CHAPTER XI
News of Fernando Cortes
Roger de Luce sat on the terrace of the great temple, where dwelt thefierce and remorseless god of war, and looked down upon Mexico, thedelightful city nestling on the bosom of the lake. From his elevatedperch he could command every cranny, see the outline of the enormoussquare dedicated to the priests, the huge palace in which the kinglived, and the market. Then he followed the orderly streets, noticingthat some had broad pavements, while some were composed of canalscommunicating with the lake, while yet others had pathway and canal,allowing the foot passengers to chat with those in the skiffs. Thousandsof the latter were about, plying amongst the houses or on the lake. Fromthe roof-tops came the smoke of many a fire, mingling with that from thealtars. And the gardens were a delight. They stretched on every roof,scarlet, and pink, and mauve, and the finest green. They floated on thewater of the lake--actually floated--for the Mexicans loved theirflowers, and made up for lack of space by tying withies together, andcovering them with reeds and earth. These were anchored in the lake, andarranged as gardens.
Roger could even catch the sparkle of the water as it flowed through theaqueducts on its way from the country outside, and was marvelling at theingenuity displayed in bringing it to the city in this manner, when someone touched his shoulder, and he turned to find the priest and thenoble. Both bowed low, as before, casting their eyes down as he lookedat them.
"We ask you to fulfil your promise," said the latter. "It is time thatsome one went to the people, and we propose that the priest should firstdescend. Later on, when he has returned to this spot, I will go to theking, and he will come to do you honour. He, too, will see his mistake.We shall all be glad to admit that we have placed this Malinche in thewrong position. That he is no god of air as we thought. We shall rejoicethat you have come at such a time to help us."
He bowed again, while the priest followed his action with the utmosthumility. Roger stamped his foot and flushed with vexation.
"It is hard luck that I should be treated with more bobs and curtsiesthan King Harry at home," he said in English. "No matter how often Irepeat it, these fellows will take me for one of their gods. I supposeit is the result of being so tall."
It was undoubtedly partly due to that, for Roger overtopped any one inMexico. But Nature had given him a pleasant appearance and much courage,all of which played upon the imagination of the people. Then none hadever seen such a combat as had taken place on the previous evening. Itseemed incredible that one so young could oppose so many. The success ofthe defence and the novel methods employed had convinced the Mexicanpriest that Roger was the god of air, the very one who was supposed tohave returned in the person of Fernando Cortes. And the suppositionexplained why Roger was an enemy of the Spaniards. The latter had provedcruel and grasping, and had long ago shown that they were impostors, andhad nothing to do with the god of air. Then this Roger must be he; andthe priest prepared to descend and tell the people.
"They will believe me," he said to the noble. "There can be no doubt.This youth has no fear. When danger comes he stands to his full height,and watches. None could drag him to the ground, while at the touch ofhis hand men fell with a crash. We must show our friendship, for thereis now no mistake. Have I his permission to go?"
"He will trust you. You will return when you have spoken, and then Iwill go to the palace. Have you anything to say before you leave?"
"Nothing, save that I crave the pardon of this gallant youth."
The priest evidently meant every word. He had been brought up in theprecincts of the temple, and superstition was engrafted in his mind. Itwas, therefore, only natural that he should think of Roger as he did,and ask for his pardon. The noble repeated the words and the request.
"Tell him there is nothing to forgive on my side, but that I am sorry ifI hurt him. Ask him how he feels, and whether I did much damage."
"He is well," was the answer. "He has no pain, and was well punished. Hemay go."
The priest gathered his black garments about him and hobbled to thesteps, for despite his assertion to the contrary he still felt theeffects of the toss which our young giant had given him. Then hedisappeared from sight, to be seen again as he gradually circled thetower in his descent.
"Men are coming to meet him, and they are shamefaced," said the noble,looking over the edge. "There will be sorrow in Mexico when the fulltale is learned, and afterwards there will be rejoicing. Will my lordeat? I will stand beside him, and any question that he may care to ask Iwill answer."
