CHAPTER LXIII.
The midday sun was illuminating the peaks, and darting its beams intothe narrowest and darkest ravines of these mountains, when Don Hernan,at the head of his little army, rode to the crest of a hill, and lookeddown upon the narrow, but beautiful valley of Tonan, opening on thefields of Otompan,--or, as the name has been more euphonically renderedby Spaniards, Otumba. The level vale itself, as well as the hills onboth sides, as far up, at least, as the gentleness of their slopeallowed such cultivation, was sprinkled with maize fields, which, beingnow at their utmost point of luxuriance, covered such places withintense verdure; while the green forests, that here and thereovershadowed the upper ridges, with flowery cliffs protruding from theirwaving tops, added the charm of solitude to the pleasant prospect ofhuman habitation. But there was one accidental beauty at presentrevealed, which, however disagreeable and even terrible to the leader,he could not but acknowledge, in his heart, to surpass all the others.
At the cry with which the general beheld this phenomenon, his followersrushed up to his side, and perceived the whole valley, as itseemed,--beginning at the bottom of the ridge they now stood upon, andextending not only from hill to hill, but as far as the eye couldsee,--filled, and indeed blocked up, with enemies. The white and scarlethues of their garments, the plumes of divers colours waving on theirheads like a sea of feathers, over whose surging surface there passedhere a bright sunbeam and there the shadow of a cloud,--the glitteringof copper spears, of volcanic falchions, and of jewels, (for this day,the pagans decorated themselves, as for a triumph, in their richestarray,) produced a scene which was indeed both glorious and terrific.Through this human flood, Don Hernan knew he must conduct his weary anddespairing people; but without daring to hope that the hand which hadparted the Sea of the Desert from before the steps of the Israelites,would open, for him, a path through this equally fearful obstruction.
The Christians gathered round their leader in silence. The loud roar ofshouts, sounding from below, as if a whole world shrieked at once, shookthe mountain under their feet; but they replied not.--Every man was, atthat moment, commending his soul to his Maker; for each knew there wasno path of escape, except though that valley, and felt in addition,that, perhaps, not even the whole army, fresh, well-appointed, full ofspirits and resolution, as when, on St. John's day, it entered the cityof the lake, could have made any impression on such a multitude,displayed in such a position. The very extremity of the case was thebest counsel to meet it with fortitude; every man considered his lifealready doomed beyond respite, and, with such consciousness, lookedforward to his fate, with tranquillity. Their sufferings by famine andfatigue on the road, though the mutinous and lamenting fugitives did notthen know it, had better prepared them to encounter such a battle-field,than a series of victories, with spoils of gold and bread; for thesetorments having already rendered their lives burdensome, they were notgreatly frighted at the prospect of ending them. These causes, then,added to the fury of fanaticism, never entirely at rest in the bosom ofthe invaders, will account for their resolution, and even impatience, toattack an army, rated by many of the conquerors, at two hundred thousandmen. Had they been happier men, they would not have rushed upon suchmanifest destruction.
The priest Olmedo stretched forth his arm, holding a crucifix: Christianand Tlascalan knelt down upon the flinty ridge, and mingled togethersullen prayers.
As they rose, the ever-composed Sandoval cried out, emphatically,--
"Now, my merry men all, gentlemen hidalgos and gentlemen commoners, Godhath, this day, given us a great opportunity to signalize ourvalour;"--which was all the oration it occurred to his imagination tomake. The soldiers looked upon him with a gloomy indifference. Then outspoke the hotheaded Alvarado:
"There be, to my reckoning, in yonder plain," he said, with a grin ofdesperation, "some five hundred thousand men; we have, of our own body,some four hundred and fifty Christian soldiers, and we may count the twothousand Tlascalans, here at our heels, for fifty more; which justleaves us a thousand dogs apiece to fight in yonder vale. If we gain thevictory over such odds, never believe me, if we be not clapped down inbooks by that German enchanter Faust, who hath invented a way of makingthem in such numbers, as being more heroical men than either DonAlejandro, the great emperor of Egypt, or some other country,--or DonRodrigo himself, who was much greater than any such dog of a heathenking. This much I will say, that never before had starving men such achance of dying like knights of renown; and as, doubtless, God will sendus some fifty or an hundred thousand angels, to fight on our side, wemay chance stumble on a victory: in hope of which, or in the certainty,on the other hand, of going to heaven, I say, Santiago, and at them! fortheir bodies are covered with gold and jewels!"
