CHAPTER XII.
A SON OF THE HOUSE OF TITCALA
During the progress of this fierce and sanguinary battle Huetzin sleptpeacefully as a child, and not until after the return of the weary,but victorious, Spaniards to their camp did he wake. In the earlierhours of the day Marina, from the roof of the temple in which he lay,watched the progress of the fight with a fearful interest that was yetdivided in its loyalty. She had cast her lot with these strangers, whohad rescued her from slavery, and treated her with courtesy. But forthe shelter of their camps she was homeless, and but for their strongarms she was without a protector in the world. And yet, those with whomthey now fought were of her own race. The defeat of either side wouldfill her with sadness. Would that they might be friends rather thanenemies! Then, indeed, would she rejoice! How might such a happy resultbe brought about? What could she do to further it?
In spite of these crowding thoughts, and in spite of the thrillinginterest of the battle raging with varying fortunes below her, the girlwas not so unmindful of her duty but that she descended several timesto look after the welfare of her patients. On one of these occasions,though the young courier still slept, she found him mutteringincoherently, and, to her amazement his words were spoken in the Mayantongue.
When Huetzin awoke, greatly refreshed and possessed of all hisfaculties, he lay motionless for a while, bewildered by hissurroundings and striving to account for the strange sights and soundsabout him. Many other wounded men lay on the floor of the room in whichhe now found himself, and, ministering to their wants were a numberof women. He could see that while the former were of a strange race,the women were of Anahuac. Strange weapons, such as he had never seen,were scattered on all sides, and he heard rough voices speaking in anunknown tongue. He had thought, or dreamed, that his sister Tiata waswith him, but now he looked for her in vain, and heaved a deep sighthat it must have been a dream.
Suddenly he realized that the wounded men about him were white andbearded. It flashed into his mind that they must be of those whom hisfather had termed the "White Conquerors." Gradually the past came backto him. He remembered his own flight from Tenochtitlan, the courier,and his despatches telling of war between these strangers and theTlascalans. He recalled his own determination, and his efforts toreach Tlascala in time to put an end to fighting before either sideshould be conquered. Then came a vision of terrible beings, armed withgleaming weapons, pursuing a crowd of fleeing natives through thestreets of a Tlascalan village he had just entered. He recalled hisdismay at sight of them, and his resolution in spite of it to intercedewith their leader and beg him to stay the hands of his followers. Afterthat all was blank.
Huetzin's head throbbed, and he raised his hand to it. He felt that hehad been wounded; but how, or by whom, he knew not. Had he, too, beenfighting? He tried to rise, but fell back, amazed and indignant at hisown weakness. As though the movement had attracted attention, one ofthe women hastened to where he lay and knelt beside him. She was youngand beautiful, even more so than Tiata he thought, as he gazed into herface. She spoke soothingly to him, and, to his surprise, her words werein the Mayan tongue, which was also that of the Toltecs, and had beentaught him by his father. Then she left him, but soon returned bringingbroth and wine, of which he drank eagerly.
He asked her, in the Mayan language, who she was, and where they were,receiving for answer that she was Marina, and that they were in thecamp of the Christians, from whom he had naught to fear. Then, sayingthat he must talk no more but must again sleep, she left him, and whenhe slept he dreamed of one called Marina, who was beautiful, morebeautiful even than Tiata.
When the young Toltec next awoke, another day had come, and hisstrength was so far recovered that he sat up, and felt that he mightwalk if he were allowed to try. As he sat gazing with eager curiosityupon those about him, Marina came again, bringing him food, of whichhe ate heartily, but still forbidding him to rise. Then they talkedtogether, and he told her, unreservedly, who he was, of his father'sbrave death in Tenochtitlan, of his own escape from a like fate, andwhy he had come to Tlascala.
Marina was amazed, and yet rejoiced, at what she heard. It seemed toher that through the influence of this stranger her own cherished hopeof an alliance between Tlascala and the Spaniards might be broughtabout. Filled with this thought the girl spoke little of herself, buttold him of what had taken place since the arrival of the conquerors inthe republic, of the terrible battles already fought and her fears thatmore were to follow. Then she begged him to think of some way by whichthe fighting might be ended and peace declared.
While they talked a young man entered the place, and came directly towhere they were. At sight of him Marina told Huetzin that it was hewho had saved him from death and brought him to this place. Thereuponthe young Toltec seized the other's hand and kissed it, and said manygrateful things that were not understood. Then Marina, speaking inSpanish, of which by this time she had acquired a fair command, toldSandoval the story of Huetzin's escape from the altars of Tenochtitlanin so vivid a manner that, when she finished, the listener crossedhimself and uttered a pious ejaculation of amazement.
Nor was he less amazed when Huetzin excitedly sprang to his feet andasked if he too were a Toltec? If not, how came he to know and use theholy sign of the God of the Four Winds?