Roger had already satisfied his appetite, but his hunger for news wasfar from appeased, and for long he kept the noble beside him, tellinghim the names of the streets and of the town at various parts of thelakes. Then he suddenly turned and reminded him of his promise of theprevious evening.
"Where are these Spaniards?" he asked. "You have said that they came toMexico. Then where are they now, for I see no sign of them in the city."
"You can see traces of their going, my lord. Look there, and therealso."
The noble took Roger's arm and attracted his attention to the causeway.
"Watch the line of the masonry and trace it to the bank from the heartof the city," he said. "Can you not see that it is broken, and that menare now labouring to repair the injury? That is where the fight tookplace. Yes, my lord, we showed them at length that we could fight, andwe drove them out. Many lie beneath the water, or are covered by thefallen bricks, while their allies were slain in thousands."
"Then there has been a battle?" exclaimed Roger, in astonishment, forhe had had no information. "And you have defeated the Spaniards?"
"Defeated them and driven them beyond the valley. We took them for godsat first. Their boldness amazed us, and the late king Montezuma hadfaith in them. He was too good and too kind, and these men preyed uponhim. They induced him to swear vassalage to their own king, andafterwards took him to the quarters which he had had prepared for them,saying that they would hold him as hostage. And we lived close at handand did not move."
The announcement almost took our hero's breath away. It seemedincredible that four or five hundred strangers with their native alliescould dare to do such a thing. And yet it had actually occurred. ThisFernando Cortes had already showed both boldness and astuteness, andwhen in Mexico he displayed both qualities. He took advantage of Mexicansuperstition, to which the whole nation were abject slaves, and heactually persuaded Montezuma, a king who was feared by millions ofsubjects and vassals, to declare himself a vassal of a king whom he hadnever seen, and to come to the Spanish quarters as a hostage for thesafety of the Spaniards, or on some such feeble excuse. Such boldnesswas almost ludicrous; it was impudence. But we have to remember thecircumstances, and that a Western nation were here treating with apeople who had never heard of Europe, and to whom their own religion wasof supreme importance.
"Yes," continued the noble bitterly, "we lived at hand and did not stir;we made no effort to bring him back. But let me give you my name. I amTeotlili, and was selected at the first to act as envoy to thesestrangers. I went to the coast at the order of Montezuma to meet thesemen, and from my intercourse with them, and my conversation with Marina,their woman slave, I learned to speak the language. For they remained onthe coast for a long time, founding their town of Vera Cruz. It wasthere that I took them a number of presents, amongst them the image ofthe sun, which was composed of pure gold."
Roger pricked up his ears. "Had it a sketch of this city on one side andthe sun on the other?" he demanded.
"You know it--you have heard the tale then?" exclaimed Teotlili, inastonishment. "How is that, then? I thought that the matter was almost asecret. But then I am forgetting. It is only to be expected that youshould have heard."
Roger was mystified. "Heard what?" he demanded hotly. "I know about thedisc of course, for it brought me and my friends out to this part; and Ihave seen the sketch of the city. It seems exact."
"You have seen it. Then where?" demanded the noble, showing unusu
alexcitement. "Tell me, my lord, where was it that you saw the disc?"
"In England first of all, and recently within fifty miles, or perhaps alittle more, of Mexico. It was sent home to Spain by Fernando Cortes,this Malinche, as you call him, and some men of another nation, capturedthe ship, and were in turn captured by our sailors. The disc came intopossession of one of the sailors who came here with us, and it was thesight of it, and the news of discoveries, and of gold in these parts,that brought about the formation of our expedition and our sailing here.I told you that I was no god. I am a simple crossbow man, and can fightif driven to it. Like the Spaniards, we desire riches; but we shall nottake them from you in such a manner. We do not desire to destroy yourcity, though if you care to form an alliance with our king you can doso. Our main purpose out here is to obtain gold and jewels, to returnhome with a rich harvest."
"Could you give anything in return? Could you get comrades to aid us, orgive us your own help? My lord, we need a leader--a cacique. We are notskilled in the class of fighting practised by these Spaniards. Theirhorses overcome us, and their lances kill before we can get to closequarters. Then who can sever the tough material of which their clothingis made? It is of some metal which breaks our swords, and turns asideevery blow!"
