Chapter 20: At Tlascala.
Roger was sitting in the evening, conversing with Maclutha andAmenche on the probabilities of the battle that was expected totake place on that day, when Cuitcatl suddenly entered. His robe ofbright feather work was gone. The panache of floating plumes wasshorn from his head. His white garment was stained with blood. Hewas overcome by exhaustion and grief.
No words were needed to explain what had taken place. Impossible asit had seemed, the Aztec army had been defeated. A cry broke fromthe two ladies, as he entered.
"The white man's God has triumphed," he said, "and the Aztecs havebeen defeated. You were right, Roger. Mere handful as they were,the white men have gained the day. Even now, I hardly know how itcame 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 Spaniardsgrew weary, and victory seemed in our grasp. Their horsemen hadcharged through and through us, but though many chiefs were slain,it mattered little. The ranks closed up, and each time they fellback on their infantry, having achieved nothing. Their horses wereweary, and their attacks grew more feeble.
"Already, our cries of victory were raised. An hour more, and not aSpaniard would have remained on foot. Just at this time my commandhad been ordered up, and we were fighting in the front rank.
"Suddenly I heard, from all parts of the field, loud cries. Whathad happened I knew not. We stood for a moment, irresolute, notknowing what had befallen us elsewhere. Then a panic seized my men.In vain I shouted and ordered. They were deaf to my voice. Theywere deaf to everything, save fear.
"I was swept away with them, as a leaf on a stream. When at last Ifreed myself from the torrent, and looked round, I saw that thewhole army was in mad flight; while the whites and Tlascalans, likehounds in pursuit of deer, were hanging on their rear, slaughteringall they overtook.
"In vain I gathered a few men, and made a stand. It was useless. Wewere beaten down and overpowered. With the greatest difficulty Ibroke away and escaped; and had it not been for Bathalda, whofought side by side with me, I should have been taken by two orthree fleet-footed Tlascalans.
"For the present, all is lost. The fight cannot be renewedtomorrow, and before the sun sets the enemy will have reached theborders 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 ourranks, cut their way to his litter, overthrew his bodyguard, andslew him. His death would have mattered little, as the victory wasalready won. We needed no further orders. We had but to keep onfighting, and the end would soon have come. It was simply a panic.None knew what had happened. The word passed from man to man, 'Allis lost!' and, like a herd of deer, our bravest soldiers fled. Itis not a thing to reason about--the gods deserted us, and we wereno longer men. That is all I can tell you about it."
And the chief flung himself down upon a pile of rugs. Wine and foodwere brought to him, and his wounds dressed.
"Roger," he said presently, "you must leave us, tonight. Those ofmy followers who have escaped will soon make their way back, and myauthority will be unable to save you. The priests would head themovement against you. You would be bound and carried to Mexico, atonce.
"The whites, in their march tomorrow, will pass along the road fourmiles to the north of this. Conceal yourself in a wood untilmorning, and join them as they come along.
"As to the future, you can make no plans, now. You know not whetherCortez will retire to the coast and take ship there; or whether hewill remain at Tlascala, till reinforcements arrive from across thesea, and then again advance. When this is decided, you will knowwhat course to take.
"Bathalda will accompany you. I have already given him orders to doso. He will bring down a message from you, when you know whatcourse has been decided on."
"And if you go, dear, I will go with you," Amenche said, rising andputting her hand on Roger's shoulder. "Send for me, and Bathaldawill escort me to you. I will bring such gems and gold as we cancarry, so I shall not be a bride without a dower. You promise tosend for me, do you not, Roger?"
"Certainly I do," Roger said, pressing her to him; "if I quit thisland alive, you shall accompany me. I should be unworthy of yourlove, indeed, Amenche, were I to prove faithless to you now. Iregard you as being as truly my wife, as if we were alreadymarried."
