CHAPTER XIII.
HOW PEACE WAS BROUGHT ABOUT
When Huetzin was left alone on the night of the Tlascalan attack, andknew, by the sounds from outside, that the entire Spanish garrison hadgone to repel it, he conceived the idea of leaving the unguarded camp,making his way to that of Xicoten, and of endeavoring to persuade thatimpetuous war-chief to put an end to fighting. Although still weak, hefelt that his will would carry him through the undertaking. Making hiscautious way to the outer door of the temple, he was there confrontedby Marina, who was just entering. Alarmed at the sight of a patientthus disobeying her command to rest quietly until he had recovered hisstrength, she at once ordered him back to his bed.
Smiling, but resolutely disregarding the stern command of this gentlemistress, Huetzin led her outside and there unfolded his plan.Marina replied that while it was a noble one, and met with her fullapprobation, he had not yet the strength to carry it out. WhereuponHuetzin suddenly threw his arms about her, lifted her lightly from theground, kissed her full on the lips, and set her gently down again.
Springing to a safe distance, the girl, with burning cheeks and awell-assumed anger, abused him soundly for so shameful an act, andindignantly bade him be-gone, with the hope that she might never seteyes on him again. As he turned to obey her, she added that, if heever dared to return, except as an ambassador of peace from Tlascala,she should certainly refuse to recognize him in any way. Then hurryingto the top of the temple, where, by the bright moonlight, she coulddiscern something of what was taking place below, she prayed to thegods for the safety of the youth whom she had but now so bitterlydenounced.
In the meantime Huetzin, filled with other thoughts than those ofwounds or weakness, hurried down the hillside, on the opposite sidefrom that on which the fighting was taking place, and, making a greatcircuit, gained the camp of the Tlascalans, who had just returned,filled with sullen rage, from the scene of their fourth defeat. Here hefound it impossible to pass the guards, who, to his plea that he bore amost important communication for their general, replied that the latterwould see no one that night.
Thus it was not until late on the following day that Huetzin gainedaudience of his haughty cousin, who, smarting under his reverses, wasin much the temper of a caged lion recently deprived of its liberty.Although he recognized the son of Tlahuicol he refused to admit thathe did so. When the latter ventured to speak of the mission on whichhe had come, the irate war-chief broke forth in a tirade of abuse, notonly against the Spaniards, who, he declared, he would yet sweep fromthe face of the earth, but against all Tlascalan traitors, who, ifthey had escaped the sacrifice they so well deserved, should no longerescape from the just wrath of their patriot countrymen. Then, callingin the officer of his guard, Xicoten commanded that the young rebel, ashe designated Huetzin, be seized, conveyed to the city, and thrown intothe deepest dungeon of the temple.
As resistance to this cruel mandate would have been worse than useless,Huetzin suffered himself to be led quietly away by a file of soldiers,and, on the following morning, was taken to the city of Tlascala. Here,as he was hurried through the narrow streets, seeking in vain for afriendly face among the multitudes who thronged them, his heart wasfilled with such bitterness that he almost regretted not having turnedtraitor to his country and remained to share the fortune or fate of thewhite conquerors.
While he was thus sorrowfully reflecting, and walking mechanicallybetween his stolid guards, there came an obstruction in the streetthat compelled them to halt. Looking up Huetzin caught sight of thatwhich caused his heart to beat with a new hope. A silver-haired oldman, evidently blind, was being borne past in a splendidly appointedlitter. Above it waved a panache of heron's plumes, and its bearerswore the yellow and white livery of the house of Titcala. It was hisown grandfather, the aged chieftain of Titcala, on his way to a meetingof the Great Council of the republic.
Freeing himself from his guards with a sudden movement, the young mansprang to the side of the litter, crying:
"My lord! oh, my lord! I am Huetzin, son of Tlahuicol, and ofthy daughter! I am, moreover, in sore distress! Extend to me thyprotection, I pray thee!"
Thus suddenly aroused from a deep reverie, the old man at first failedto comprehend what was said or who was speaking; but, on a repetitionof the words, he commanded Huetzin to approach that he might identifyhim. This he did by slowly passing his sensitive fingers over the youngman's face, as he had been used to do in former years. Finally heexclaimed, in trembling tones:
"It is indeed Huetzin, son of my son, and blood of my blood! But howcamest thou here? Did I not hear that thou wert dead? They told me thatthou, and thy noble father, mine own sweet child, and the little Tiata,had all been sacrificed on the bloody altars of Huitzil. How is it? DoTlahuicol and his still live?"