For a little while the noble looked closely at Roger, and it was obviousthat he was thinking. Then he began to speak again, earnestly, and inlow tones, so that Tamba could not hear.
"Would you fight for us?" he asked. "As I have said, we need a leaderwho knows these Spanish methods, and we are prepared to give a handsomereward to any one who can help us, and who will accept the post ofcacique or chief. You can fight. Have you not proved it to us? Have younot faced us all boldly, and beaten us too? Then will you help, and inreturn you shall have a prize which will amply repay? Yes, ifsuccessful, enough gold and jewels shall be given to you to make you andyour friends rich for life, and to require a hundred men to carry tothe coast; while if the Spaniards get the better of us and drive us fromthis fair city, our stores of gold will be useless to us, and you canhave all that there is. But you must produce the disc of gold. Forlisten----"
He moistened his lips, while Roger sat forward, staring at him inamazement, while the thought and the mention of riches led him to wonderhow his friends were faring, and whether it would not be possible tobring them to Mexico. Failing that, he would endeavour to earn thisreward, and take back to the brigantine a sufficient sum to make thevoyage a success, and to satisfy all parties concerned with itspreparation. Suddenly the noble interrupted him as he was puzzling aboutthe disc, and wondering what it could have to do with the treasure.
"You must produce this disc," he said quietly, lifting a finger toimpress his words. "But to tell you why, I must relate more of theseadventurers who came to us, domineered here, and captured our king--thewise and gentle Montezuma. They asked for gold, and were given anenormous pile, amounting to a fortune in their own country, so Marinahas told me. But they demanded more, and we had none to give; for listenagain, my lord, this disc commands the key to the treasury. We havelittle or no need of gold or jewels in this country, and we prize themmost as ornaments. They do not pass as money, as with these Spaniards,for our currency is composed of maize and cocoa-beans. For very manyyears different races have lived in this beautiful valley, and they havegathered gold, some from the valley alone, while many have collected itfrom the states in the province which we now control. Thus, for sevenhundred years, as you people speak of time, and even perhaps for longer,the treasure has been increasing. We who are Aztecs found it here whenwe came two hundred years ago, and we have gathered a hoard in thattime. Of our store we set aside enough for all needs, and the remainderwas secreted by the priests, for the day may come when Mexico may needmore. Our customs may change, and it might happen that gold would takethe place of the cocoa-bean. The fact remains that the priests storedaway a huge treasure, and that they alone knew of its whereabouts. Sothat none should tamper with the hoard, the priest to whom it washanded, and who died more than a hundred years ago, caused a plan to bemade in gold, so that those who followed might know of the spot. Theplan was engraved on a disc, on which was also an image of the sun, suchas our metal-workers are in the habit of making, and the disc was handeddown from one priest to another. Now listen carefully to the end of thistale. In his generosity of heart Montezuma sent rich presents with me tothe coast, so as to pacify these marauders, though instead the goldattracted them. The priests prepared the gifts, and arranged for thebearers, for their duties in the city are many. Somehow, I know not inwhat manner, this very disc was included, and handed by me to Malinche.You say that that disc was captured twice, and that it returned here tothe country. Surely that is a marvellous happening! And if your friendspossess it you will be able to recover it from them. Then the priest whohas the secret, and can read the picture, will tell where the treasureis, and you will be given the reward. All seems to work favourably forour ends."
"But the disc is not in our possession," exclaimed Roger, aghast at thecalamity which had happened to him when it had been stolen by Alvarez."We picked up a Spaniard on the way out, and he stole it from me. Look,here is the treacherous wound he dealt me."
He bared his shoulder and showed the scar where the dagger had entered.
"We treated him as a friend and a comrade," he said bitterly, "and herepaid us in this manner. He has the disc now, and for aught I know iswith his comrades. This Malinche, as you call him, must have heard ofthe disc and its secret, and he offered a reward. This fellow will havesought it already."