A short time afterwards Bathalda entered, and said that a number ofsoldiers were gathering in the courtyard, that some priests wereamong them, and that they were talking loudly about carrying thewhite man to Mexico, as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of thegods.
"There is no time to be lost," Cuitcatl said. "You had best go,Roger, before they surround the house and make escape impossible. Iwill 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 followher, 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 thattheir parting would not be for long; and that the next time theymet, whatever the circumstances, he would make her his own.
"If we retire, and you join me in Tlascala," he said, "we will bemarried by Father Olmedo, in Christian fashion. If I return hitherto you, we will be married at once, in Mexican fashion, and gothrough the ceremony again, when we join the Spaniards."
A few minutes later Cuitcatl returned, as did Maclutha andBathalda, the latter bearing a basket with some provisions. Theparting was brief, for the servants had brought news that thesoldiers were becoming more and more clamorous; and werethreatening to force an entrance, if the white man were not handedover to them.
Bathalda and Roger left by a small door at the back of the houseand, passing through the garden, took their way across the country.An hour's walking brought them to a wood, near the road by whichthe Spaniards would travel in the morning, and there they sat downand awaited daylight.
It was not until some hours after sunrise that the little army wasseen approaching. On its flanks were large bodies of natives; who,however, contented themselves by hovering at a distance; exceptwhere the ground was impracticable for the action of cavalry, whenthey approached near enough to discharge their missiles at the lineof troops. As the head of the column approached, Roger threw onhis Aztec cloak and, accompanied by Bathalda, issued from the woodand ran towards them, and in two or three minutes reached thehorsemen who rode in the van.
"Why, Sancho!" Cortez exclaimed, as Roger ran up. "Is it you? Weall thought you had fallen in the fight on the causeway. I am gladto 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 havebeen taken to Mexico and sacrificed, had it not been that thecommander of the boat was a young cazique, who had been my closestfriend while dwelling in Tezcuco. He directed his men to row meacross the lake, and took me to his house, which is but four milesaway from here. There I have remained, having my wounds cared for,until now. He took part in the fight at Otompan, and returned lastevening with the news of your wonderful victory, and that you wouldpass along here this morning.
"I had a narrow escape, last night, for some of the Aztec soldierswould have seized me and taken me a prisoner to Mexico; but thecazique aided me to escape, and gave me this follower of his, as aguide. He is the same man who accompanied me in my flight fromTezcuco, and brought me to join you at Tlascala."
"I am right glad that you have escaped, Sancho. Firstly, becauseevery stout arm is sorely needed. Secondly, because Marina hasgrieved much for your loss. Truly, had you been her brother shecould not have been more affected. She is in the center of thecolumn. You h
ad best tarry here until she comes along, and thenjoin her. She will be rejoiced to see you again."
Marina was indeed delighted, when she caught sight of Roger's tallfigure, and greeted him with much emotion. As they walked together,she heard how he had escaped; and she related to him how she, underthe guard of the Tlascalans, had survived the terrible fight on thecauseway; and then gave him a full account of the great battle, onthe previous day.
"And what are we going to do now?" Roger asked, when she hadfinished her narration. "Think you that we shall proceed to thecoast, and take ship for Europe?"
Marina tossed her head scornfully.
"You do not know Cortez," she said, "or you would not ask such aquestion. He is already thinking how he can return, and capture thecapital."
"But unless he receives large reinforcements, that would seemimpossible," Roger said. "You have yourself told me that, had itnot been for the fall of the Mexican leader, nothing could havesaved you from destruction. The Aztec loss was heavy, no doubt; butthey can fill up their ranks and take the field again, in a week ortwo, with a force as large as that which fought at Otompan. Theywill not be dispirited, for they will know that it was but anaccident which deprived them of victory, and will no longer deemthe Spaniards invincible."
"It matters not," Marina said, carelessly. "Cortez will managethings. Whatever he undertakes, that he will carry out."