"God will help us!" cried Cortes; "and my friend Alvarado hath veryjustly said, that there is a rich spoil, in that valley, for victors.Though there be here, perhaps, fifty thousand men, or more, yet are theyinfidels, and, therefore, but as sparrows and gnats before the face ofGod's soldiers. There are, also, acres of very sweet corn in the valley;and, beyond yon yelling herds, are the gates of Tlascala. But let it notbe thought, I will, this day, compel the sword of any Christian. Yonderare the hill-tops;--there are dens enow, wherein one may give his bonesto wild-cats, and there be tall cliffs from which they who prefer suchend, may throw themselves, and straightway be beyond the reach ofbattle. For myself, though but one man follow me, yet will I descend tothat plain, walk through that multitude, and marshalling an hundredthousand Tlascalans, after I have rested me a little, return, by thesame path we are now treading, to the gates of Mexico, to revenge uponsuch as yonder scum, the death of my brothers, who are in heaven, aswell as to lay claim to those rich lands and mines of gold, which areour right, and which it is yet our destiny to overmaster. If ye beminded to disperse and starve among the hills, let me be acquainted withyour resolution; if ye will fight like soldiers and Christians, speakout your good thoughts, and, in God's name, let us begin!"
"We will fight!" muttered the desperate men.
At this moment, some strong clear voice from the company began topronounce the words of the chant, _Kyrie Eleison_, and the rest joiningin, Cortes gave the signal to descend; and thus they went slowly downtowards the host, invoking mercy and singing the praises of God, andwaxing in boldness and fanaticism as they sang, until the neighbouringrocks rang with the loud and solemn echoes of devotion.
Whatever was the piety of Don Hernan, it did not, however, prevent histaking all the steps which could be expected of a general in such asituation; and one while joining, loudly, with others in the chant, andat another, pausing to give deliberate instructions to his officers, hearranged the order and expedients of battle, before the wild anthem wasconcluded. His instructions were simple, and related but to one point.He counselled no one to be valiant, for he knew the veriest coward inthe ranks would be compelled to deeds of heroism that day. He onlycommanded, that the little troop of horse should form five deep, andfollow him whithersoever he might lead, and that the footmen should keeptheir ranks close, and follow after the horse. He knew, as, indeed, didmost of his followers, that the orders conveyed to a Mexican army by aMexican general, instead of being transmitted, from division todivision, by messengers, were directly communicated to all by thegeneral himself, through the medium of the great banner, which he borein his own hands, and, from the lofty litter on which he was carried,kept ever displayed to the eyes of his warriors. A few simple motions ofthis royal telegraph, sufficed to convey all the directions which abarbarous commander was required to bestow upon a barbarous army. Amongthese, the vailing or dropping the standard, was the well-known signalof retreat; and whether it might be lowered by the general himself, orstruck from his hands by some fortunate foe, still it was equallycertain, that, in either case, his followers would immediately, uponseeing it fall, betake themselves to flight.--When Cortes eyed thisimmense multitude, he calculated the chances of victory, not by theprobabilities of routing it, but by those of making his w
ay to the greatbanner.
The imperial standard, which, in the tongue of Mexico, bore the horriblyuncouth title of _Tlahunmatlaxopilli_, was conspicuously visible, evenfrom the mountain Aztaquemacan, which the Spaniards were now descending.In the centre of the pagan army was a group of warriors, made remarkableby the height and splendour of their penachos, the glittering of theirjewelled decorations, and the sheen of their copper lances, the bladesof which, like some that had been seen in Mexico, were full a yard inlength, and polished so that they shone like gold. These were theguards,--a body of young nobles,--which surrounded the person of thegeneral, to protect the banner from violence. In the centre of thisgroup, upon a litter of almost imperial gorgeousness, stood the statelybarbarian, bearing on a long pike-staff the standard, which was a sortof net-work, made of chains of gold,--and, therefore, a more significantemblem of the object of conquest, and the fate of subjugation, than anybanner of a Christian nation, even at this day. A few white feathers,waving amongst the links, kept it ever conspicuous.
As Don Hernan descended, he explained to the horsemen his design tomerge every other object in that of seizing the Mexican standard; aproject which met the concurrence of each.