"If he has not kept the disc and the fact that he has it from hiscomrades, my lord," said Teotlili. "He might have done that. TheseSpaniards live for gold, as I can swear, for I saw many here die for it.They sacrificed their lives by carrying a weight of it when, had theybeen free of the burden, they might have lived. This man--a crafty andunscrupulous cheat, I should esteem him--will think not of the rewardfor the disc, but of the riches which the secret may bring him. He willhide it, and when the Spaniards come here again, as they will, I amassured, he will endeavour to worm out the secret, and discover thetreasure. Then, as the first-comer, he will have the choice, and sincejewels are more valuable than gold, and lighter to bear, he might withinan hour secure more wealth than all these comrades of his put together.He must be captured, my lord. Upon his death and the return of the discdepends your reward."
"Then I will take him," answered Roger, quietly, after a few moments'silence. "I have sworn to punish him for the treacherous blow he dealtme, and now that I hear of the importance of the disc, I will redoublemy efforts; for I do not desire this reward so much for myself as forthe ship's company, and for those who sent us out. It is only right thatwe should do all that is possible to repay them, and any wealth that wemay obtain will be divided. But, in any case, until I can return to mycomrades I shall help you to prepare for the Spaniards. Let all thisexcitement die down, and an assurance be given me that no attempt willbe made to sacrifice me, or Tamba, and I will help. I would wish alsothat your people would promise never to kill one human being for thesake of those hideous idols."
The noble looked pained for a few seconds, while he stared out at thecity.
"We have been brought up from childhood to this belief," he said sadly,"and we cannot break ourselves of it all in a moment. If it is wrong,and we are shown so clearly, then as sensible beings we shall change,and for myself I shall be glad. For there is constant bloodshed here.The altar reeks of it, and we never know when our dearest and best willbe summoned. But we will not be driven. These Spaniards have done withus what no others would have dared to attempt. They took Montezuma as ahostage, while we knew him only as a powerful king, swaying the peoplefrom here for many miles, till the sea is reached on either hand. Wedared not look into his face, but always turned our eyes to the wall.And these barbarians came and took him. Then they gathered the gold,and, having our chief and head, ruled us. They cast our idols down fromthe towers, and ordered that there should be
no more sacrifice. Thenthis Malinche went to the coast; for it happened that eighteen shipsarrived, bearing a second expedition. While he was gone, his lieutenantattacked us treacherously, and we drove him and his followers into theirquarters. Then Malinche returned, and we continued to fight, till ourunhappy king fell at the discharge of our arrows. We slew many of theSpaniards and their allies, and we never left them at peace for amoment. Our arrows flew over their quarters day and night, while ourlabourers broke down the viaducts so that none could come or go, and nofood or water reach the garrison. Look, my lord, there, where the menare now at work, is the spot where the viaduct was cut."
He pointed to a spot to which he had previously drawn Roger's attention,while the latter noticed that not only was this viaduct under repair,but that others also had been damaged. In fact, Cortes had barelyreturned in time. His call to the coast had been an urgent one, for thereader must remember that he was already in danger himself from theparty in authority at Cuba. He was to all intents and purposes apolitical offender awaiting arrest, and this expedition had come to takethe command from him, and to snatch the fruits of his hard work anddaring. That was hardly suitable, and Cortes having first sent secretgifts to the soldiers, fell upon the troops in the darkness of night,captured their cannon, and those who were his opponents. At that theremainder went over to his side, and agreed to follow him as leader.Then he returned to Mexico to find the natives risen and his troopssurrounded.
"We fought so fiercely, and hemmed them in so closely, that they werelike to starve or die of thirst," continued Teotlili. "They wereoutnumbered by many thousands, and at length they stole away in thedarkness, carrying their treasure with them. That was our opportunity.Our soldiers crowded the viaduct, and our men were everywhere on thelake in their boats. We clutched them and dragged them beneath thewater. Some we upset, and the weight of gold dragged them down, whileothers lost their lives at the spot where we had broken the bridges orthe masonry. We read them a lesson, and sent them out of our valleydiscomfited, and punished in some measure for the wrong they had doneus. But these reinforcements have come to Cortes, who survived theretreat, and our spies tell us that he is about to renew the attack."