When the purport of this question was explained to Sandoval, heanswered that he most certainly was not a Toltec, but was a Spaniard,and that the sign, just made by him was that of the cross, the sacredsymbol of the Christian religion. Then, in turn, he bade Marina askHuetzin whether he were a Christian, and, if not, how it came that hehad made use of that same sign upon the occasion of their first meeting?
Without hesitation the other answered that while he knew not themeaning of the term Christian, he had made the sign of the cross, whichwas also the symbol of the god of his fathers, when he thought himselfdying. He added that his warrior father had made the same sign as hislast conscious act, and that, since it represented the religion of thewhite conquerors, both they and he must worship the same gods.
The translation of these words aroused the deepest interest in the mindof Sandoval, who recalled the ancient stone crosses that the Spaniardshad seen and marvelled at in the land of the Mayas. After somereflection he bade Marina ask if the gods worshipped by Huetzin werenot also those of the Aztecs? The young man replied, indignantly, thatthey were not, adding that the gods of his Toltec fathers abhorred thebloody rites and human sacrifices of the Aztec priesthood, and demandedonly offerings of fruits, flowers, and on great occasions the blood ofbeasts. He also explained that as his father's life had been devoted tothe overthrow of the cruel Aztec gods, so should his own be devoted.
When this was understood by Sandoval, his eyes sparkled with gladness,and, grasping Huetzin's hand, he exclaimed: "Now I know for whatgreat purpose I was moved to save thy life! Henceforth shall we be asbrothers! Thy quarrel shall be mine, and mine thine! When thou artrecovered thy full strength I will arm thee as becomes a Christian,and teach thee to fight as a Christian. In token of this thou shalthereafter be called 'Juan,' which was the name of my own brother, nowdwelling with the saints in glory."
Although Huetzin failed at the time to comprehend these words, he readthe sentiment expressed in the other's face, understood the meaningof the sturdy hand-grasp, and was filled with a great joy. This wasthe end of conversation for the present; and, at Marina's suggestion,Huetzin was again left to rest.
That night the Tlascalans made an attack on the Spanish camp; and whenthe defenders returned from repelling it Sandoval was greatly concernedto learn, from Marina, that his newly adopted brother had disappeared,leaving no trace of where he had gone. To her news the Indian maidenadded, mysteriously, that she did not believe they had seen the last ofhim; but she could not be persuaded to name her reason for so thinking.
By these repeated attacks not only was the Spanish force constantlyweakened, but many of its members were so disheartened that they becameclamorous for Cortes to give over
his hopeless attempt to reach theAztec capital, and lead them back to the coast. If this petty mountainrepublic could offer such determined opposition to their progress,what might they not expect from the powerful nation whom they had yetto meet? was the question that even the undaunted leader found itdifficult to answer. At the same time the camp was filled with rumorsof the gathering, for their destruction, of another Tlascalan army,greater and more formidable than any they had yet encountered. Food wasbecoming scarce with them, for they had wasted the neighborhood withfire and sword, there was much sickness in camp, and even the WhiteConqueror himself was ill of a fever, aggravated by anxiety.
The affairs of the Spaniards stood thus for several days: but onemorning, when gloom and despair had wellnigh reached their climax,the camp was gladdened by the approach of a small but imposing bodyof Tlascalan chiefs, wearing white badges, indicative of a peacefulerrand. At their head walked a young man whose noble appearance andmartial bearing attracted admiration even from the Spaniards. Over acuirass of golden scales he wore a magnificent feather cloak, in whichwere harmoniously blended the most brilliant colors. Boots of tannedleather, ornamented with gold and jewels, reached to his thighs. Onhis head he wore a golden casque, decorated with the graceful plumesof a white heron. This, and the colors of his cloak, designated him asbelonging to the house of Titcala. His only weapon was a Spanish swordof the finest Toledo steel, which was recognized to be the one sent asa present by Cortes to the Tlascalans with his first embassy.
Proudly advancing between the curious but orderly ranks of Spanishsoldiers, to where Cortes stood, surrounded by his captains, andwith Marina near at hand to act as interpreter, the young man maderespectful obeisance by touching the ground with his hand and raisingit to his head. Then he said:
"My Lord Malinche (the native name for Cortes) I am commissioned by theGreat Council of Tlascala to invite you, with your army, to become thehonored guests of their city, and there discuss with them the terms ofa solemn treaty of peace and alliance. Even now Xicoten, the war chiefof all Tlascalan armies, follows me to pledge his friendship, and urgeyour acceptance of this invitation."
Then for a moment, forgetful of the dignity of his position, the youngman turned to Sandoval, and lifting that sturdy soldier's hand to hislips, exclaimed: "My brother, to whom I owe my life, now will we indeedfight side by side!" to which the astonished captain replied, though innowise comprehending the other's words:
"By the holy St. Jago! it is no other than Huetzin, my young Toltec,the captive of my bow and spear!"