Late in the afternoon, the army arrived at the barrier across theroad that marked the boundary of the Tlascalan territory. As theypassed it, the native allies burst into cries of gladness; and theSpaniards joined in the shout, for to them, too, it seemed thattheir dangers were at an end, and that they had reached rest andabundance.
Cortez and the leaders, however, were by no means sanguine as tothe reception they should meet with. Their alliance had broughtmisfortune upon the Tlascalans. Little more than one thousand outof the eight thousand men who had marched with them had returned totell the tale. The rest had fallen in the defense of the palace, inthe fighting in the streets of Mexico, in the passage of thecauseway, or in the battle of Otompan.
What would the Tlascalans think, when they saw the broken remnantof the army, which had marched out so proudly, and knew that theybrought on themselves the bitter enmity of the whole of the peopleof Anahuac? Might they not well be tempted to avert the wrath ofthe Aztecs, by falling upon the strangers, whose alliance had costthem so dearly?
At the place at which they halted for the night, a town of somefifteen thousand inhabitants, they were so kindly received by thenatives that these apprehensions were somewhat laid to rest. Thepeople came out to meet them, invited them to their houses, andtreated them with the greatest hospitality. Here they remainedthree days, resting after their terrible fatigues.
They were visited here by Maxixca, the most influential of the fourgreat chiefs of the Tlascalans. He had been their most cordialfriend, on their first arrival; and his sentiments were in no wisechanged by the misfortunes that had befallen them. Indeed, hisadmiration for them was heightened, by the manner in which they hadwithstood the whole power of the Aztec nation.
The cordial greeting, given to them by one whose counsels were ofthe highest authority in the Tlascalan nation, restored theconfidence of Cortez; and he accepted the invitation to continuehis march, at once, to the capital, which was some fifteen milesaway. The sick and wounded were placed in hammocks, which werecarried on the shoulders of the friendly natives; and as the armyapproached 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 abode in the palace ofMaxixca, and the rest of the army were quartered in that part ofthe city over which he exercised special authority. Here theyremained for some weeks, during which the wounded recovered fromtheir injuries, the sick regained their strength in the bracingmountain air, and the whole army shook off the effects of theterrible hardships they had undergone, while retreating fromMexico.
Cortez, during this time, was confined to his couch. The wound onthe hand, which he had received in the conflict in the capital, hadbeen so inflamed and aggravated that he had lost the use of twofingers; and he had, in the retreat, received two severe wounds inthe head, one of which became so inflamed from inattention, andfrom the fatigue and excitement he had gone through, that a portionof 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 restingplace, that a party of five horsemen and forty foot, who had goneforward in charge of invalids and treasure from Tlascala, had allbeen massacred; and twelve other soldiers, marching in the samedirection, had also been killed. Upon the other hand, they heardthat all was quiet on the coast; and the friendly demeanor of thenatives, there, was in no way changed.
Roger, seeing that for a time nothing could be done, and that thetroops were all eager to retire to the coast, dispatched Bathalda,a few days after his arrival at Tlascala, to Amenche; to say thathe considered it certain that the Spaniards would retire; and that,if she would come up to him in charge of Cuitcatl, whose safety hecould guarantee, while in Tlascalan territory, they might beunited; as Malinche had promised to obtain the consent of Cortez,who always encouraged marriages between his followers and thenatives.
Before leaving, Bathalda handed to Roger a small bag.
"This," he said, "Maclutha gave to me, for you. It was for thatpurpose she drew me aside, before you started. She bade me notdeliver it to you, unless I was compelled to part from you. Itcontains some of the principal jewels taken from the treasurehouse; and she said they might make you and the princess rich, whenyou reach home.
"They are useless to her. She has no children and, now that Cacamahas gone, it is naught 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 hadstarted, examined the contents of the bag, which he saw at oncewere very valuable--consisting of large pearls, diamonds, and othergems.