"All that I have now to say to you," he added, when approaching the baseof the hill, "is, to charge with me at half-speed, and take no thoughtof slaying. Those of you, who have ever endured the bastinado of apedagogue, will remember, that Julius Caesar, or some such knave of apaynim, it matters not who, being opposed in some civil war, to certaincohorts of young gallants and hidalgos of Rome, directed his archers tospare the lives, but to let fly at the faces, of these lady-puppets;--acounsel of infinite wisdom; for, I remember, that in my youth, until Igot this gash o' the chin from a gentleman of Saragossa, which somewhatspoils the beauty of my beard, I had a mortal aversion to fight with anyman much given to striking at the face. What I have to advise,therefore, is, that you will imitate the wisdom of that same Romanhound, and lance your spears full at the eyes of all who may oppose you.I have given charge to the footmen to finish our work: while they areslaughtering such curs as are not satisfied with scratched faces, wewill make free with yon same knave of the gold net. Let it bereckoned--and 'tis worth a king's ransom--the prize of him whooverthrows the general.--Hark! hear ye how the infidels shout!--Are yeready? In the name of God, the Virgin, and Santiago, have at them nowlike men! Amen!--_Santiago! Santiago!_"
Thus shouting his war-cry, for now the horsemen had reached the bottomof the hill, Don Hernan couched his spear, with four cavaliers at hisside, of whom Don Amador de Leste was one, and, followed by all theothers, dashed furiously at the first ranks of the Mexicans, who werealready rushing against him.
The savages sprang aside, flinging their javelins and swords at the hotChristians, and raining arrows on their armed bodies; but ever, thoughthus expressing their hostility, yielding rank after rank before theirresistible charge; until it became apparent to the most doubting, thatthey might succeed, at last, in reaching the banner. They, therefore,redoubled their exertions, shouted the names of their saints, and aimingcontinually at the eyes of the foe, made such progress, that they werealready almost, as it seemed, within reach of the prize, when a yell ofthe Indians of more than ordinary loudness, echoed by the infantry withexclamations of alarm, brought them to a sudden stand.
They had penetrated deeply into the mass; but it was as a noble shipploughs her way through billows, which yield and divide, only to uniteagain in her wake, and roar after in pursuit. From their lofty seats,they could overlook the multitude, and behold how quickly the path theyhad carved, was filled up by screaming barbarians, rushing turbulentlyafter them; while others dashed in like numbers, and with equalferocity, upon the footmen, now left far behind.
As they looked thus over their shoulders, they paused with surprise, andeven perturbation; for they perceived, furiously descending the slope ofthe hill on the left hand, against the infantry which was already sorelybeset, what seemed a Christian cavalier in black armour, mounted on anoble bay horse, and couching a lance like a trained soldier, only that,behind him, there followed, with savage yells, a band of severalthousand Indians, bearing the well-known colours of Tenochtitlan itself.
"God be our stay!" cried the general, looking aghast at this astonishingapparition; "have we here an infidel god, in very deed, risen up againstus, and riding a-horse like a Christian man? Avoid thee, Satan! and allgood saints spurn thee again to the pit, from which thou comest!"
"'Tis Mexitli himself!" cried one.
"'Tis the devil!" said another.
"Look!" exclaimed Don Pedro, "he rushes down upon the footmen, like arock, tumbled from the hill-top; and hark! heard ever man such horriblevoice? 'Tis Mahound! 'tis Satan!--Now all good angels befriend us!"
"For my part," said Don Amador de Leste--
But before his words had yet been heard by any of his companions, theywere cut short by such loud and thrilling cries of joy from the infantryas equally confounded the cavaliers.
"_Elo! Santiago! elo! nuestro buen amigo, el valoroso Santiago!_"--thatis to say, "Lo, St. James! behold, our good friend, the valiant St.James!"--burst from the lips of the footmen, in a frenzy of triumph.
The cavaliers looked again, but to the opposite mountain, and beheldupon that, as upon the other, an armed and mounted cavalier descendingwith lance in rest, and with the speed of thunder, as if rushing to atournay with him of the black armour, but without being followed by anyone, excepting a single youth, who staggered far behind.
At this sight, the cavaliers uttered loud cries of joy, not doubtingthat St. James had indeed come to rescue them from the claws of theaccursed Mexitli, as they began to consider the black phantom.
"Our saint fights for us!" cried Cortes; "On! leave the black fiend tohim!--On, and let him behold our valour. The standard, ho!--Santiago isnigh! The standard, the standard!"
The sight of the second apparition seemed to have smitten the paganswith as much terror as the view of their own champion had infused intothe Spaniards. The young nobles who surrounded the banner, looked to thevision with awe; and ere they had yet recovered from their confusion,the Christian cavaliers, elated and invigorated, fell upon them withsuch violence as left the long copper lances useless in their hands.
