CHAPTER XIII.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
"Leave the city, now so nearly won! Surely, father, surely thou dostjest with me!"
So Cortes said as he sat in his chamber, resting his arm on the table,the while Olmedo poured cold water on his wounded hand.
The father answered without lifting his face,--
"Go, I say, that we may come back assured of holding what we have won."
"Sayest thou so,--thou! By my conscience, here are honor, glory, empire!Abandon them, and the treasure, a part of which, as thou knowest, I havealready accounted to his Majesty? No, no; not yet, father! Icannot--though thou may'st--forget what Velasquez and my enemies, thevelveted minions of the court, would say."
"Then it is as I feared," said Olmedo, suspending his work, and tossinghis hood farther back on his shoulders. "It is as I feared. The goodjudgment which hath led us so far so well, and given riches to those whocare for riches, and planted the Cross over so many heathen temples is,at last, at fault."
The father's manner was solemn and reproachful. Cortes turned to himinquiringly.
"Senor, thou knowest I may be trusted. Heed me. I speak for Christ'ssake," continued Olmedo. "Leave the city we must. There is not corn fortwo days more; the army is worn down with wounds and watching; scarcelycanst thou thyself hold an axe; the men of Narvaez are mutineers; thegarden is full of graves, and it hath been said of me that, for want oftime, I have shorn the burial service of essential Catholic rites. Andthe enemy, Senor, the legions that broke through the wall last evening,were new tribes for the first time in battle. Of what effect on themwere yesterday's defeats? The gods tumbled from the temple have theiraltars and worship already. Thou may'st see them from the centralturret."
The good man was interrupted. Sandoval appeared at the door.
"Come," said Cortes, impatiently.
The captain advanced to the table, and saluting, said, in his calm,straightforward way,--
"The store for the horses is out; we fed them to-night from the rationsof the men. I gave Motilla half of mine, and yet she is hungry."
At these words, the hand Olmedo was nursing closed, despite its wound,as upon a sword-hilt, vice-like, and up the master arose, brow and cheekgray as if powdered with ashes, and began to walk the floor furiously;at last he stopped abruptly:--
"Sandoval, go bid the captains come. I would have their opinions as towhat we should do. Omit none of them. Those who say nothing may bewitnesses hereafter."
The order was given quietly, with a smile even. A moment the captainstudied his leader's face, and I would not say he did not understand themeaning of the simple words; for of him Cortes afterwards said, "He isfit to command great armies."
Cortes sat down, and held out the hand for Olmedo's ministrations; butthe father touched him caressingly, and said, when Sandoval was gone,--
"I commend thee, son, with all my soul. Men are never so much on trialas when they stand face to face with necessity; the weak fight it, andfall; the wise accept it as a servant. So do thou now."
Cortes' countenance became chill and sullen. "I cannot see thenecessity--"
"Good!" exclaimed Olmedo. "Whatsoever thou dost, hold fast to that. Thecaptains will tell thee otherwise, but--"
"What?" asked Cortes, with a sneer. "The treasure is vast,--a million_pesos_ or more. Dost thou believe they will go and leave it?"
But Olmedo was intent upon his own thought.
"_Mira!_" he said. "If the captains say there is a necessity, do thouput in thy denial; stand on thy opinion boldly; and when thou givest up,at last, yield thee to that other necessity, the demand of the army. Andso--"
"And so," Cortes said with a smile, which was also a sneer, "and so thouwouldst make a servant of one necessity by invoking another."
"Yes; another which may be admitted without danger or dishonor. Thouhast the idea, my son."
"So be it, so be it,--_aguardamonos!_"
Thereupon Cortes retired within himself, and the father began again tonurse the wounded hand.
And by and by the chamber was filled with captains, soldiers, andcaciques, whose persons, darkly visible in the murky light, testified tothe severity of the situation: rusted armor, ragged apparel, fadedtrappings, bandaged limbs, countenances heavy with anxiety, or knit hardby suffering,--such were the evidences.
In good time Cortes arose.
"_Ola_, my friends," he said, bluntly. "I have heard that there areamong ye many who think the time come to give the city, and all we havetaken, back to the infidels. I have sent for ye that I may know thetruth. As the matter concerneth interests of our royal master aside fromhis dominion,--property, for example,--the Secretary Duero will makenote of all that passeth. Let him come forward and take place here."
The secretary seated himself by the table with manuscript and pen.
"Now, gentlemen, begin."
So saying, the chief dropped back into his seat, and held the sore handto Olmedo for further care,--never speech more bluff, never face morecalm. For a time, nothing was heard but the silvery tinkle of thefalling water. At length one was found sturdy enough to speak; othersfollowed him; and, at last, when the opinion was taken, not a voice saidstay; on the contrary, the clamor to go was, by some, indecently loud.
Cortes then stood up.
"The opinion is all one way. Hast thou so written, Senor Duero?"
The secretary bowed.
"Then write again,--write that I, Hernan Cortes, to this retreat said,No; write that, if I yield my judgment, it is not to any necessity ofwhich we have heard as coming from the enemy, but to the demand of mypeople. Hast thou so written?"
The secretary nodded.
"Write again, that upon this demand I ordered Alonzo Avila and GonzaloMexia to take account of all the treasure belonging to our master, themost Christian king; with leave to the soldiers, when the total hathbeen perfected and the retreat made ready, to help themselves from thebalance, as each one may wish. Those gentlemen will see that their taskbe concluded by noon to-morrow. Hast written, Duero?"
"Word for word," answered the secretary.
"Very well. And now,"--Cortes raised his head, and spoke loudly,--"andnow, rest and sleep who can. This business is bad. Get ye gone!"
And when they were alone, he said to Olmedo,--
"I have done ill--"
"Nay," said the father, smiling, "thou hast done well."
"_Bastante_,--we shall see. Never had knaves such need of all theirstrength as when this retreat is begun; yet of what account will they bewhen loaded down with the gold they cannot consent to leave behind?"
"Why then the permission?" asked the father.
Cortes smiled blandly,--
"If I cannot make them friends, by my conscience! I can at least sealtheir mouths in the day of my calamity."
Then bowing his head, he added,--
"Thy benediction, father."
The blessing was given.
"Amen!" said Cortes.
And the priest departed; but the steps of the iron-hearted soldier wereheard long after,--not quick and determined as usual, but slow andmeasured, and with many and long pauses between. So ambition walks whenmarshalling its resources; so walks a heroic soul at war with itself andfortune! He flung himself upon his couch at last, saying,--
"In my quiver there are two bolts left. The saints help me! I will speedthem first."