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 tellit. Four days since, an officer and guard arrived from Mexico, withorders to arrest Cuitcatl, who was reported by the priests in theneighborhood to have harbored a white man, and to have permittedhim to escape. Maclutha and Amenche were also arrested, and thoughtreated with every personal courtesy, were conducted to Mexico,where the official said they were, for the present, to remain inseclusion, 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 wayof rejoining her, still less of rescuing her. In the presentexcited state of the Aztec population, it would be certain death toventure beyond the frontier of Tlascala.
He regarded his height, now, as the greatest misfortune. Had hebeen short and slight, he would have disguised himself as aMexican, and under the guidance of Bathalda, have made his way tothe 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 narrative.
"I pity you, Roger," she said, when he had finished; "but there isnothing to be done."
"But I cannot march away and leave her," he said. "Rather thanthat, I will disguise myself and take all risks, even though I knowthat I must fail."
"You must have patience, Roger," she said. "Cortez will, I feelsure, recover."
"But if so, it will only be to march down to the coast," Rogerbroke in. "The whole army are eager to be off, before the Mexicanscan 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 tothe coast; and what he wills, he does. The others may grumble, butCortez leads them lik
e tame deer. When he is well enough to speakto 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 areturn to the coast. It had seemed to him that there was nopossibility 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 inCortez, almost as absolute as that entertained by the general'sdevoted followers; and he well knew that, if he still thought therewas a possibility of a successful march to Mexico, that march wouldbe made. He now, therefore, waited with impatience for Cortez to beon his feet again.
But the waiting was long and tedious. Four weeks passed before thegeneral was again himself.
As soon as he became convalescent, the regulations which he issuedfor the army, and the orders that he sent to the coast, for everyavailable man to be sent up to reinforce him, showed the soldiersthat he had no intentions of retiring; and a remonstrance wassigned, by a large number of officers and soldiers, against afurther stay in the country. But Cortez was not shaken. He prayedthem not to discredit the great name they had won, nor to leavetheir glorious enterprise for others, more daring, to finish. Howcould they, with honor, desert their allies who, at theirpersuasion, had taken up arms, and had shared their fortunes, andso leave them to the vengeance of the Aztecs? To retreat now wouldbe but to proclaim their weakness, and give confidence to theirfoes.
If, however, there were any who preferred going home to the gloryof this great enterprise, then in God's Name let them go. He wouldfeel stronger, with but a few brave spirits with him, than ifsurrounded by a host of false or cowardly men.
The troops of Narvaez had been the loudest in their complaints, butthey were silenced now by the enthusiasm with which the soldiers ofCortez responded to the appeal of their leader; and all agreed topostpone their departure, for the present.
A fresh source of danger speedily arose. Six Aztec ambassadorsarrived, bearing presents, and inviting the Tlascalans to forgetold animosities, and to enter into a treaty with them. All thenations of Anahuac, they urged, should make common cause in defenseof their country; and they conjured them, by their common religion,not to allow the white men to escape from their hands; but tosacrifice them, at once, to their gods. These proposals were madeat a solemn council, called to receive them.
There had, even before the arrival of the ambassadors, been astrong party in Tlascala who viewed the Spaniards, with hostility,as the authors of the heavy losses they had suffered; and asbecoming, by their continued stay there, a burden to the state. Thehead of this party was the young chief Xicotencatl, who had led theTlascalan armies in the desperate resistance they offered to theSpaniards, on their first coming. When the ambassadors had madetheir offers, he rose and urged his hearers to assent to theproposal; saying that it were better to unite with their kindred,and those of their own language, faith, and custom, than with thesefierce strangers.
The young warriors enthusiastically agreed; but, happily for theSpaniards, the four great chiefs, one of whom was the father ofXicotencatl, were opposed to the proposal. Maxixca especiallycombated the idea.
