall back, with considerable loss; and Olid drew off with his division to his station commanding the other causeway.
Iztapalapan having been again occupied by the enemy, Sandoval's division attacked them by land; while Cortez, with his fleet, lay off the shore. After capturing the town, Cortez turned his attention to the canoes of the natives, which darkened the surface of the lake. At this moment a fresh breeze sprang up; and the ships, spreading their canvas, dashed amongst the canoes, overturning and destroying great numbers; while the cannon tore others to pieces, with discharges of bullets; and comparatively few succeeded in regaining123 the city.
It was now getting nearly dark, and the fleet coasted along the great southern causeway to the fort of Xoloc, where another branch of the causeway joined the main dike.
The fort was feebly garrisoned125. Cortez landed his soldiers and carried it by storm. Here he established his headquarters, landing some of the cannon from the ships to strengthen the position.
He was now within half a league of the city, and two out of the three great approaches were already in his hands. Night and day the natives attacked the garrison124; but the ships, and the guns in positions, repulsed their assaults.
After some days' delay, a simultaneous attack was made by the Spaniards. Two of the ships, one on each side of the causeway, advanced abreast126 of the army, sweeping127 the dike with their fire. The enemy were driven back; and Cortez, passing gap after gap, reached the island on which the city stood. Behind them, as they advanced, the native allies filled up the breaches128, and made them practicable for artillery129 and cavalry; and as soon as the work was completed, the Spaniards who had already passed were reinforced by large numbers of their allies.
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1
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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2
panache
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| n.羽饰；假威风，炫耀 | |
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3
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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4
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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5
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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6
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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7
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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8
irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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9
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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10
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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11
slaughtering
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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12
overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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13
bodyguard
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| n.护卫，保镖 | |
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14
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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15
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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16
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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17
follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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18
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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19
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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20
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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21
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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22
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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23
appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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24
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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25
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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26
clamorous
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| adj.吵闹的，喧哗的 | |
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27
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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28
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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29
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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30
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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32
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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33
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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34
narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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35
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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36
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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37
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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38
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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39
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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40
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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41
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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42
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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43
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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44
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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45
influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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46
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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47
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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48
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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49
bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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50
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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52
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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53
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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54
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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55
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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56
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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57
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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58
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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59
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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60
remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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61
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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62
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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63
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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64
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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65
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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66
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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67
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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68
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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69
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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70
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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71
perfidy
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| n.背信弃义，不忠贞 | |
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72
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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73
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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74
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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75
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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76
scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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77
smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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78
monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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79
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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80
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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81
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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83
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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84
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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85
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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86
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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87
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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88
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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89
dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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90
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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91
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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92
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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93
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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94
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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95
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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96
smoldering
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| v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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97
rivalries
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| n.敌对，竞争，对抗( rivalry的名词复数 ) | |
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98
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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99
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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100
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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101
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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102
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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103
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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104
dike
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| n.堤，沟；v.开沟排水 | |
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105
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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106
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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107
swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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108
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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109
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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110
gorges
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| n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕 | |
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111
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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112
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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113
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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114
mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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115
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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116
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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117
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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118
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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119
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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120
barricades
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| 路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 ) | |
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121
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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122
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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123
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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124
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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125
garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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126
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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127
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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128
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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129
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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