"No, my lord," answered Huetzin. "Both my brave father and my beautifulmother have departed to the realms of the sun. As for Tiata I know notif she still lives. I myself have thrice escaped; once from the altarsof Tenochtitlan, once from the camp of the white conquerors, and evennow from the soldiers of Xicoten, who would lead me to a Tlascalandungeon. But my story will keep for a later telling. First, I mustdeliver the last message of Tlahuicol, which is of vital importance tothe republic for which he gave his life. Is there no place other thanthis street where I may entrust it to thy ears?"
"If it concerns the republic," answered the aged chieftain, "then it isfor the senate, who even now await my presence. Come thou with me, anddeliver it directly to those who must judge of its importance."
In that city the will of its most honored councillor was supreme, andnot even the soldiers of Xicoten dared dispute it. Therefore Huetzin'sguard allowed him to accompany his aged grandfather to the senatechamber, making respectful way for them to pass, but following closelybehind in readiness to prevent any further escape of their prisoner.
The councillors of the republic, assembled to discuss the momentousquestion of war or peace with the terrible white conquerors, whosecoming had shaken the nation to its foundations, rose and stood withbowed heads as their aged president appeared and was led to the seat ofhonor. As he passed them, they gazed with surprise at the meanly cladyouth who walked beside him with a bearing as proud as that of anyprince, and marvelled as to who he might be.
When the lord of Titcala faced them with his sightless eyes, andannounced that this same youth was his grandson, the son of Tlahuicol,and that he had but now escaped from Tenochtitlan, bringing them amessage from his dead father, a murmur of recognition and amazementswept over the assembly.
Then Huetzin, standing before them in his robe of tattered andblood-stained nequen, told, in the simple language with which oratoryis made most effective, his story of the past year. He told ofTlahuicol's unswerving loyalty to his adopted country, despite thesplendid offers of Montezuma to desert her and enter his service. Herepeated his father's last words in a voice that trembled with emotion,and described with thrilling effect the final battle of the greatTlascalan war-chief. He told of his own escape, through the directinterposition of the gods, from the very knife of sacrifice, and ofhis experience in the camp of the white conquerors. He described hisleaving it and his reception by Xicoten. Finally, he concluded with sostrong an argument in favor of a Tlascalan alliance with the powerfulstrangers, against the hated Aztec, that none who heard him couldresist his eloquence; and, when he finished, he was greeted with such astorm of applause as had never before swept over that solemn chamber.
As Huetzin stepped back to his grandfather's side the aged chieftainembraced and blessed him, while tears streamed from his sightlesseyes. Then, declaring that his vote should, now and always, be foran alliance with the Spaniards, and begging to be excused from thedeliberations of that day, the lord of Titcala retired, taking Huetzinwith him, to his own palace. Here the young man was bathed in perfumedwaters and clad as became his rank, and here he rested, recoveringhis strength, during all of that day. In the meantime the news of hisreturn had spread through the city, and w
as received with such joythat, the next morning, when he appeared in the streets, on his way tothe senate chamber, to which he had been summoned, he was greeted withuniversal enthusiasm.
By the councillors of the republic the dignity of the command of adivision of the Tlascalan army was conferred upon the young warrior;also, in consideration of the life services of his father, he waspresented with the most valuable weapon in all Tlascala, the sword ofToledo steel that Cortes had sent as a gift to the republic. Last andbest of all, the newly made chieftain was commissioned to proceed atonce to the camp of the white conquerors, and invite them, in the nameof the republic, to visit the capital city, there to settle upon theterms of an everlasting peace and alliance.
Thus was Huetzin's cup of happiness filled to overflowing. There wasbut one drop of bitterness mingled with it. He was instructed to visithis cousin, Xicoten, on his way to the Christian camp, convey to thatarrogant general the command of the senate that there must be no morefighting, and invite him, as the war-chief, to head, in person, theembassy to Cortes.
So the son of Tlahuicol, who had entered his native city a despisedprisoner, clad in rags, left it, the next day, an honored chieftain,robed with the gorgeousness of his rank, and heading the most importantembassy the New World had ever seen.
When he reached Xicoten's camp that hot-headed warrior, while notdaring to openly oppose the messenger of the senate, yet managed todelay him for a whole day, while he secretly despatched spies todiscover the condition of the Spaniards. If their report should provefavorable he was resolved on another attack, with the splendid armyhe had gathered, in spite of all the senators in Tlascala. Had thisattack been made, the Spaniards, weakened by their previous losses,would undoubtedly have been destroyed, and all history would have beenchanged.
As it was, Cortes detected the spies, cut off their thumbs, and sentthem back to their master with the message, that while the Christiansnever slept, and were ready for him at all times, they were also wearyof waiting. Therefore, if he had not tendered his submission inside oftwenty-four hours, they would desolate the land of Tlascala with fireand sword, until no living thing remained within its borders.
Thus was Xicoten's proud spirit humbled, and though he preferred tofollow, rather than to accompany, Huetzin on his mission, the latterwas no longer hindered from carrying it into effect.