"The Aztecs," he said, "are always false in speech, and false inheart. It is fear that drives them, now, to offer their friendshipto the Tlascalans; and when the cause for fear has passed, theywill again be hostile. What? Are we to sacrifice the white men tothe gods--the men who have fought with us side by side against ourenemies, and who are now our guests? Were we to act thus, it wouldbe an act of the grossest perfidy."
Xicotencatl replied; but Maxixca, losing his temper, seized himand, with sudden violence, thrust him from the chamber. So unusuala step so astonished the assembly that it silenced all opposition,and the alliance with the Mexicans was unanimously rejected.
Confident now that the Tlascalans were to be trusted, Cortez sentout expeditions, composed of his own men and bodies of the allies,and inflicted terrible punishment on the districts where theisolated parties of Spaniards had been cut off and destroyed; anddefeated the natives in several hardly fought battles, capturingtheir towns and enslaving the inhabitants.
Having thus restored the confidence of his followers and allies, heprepared for a forward movement. Martin Lopez, ship builder to theexpedition, had escaped the slaughter on the causeway; and he nowordered him to build at Tlascala thirteen ships, which could betaken to pieces and carried on the shoulders of the Indians, to belaunched on Lake Tezcuco. The sails, rigging, and ironwork were tobe brought from the coast, where they had been stored since Cortezhad 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 unknownto the natives, obtained from the pines. New arms were manufactured.Powder was made, with sulphur obtained from the volcanoes. And thework, heavy though it was, was rapidly brought to a conclusion.
While it was going on, however, a terrible scourge swept over thecountry. Smallpox, a disease hitherto unknown there, broke out onthe seacoast and swept across Mexico, carrying off greatnumbers--among the victims being Maxixca, the faithful friend ofthe Spaniards; and Cuitlahua, Montezuma's successor.
The latter was succeeded by Guatimozin, nephew of the two lastmonarchs, who had married his cousin, one of Montezuma's daughters.Like Cuitlahua he was a gallant prince, and had distinguishedhimself greatly in the attacks on the Spaniards, in Mexico. Hecontinued the preparations Cuitlahua had begun for the defense;but, like him, was greatly hampered by the fact that a largeproportion of the tribes recently conquered by the Aztecs hadseized the opportunity, caused by the confusion in the empire, tothrow off their allegiance; the royal orders being really obeyedonly by the population of the Valley of Mexico, itself.
Before starting on his march towards Mexico, Cortez permittedseveral of his companions, who were disinclined to face a renewalof the trials and hardships they had suffered, to leave; placinghis best ship at their disposal. Their loss was more than made upby the capture of two vessels sent by Velasquez, who was ignorantof the fate which had befallen Narvaez; and who considered itcertain that Cortez was a prisoner in his hands. The ships sailedinto port, where the captains and crews were at once seized, andwere then easily persuaded to join Cortez. Two ships fitted out bythe Governor of Jamaica also put into port, to repair damages aftera storm; and their crews were also persuaded, by the liberalpromises of Cortez, to abandon their service and join him. He thusreceived a reinforcement of at least a hundred and fifty well-armedmen, together with fifty horses.
But this was not the end of the good fortune of Cortez. A merchantship, laden with arms and military stores, touched at Cuba; and thecaptain, hearing of the discoveries in Mexico, thought that heshould find a good market there. He therefore sailed to Vera Cruz,where his ship and cargo were purchased by Cortez, and the crewswelled the force under him.
By Christmas everything was ready for the advance. The army nowamounted to six hundred men, forty of whom were cavalry, witheighty musketeers and crossbow men. It had also nine cannon takenfrom the ships. The force of the native allies which joined themwas estimated at from one hundred and ten thousand, to one hundredand 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 theSpanish rule.