"At once?" demanded Roger, eagerly; "for if so, you must put thousandsto work instead of the few I see below."
"Hardly so soon," was the answer; "for news reaches our ears that thisMalinche will attack by way of the lake also. Hitherto his men have hadto remain on the land, on the viaducts, while we have showered arrowsupon them from the water, for we have an abundance of canoes. But he ishaving some big ships built--brigantines, they are called--and these areto be transported by the allies to the water, for they are underconstruction some distance away."
The information was serious, and for a little while Roger sat lookingdown at the smiling city, wondering how its defenders would fare whenthe Spaniards returned. He recognized already that these unfortunateMexicans, who were so engrossed with their superstitions, were for allthat a race of fierce fighters, to whom death was of little moment; forto die in battle or upon the altars was to be instantly transferred tothe regions of the sun, to a Valhalla which was more than alluring. Butthey were badly led. Their attack was spasmodic, and often the work of afew men alone, when for success it was necessary that assault should befollowed up, and forces combined. Against such fighting the Spaniardswere bound to triumph.
"The ships will give them an enormous advantage," said Roger, at length,"and I advise that means be taken as soon as possible to prepare forthem, and to stake the bottom of the lake so as to keep them fromapproaching. As to the land work, your thousands should be powerfulenough."
"They should be, but are not, I fear," answered Teotlili; "for thehorses strike dismay into the hearts of our men. The beasts are strangeto them, and their struggles, the noise of their feet, and the soundswhich they make startle our warriors."
"Then they must get over their nervousness. These horses are seeneverywhere in England, and have long ago been servants to men, not theirmasters. You and your countrymen must rid your minds of all thesesuperstitions, and recollect that these Spaniards are men likeyourselves, though better armed, mounted in many cases, and trained to aform of warfare which is new to you. But I will teach you how to dealwith them. I had a training under my father at the Tower of London, thefortress in our city, and there I saw many a sham attack and many agallant defence. We will put our heads together, I and your king andsome others, and we will commence to make preparations at once, for wemust be ready when the day for action comes. Now tell me the allies uponwhom you can rely, and their numbers, and the positions of their towns."
The two sat chatting on the terrace which encircled the summit of thetower, looking down as they talked into the busy streets, where thedaily work of the city was progressing. The events of the previous dayseemed to have made little if any difference, for the market was alreadythronged with buyers, while in the alcoves built round the vast squaresat the king's officers, ready to settle any disputes, and prepared topounce upon any who might make use of false weights. And round thesquare hummed the people of the city, thousands wafted along in boats,while a few were to be seen in the streets and on the viaducts. Fartherafield the workers in the gardens could be seen tramping along the edgesof the floating rafts of withies which bore the fruits of theircultivation, while outside were many canoes, some drifting idly, whileothers manned by five or six men were paddling off into the lake attheir fastest pace. In the distance, backed by gorgeous mountains inbroken array, were other cities, all well built, well governed, andinhabited by people who, till the coming of the enemy, had been happyand contented, if overcast by the shadow of the terrible altars. Buttimes had changed, and now nations once friendly with the Mexicans wereallies of the Spaniards, and therefore enemies of the Mexicans, whileothers who had groaned under Montezuma's tributes, and had thrown offhis sway for the rule of the new-comers, had changed again, findingalready that the rule of the Mexicans was light compared with therapacious greed and the overbearing manners of the Spaniards. And beyondthe mountains lay Vera Cruz, the town founded by Cortes, where he wasmaking his preparations, and getting his men together.