"On, and quick!" shouted Don Hernan, "or the knavish colour-man willspring from his perch, and so rob ye of the gold. On, ho! on!--Hah,infidel! art thou not mine own?"
As he uttered these last words, he rose on his stirrups, stretched overhis horse's neck, and handling his heavy spear as one would an ordinaryjavelin, launched it with all his force at the chief. There was never abetter mark; for the barbarian, instead of showing, as Cortes hadhinted, any desire to desert his litter, advanced to its very verge; andwhile he balanced the staff and its weighty crest with his left hand,whirled manfully a short dart round his head, looking all the while atthe great Teuctli. There never was a better mark,--for his breast,covered with a flimsy hauberk of skins, on which were sewed thin platesof gilded copper, was fully exposed;--there never was a better aim.Before the dart had left his grasp, the spear of Don Hernan smote him onthe chest, and piercing copper and bone alike, hurled him backwards,with the standard, out of the litter.
The cavaliers shouted victory, and trampling down the litter-bearers,and the young nobles, as these began to fly, looked eagerly for theprize.
"Have the knaves robbed us?--Hah! mad John of Salamanca, _thou_ pickestmy pocket of these crowns, dost thou?"
These words of Don Hernan were addressed to a young hidalgo, who, themoment he had perceived the spear of Cortes take effect, had flunghimself from his pied steed, rushed upon the downfallen infidel, andstriking his sword into his throat, tore from him the badges ofauthority.
"He who strikes the quarry," said the elated youth, flinging both plumeand golden net over the neck of his general's horse, "has the true claimto the trophy."
"Keep them thyself, for thou hast won them; and if Don Carlos be ofmind, brave Juan, thou shalt mou
nt them for thy coat of arms. Soho, DeLeste! where art thou?--I thought this prize should have been thine!"
"De Leste has gone mad," said Alvarado.--"Shall we chase the runagates?See how they scamper!"
The words of Alvarado were true. No sooner had the golden banner fallenfrom its height, and been lost among the combatants, than there rose adismal yell over the whole valley, and the vast multitudes, those nearat hand, and those afar, alike, began to fly, and in the utmostconfusion.
"Victory! praise be to God! to God and our noble St. James!" criedCortes, with a shout, that thrilled to the hearts of the flying pagans."Follow not the knaves: leave them to the foot--to the allies and ourmighty champion, the Saint!--Soho, De Leste! return. Follow not afterthe knaves."
"'Tis De Olid," cried Don Pedro, "that halloos the hunt's-up. I tellthee, De Leste is mad!"
"Back to our Champion!" said Cortes.--"Hah! what saidst thou of DeLeste?"
"That he is gone mad,--raving, besottishly, and very blasphemously mad;and that he deserted us, the moment he saw thee fling thy spear."
"God forbid the youth should prove to be as was his kinsman, before hisdeath-day," said Cortes; "for a more gallant and sufficient soldier,though somewhat self-willed, have I never beheld.--Mad, sayst thou?"
"He swore to me, first," said Alvarado, with a devout shrug, "that thatpaynim god, Mexitli, descending the hill yonder, was mounted on his owngood horse, Fogoso; which seems to me not unreasonable; for Fogoso was,in some sense, the best charger lost that night, (which God punish tothe heathen for ever!) and, doubtless, Huitzilopochtli, if determined togo out a pricking, like a Christian knight-errant, would be wise enoughto pick up the best ghost of Christian horse. And, secondly," continuedDon Pedro, crossing himself, "he swore that his most holy valour,Santiago, who came down from the hill-top to help us, was no more thanthe ghost of his kinsman, the knight Calavar, who was drowned, horse andall, in the salt lake, near to Iztapalapan!--But ho! halon! let usfollow the hunt!"
"Ha, my masters!" cried Don Hernan; "let us return, and fathom thismarvel, for it may bode us much to know. But stay--I will not rob ye ofpastime. As many of ye as will, spur after the hounds, and aid theTlascalans."
So saying, and the foes now being scattered in flight over theneighbouring hills, the general returned towards the infantry; while thecavaliers, shouting, as if in a boar-chase, urged their steeds up thehills, in pursuit of the fugitives.
Thus was fought, and thus won, a battle, in which four hundred and fiftySpaniards, aided by a handfull of Tlascalans, contended with a host ofsuch incredible numbers, that, to this day, men remember it with wonder,and would reject it as a fable, were it not that the testimony of athousand facts has placed it beyond the reach of question.