But Cortez had no idea of taking all these with him, as it would bedifficult to obtain provisions for such a host; and he left thembehind, to bring on the vessels when completed, and to aid infurther operations. He himself marched with the Spaniards and asmall body of allies, and reached Tezcuco without opposition. Theprince whom Montezuma had appointed to succeed Cacama, fearing thevengeance of the population, had fled to Tlascala; but returning,in hopes of finding a party there in his favor, was seized and putto death by Coanaco, another brother, who had been recognized asking by the Tezcucans.
When the Spaniards approached the city, they found it almostentir
ely deserted, the inhabitants having fled across the lake toMexico. Their ruler had accompanied them, and Cortez appointedanother brother in his place. This prince lived but a few months,and was succeeded by another member of the royal house--the princewho had, during Cacama's lifetime, obtained a large portion of hisdominion; and who proved a valiant and faithful ally of theSpaniards, in their struggle with his countrymen.
The Tezcucans gradually returned after Cortez had nominated a newsovereign, and Cortez at once set a large number of them to dig acanal from the town itself to the lake, so that the men puttingtogether the ships could labor under his very eye.
Several of the cities round sent in to make their submission; and aweek after his arrival Cortez marched, with a body of Spaniards andallies, against Iztapalapan, a town of fifty thousand inhabitants,lying near the narrow tongue of land dividing the great lake fromthat of Xochicalco.
The natives came out to meet them, and fought bravely, but weredriven into the city. The greater part of those who could notescape were slaughtered. While engaged in the work of plunder, theSpaniards were alarmed by a rush of water; the natives havingbroken the bank of the great lake. The troops with the greatestdifficulty escaped with their lives, many of the allies beingdrowned.
The fate of Iztapalapan excited consternation among the othercities, and many sent in to make their submission, among themOtompan and Chalco. Not only had the Mexican Empire fallen topieces, by the detachment of its distant provinces; but even nearhome long smoldering rivalries broke into flame. The Aztecs werebut a small portion, even of the people of the Valley of Mexico;and the greater portion of these were glad to take advantage of thedistress of the capital to break up the union that had so longexisted. Cortez, by promises and presents, assisted the work.
After some weeks' stay at Tezcuco, the news came that the shipswere all completed, and ready to be carried down; and two hundredfoot and fifteen horse, under the command of Sandoval, were sent toescort them. But scarcely had he reached the frontier of Tlascalathan he saw a vast procession advancing. The ships had already beenput together, and tried on a lake among the hills; and were nowbeing brought down in pieces by an immense number of porters, witha great military escort. Sandoval sent the larger portion of theIndian escort home, but kept twenty thousand of the best warriors.After four days of painful labor, the host of porters and fightingmen reached Tezcuco. It was, indeed, an immense undertaking thathad been accomplished; for the whole of the wood and iron work, ofthirteen ships, had to be carried for upwards of sixty miles, overa difficult and mountainous country.
A few days later, Cortez took half of his Spanish force and thewhole of his allies, and started on an expedition to reconnoiterthe capital, and to punish some of the towns which had returnedinsolent answers in reply to his summons.
The town of Xaltocan, standing on an island, was first attacked.The dike leading to it was found to be cut through; and theSpaniards, for a time, suffered greatly. They found a ford,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 hotfight was necessary before the town was fully taken.
Here the Spaniards halted for some days, fighting almost daily withthe Aztecs. In one encounter, Cortez allowed himself to be decoyedon to the great causeway, upon which he had before suffered suchdisaster. When he was halfway across the Aztecs turned,reinforcements arrived from the city, swarms of canoes attacked theSpaniards in flank; and it was only after desperate fighting, andsome loss, that they regained the mainland.
Having accomplished their object, the force returned to Tezcuco,greatly harassed on the march by the enemy. Other expeditions wereundertaken. During these events the work of putting together thevessels was continued and, to the great satisfaction of theSpaniards, news reached them from the coast of the arrival of threeships, with reinforcements: two hundred men, seventy or eightyhorses, arms, and ammunition.