Teotlili, the noble who sat beside Roger, had spoken barely the truthwhen he told how the Mexicans had turned in their anger, and had driventhe Spaniards out with loss; for when Cortes came to review his menafter their escape from Mexico, he found that he had lost four hundredand fifty of his own men, and all his artillery. In addition, he had tomourn the death of some of his principal lieutenants, and of one son andtwo daughters of the late King Montezuma, who also were held ashostages. Four thousand of the Indian allies had been slain as well asforty-six horses, while in the days which followed numbers of otherslost their lives; for the Mexicans hung on their flanks, till it is saidthat the plain was black with them. But Cortes was not the man even thento admit that he was beaten, and he and his men fought on, till atlength he charged home with a few of his officers to the spot where theMexican general directed his army, and himself cut the noble down. Thenthe enemy fled, and in due course Cortes and his remnant of men reachedfriends. After that, as the reader will remember, he set to work toconstruct some brigantines, and while they were building he wentthrough the province of Mexico, despoiling those cities which would notally themselves to him, and making friends elsewhere. Thus in a fewmonths he had gained huge treasures and larger reinforcements. Meanwhilethe Mexicans had set up their gods again, and seeing that trouble wasbefore them, had made big efforts to secure allies to their own side.They sent into the provinces and granted freedom from taxation for ayear, provided the cities would come to their aid. Then they turnedtheir attention to their own city, and began to prepare for attack. Itwas at this moment, when they were incensed with the Spaniards, thatRoger arrived, and, as can readily be imagined, it was at thisparticular period that they were in urgent need of advice and of help intheir work of preparation. What wonder if, in the arrival of this tallyouth, who fought so valiantly and resisted their
efforts to slay him onthe altar, the Mexicans, led by their priests and by Teotlili,discovered in Roger their long-lost god of air, and now that they hadmade the discovery, looked to him for guidance, and for a plan withwhich to beat back the enemy.
As for our hero, the thought of the struggle which could not be muchlonger delayed occupied his mind less than did that of his comrades.
"If only they were here," he said to himself. "Then we would beat backthese Spaniards, and drive them from the country. What a fine thing toreturn to England with the tale that there was a people out here readyto be vassals to King Harry--people whom we had conquered by kindness!And we could truly say that they are not ordinary natives, for they areas civilized as are our own people, except in their hideous forms ofworship. Even that we could alter in time and with the use of patience."
He sat looking out at the streets for a little while, till Teotliliturned to him.
"My lord is lost in thought," he said. "He looks troubled."
"I was thinking of my comrades," answered Roger, "and wondering whetherI could bring them here. I will try, that I promise, even for no reward.But if possible I will find this Alvarez who has the disc, and willbring that back also. How strange it is that it should have been in mypossession, and that I should have so soon learned its history! We knewthat it was connected in some way with the treasure here, but neverguessed that it had come to Fernando Cortes' hands by a mischance. Andnow, supposing he has received it from Alvarez, or the latter, who is atraitor and deserving of death, has kept its possession to himself?"
"There will be nothing gained," was the answer, "for to make use of itour high priest must be consulted. He alone can read the secret writtenon the plan, for he has the special training. He then can learn wherethe treasure lies, and I promise that he will show it to you."
"And I will have it taken to another spot, for it might happen that thisAlvarez might capture the priest and force him to disclose the place."
"A wise precaution," said Teotlili. "Capture the disc and it shall becarried out. But I see a stir in the streets below, and I think that theking is coming from his palace. I will descend and meet them if you willgive your permission."
Roger nodded, and then stood at the very edge of the tower, looking downfrom this giddy height. He saw that the crowd was again collecting inthe courtyard below, and that a procession was passing toward it fromthe palace. There was the glitter of golden armour and the shimmer ofsilver plumes. Bright dresses were to be seen, while the blowing ofhorns became almost deafening. Then on every tower appeared a load ofhuman beings, their path to the top being marked quite plainly; forthere was only one method of gaining the summit, and that by climbingthe steps which encircled the building.
Was the procession bent on a peaceful errand? Had the people collectedtogether to witness a sacrifice, or to see king and white man shakehands in friendship? Roger wondered, while he looked down on the sceneuneasily. Then he recollected the words of Teotlili, and the abjecthumility of the priest, while his mind went back to the contest of theprevious afternoon, and of the night which had just passed. Hisassurance returned in an instant, and he turned to Tamba with a smile.
"Let them choose," he said quietly. "If it be war they shall have it,and I will fight to the very last. If peace, then they shall find that Iwill work for them as if they were my own people, and will do all that Ican to beat off the Spaniards."