When these reached Tezcuco, Cortez felt confident that he shouldnow be able to overcome all opposition. On the fifth of April heagain started on an expedition. Passing through some deep gorges,he attempted to carry a mountain fortress; but was repulsed, withloss, from the volleys of stones and rocks rolled down upon theassailants.
After several other battles they neared Xochimilco, one of therichest of the Aztec towns. Like Mexico, it stood in the water, butat a small distance from the edge of the lake. This was onlycaptured after desperate fighting, Cortez himself having a narrowescape of his life. The next morning at dawn, great numbers ofAztecs landed from canoes, and fell upon the Spaniards; and it wasonly after a long and desperate struggle that the latter gained theday.
They now continued their march to Tlacopan, the enemy followingclosely, and striking whenever they saw an opportunity; and thetroops were glad, indeed, when they again reached Tezcuco. By thistime the canal was finished and the ships were put together; andafter discovering and punishing another conspiracy against hislife, Cortez gave orders for the fleet to advance. Solemn mass washeld, and then the vessels, in the sight of an enormous concourseof people, dropped down the canal, one after the other, and reachedthe lake.
Cortez mustered his men, and found that he had eighty-seven horse;eight hundred and eighteen foot, of which one hundred and eighteenwere musketeers or crossbow men; three large iron field pieces, andfifteen light brass guns. Three hundred of the men were told off toman the ships.
The Indian confederates arrived punctually: fifty thousandTlascalans, and a vast number of levies from the other tribes.
The army was divided into three corps. One was to take up its post,under Alvarado, at Tlacopan. Another, under Olid, was to aid incapturing the causeway; while Sandoval had command of the third,whose movements were to be determined by circumstances. Cortezhimself 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, andstarted for Tlascala. He had always been bitterly hostile to theSpaniards; and Cortez saw that, unless the movement was stopped, itmight become very serious. He sent a party of natives after him,with instructions to prevail upon him, if possible, to return. Herefused to do so. Cortez dispatched a body of cavalry in pursuit,arrested him in Tlascala, brought him down to Tezcuco, and therehung him in the sight of his own countrymen.
The divisions of Alvarado and Olid met with no resistance inestablishing themselves at Tlacopan. They cut the reservoir thatsupplied the city with fresh water, the great lake being salt. Thenext day the two divisions marched on to the causeway to makethemselves masters, if possible, of the first bridge.
The natives pursued their former tactics, desperately defendingbarricades thrown across the causeway, and attacking the invaderswith a crowd of missiles from canoes. After a long and obstinatefight, the Spaniards and their allies were obliged to fall back,with considerable loss; and Olid drew off with his division to hisstation commanding the other causeway.
Iztapalapan having been again occupied by the enemy, Sandoval'sdivision attacked them by land; while Cortez, with his fleet, layoff the shore. After capturing the town, Cortez turned hisattention to the canoes of the natives, which darkened the surfaceof the lake. At this moment a fresh breeze sprang up; and theships, spreading their canvas, dashed amongst the canoes,overturning and destroying great numbers; while the cannon toreothers to pieces, with discharges of bullets; and comparatively fewsucceeded in regaining the city.
It was now getting nearly dark, and the fleet coasted along thegreat southern causeway to the fort of Xoloc, where another branchof the causeway joined the main dike.
The fort was feebly garrisoned. Cortez landed his soldiers andcarried it by storm. Here he established his headquarters, landingsome of the cannon from the ships to strengthen the position.
He was now within half a league of the city, and two out of thethree great app
roaches were already in his hands. Night and day thenatives attacked the garrison; but the ships, and the guns inpositions, repulsed their assaults.
After some days' delay, a simultaneous attack was made by theSpaniards. Two of the ships, one on each side of the causeway,advanced abreast of the army, sweeping 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 theyadvanced, the native allies filled up the breaches, and made thempracticable for artillery and cavalry; and as soon as the work wascompleted, the Spaniards who had already passed were reinforced bylarge numbers of their allies.