CHAPTER XV.
MARCHING ON CHOLULA
While the Spanish commander had never swerved from his announceddetermination of penetrating to the very heart of Anahuac, andestablishing himself, either by peaceful or warlike means, in itscapital city, he was at all times confused by the contradictory adviceof the natives as to the route by which he should advance. He hadbeen advised to visit Tlascala, and urged not to do so by those whofeared that, after encountering the unconquered armies of the mountainrepublic, he would be so weakened that the Aztecs would easily destroyhim. In this case he had relied solely upon his own judgment, with theresults already known. Up to the moment of his triumphal entry intothe Tlascalan capital, every embassy from Montezuma, while strivingto gain his good-will by lavish and costly gifts, had also endeavoredto dissuade him from his purpose of visiting the royal city. TheTlascalans, too, protested against their new allies placing themselvesat the mercy of the treacherous Aztec monarch by entering the islandcity of Tenochtitlan, where they could easily be cut off from allcommunication with the main land by the simple removal of the bridgeson its several causeways. They assured him that the armies of Montezumacovered the continent, so that, in the event of battle, the Aztec kingcould well afford to allow the Spaniards to exhaust themselves withslaughter, and could then overwhelm them by mere force of numbers.
To this Cortes made the flattering reply, that no one who had been ableto withstand the forces of Tlascala, even for a time, need fear all theother armies of the New World.
Finding him thus determined to advance to Tenochtitlan, the Tlascalansstill urged him to avoid the perfidious city of Cholula, which, theysaid, was filled with a crafty priesthood, who would hesitate at no actof treachery for his destruction.
At this juncture two new embassies appeared upon the scene. One camefrom the Aztec king, bringing an invitation to the white strangers tovisit his capital. He urged them not to enter into an alliance with thebase and barbarous Tlascalans, whom he proposed shortly to exterminate.He also advised Cortes to travel by the easy and pleasant road leadingthrough the friendly city of Cholula, where he had ordered a fittingreception to be prepared for him. The other embassy was composed of thehead men of Cholula itself, and these seconded the king's invitation,at the same time assuring the Spaniards of a cordial welcome to theircity.
These embassies had hardly delivered their messages, ere some Tlascalanscouts, returning from the neighborhood of Cholula, reported that astrong Aztec force was marching toward it, and that the inhabitantswere actively engaged in strengthening the defences of their city.
Perplexed by the conflicting nature of this advice and these reports,the Spanish leader called a council of his captains; but even theycould not agree upon a course of action. Then Sandoval suggestedthat Huetzin, the young Toltec, be admitted to the council, and thatits decision be determined according to his advice. "So far as maybe judged," argued the speaker, "he is a Christian like ourselves,but with a better cause than any here to hate the Aztecs, and desiretheir humiliation. Having lived among them, he must be acquainted withtheir method of warfare. He has already shown himself a brave youth,possessed of a wisdom uncommon among these barbarians, and has provedhis devotion to our interest."
Struck by the force of these words, Cortes agreed to Sandoval'sproposition, and sent for the young warrior as well as for Marina, toact as interpreter. Huetzin, greatly wondering for what he might bewanted, promptly obeyed the summons, and listened attentively while thesituation was explained to him.
When his turn came to speak, he said to Marina: "Answer my lordMalinche, I pray thee, that my warrior father ever considered an enemyin the rear far more dangerous than one that might be faced. So, inthe present case, I would advise that he pass not by Cholula without avisit. To do so would not only place him between two enemies, but wouldargue a fear of the one left behind. Thus would their confidence intheir own strength be increased, and they would be persuaded to a morevigorous enmity."
Which speech being translated by Marina, was received with approval byall the members of the council.
"If I may be permitted to speak further," continued Huetzin, "I wouldsay that if my lord Malinche will permit the Tlascalan warriors, who,under my command, have been chosen to accompany him, to encamp outsidethe city of Cholula rather than within its walls, I will undertakethat no attack nor attempt against his safety shall be made from anyquarter, without his previous knowledge."
To this Cortes replied: "Not only do I willingly accede to thyproposal, but such is my confidence in thy prudence and in the fidelityof thy Tlascalan warriors, that I would readily entrust the safety ofmy army to thy watchfulness. Now, then, gentlemen, having listened tothe advice of our well-considered ally of Tlascala, what say you? Shallwe visit this city of Cholula on our way to the capital, or shall wepass it by?"
"Let us visit it," was the unanimous answer. And thus it was decided.
During the past week Huetzin's time had not been wholly occupiedwith the study of Spanish, nor in learning the use of a sword. Uponthe earnest representation of Sandoval, Cortes had requested of theTlascalan senate that the son of Tlahuicol might be appointed to thecommand of the force they intended to send with him.
They had assigned Xicoten to this expedition, but that general, whoregarded the Spaniards with a bitter hatred, claimed that it would bebeneath the dignity of the war-chief of the republic to be subject tothe orders of a stranger, even the White Conqueror himself, and beggedto be relieved of the duty. So the position was left unfilled untilCortes made application for it on behalf of Huetzin. In spite of hisyouth the young Toltec had been trained for a military life from hischildhood by his father, the greatest warrior ever known in Tlascala,and was thus well fitted for the position. Of his bravery there was noquestion, and, as a son of the house of Titcala, his rank was second tonone. Besides all this, the young man possessed an invaluable knowledgeof the Aztec capital, gained while a prisoner within its walls. In viewof these facts there seemed to be no reason, except his youth and lackof experience as a commander, against Huetzin's appointment, and thesewere overruled by the request of the all-powerful Spaniard.
Thus, to his amazement and great joy, Huetzin found himself placed ina position, and entrusted with a responsibility, such as most men onlygain by long years of diligent and successful service. Not only wouldit permit him to fight side by side with Sandoval, for whom he hadconceived a warm affection, but it clothed him with a power that mightbe used for the rescue of Tiata, if, indeed, she were still alive.There was also a thought of Marina, but this he strove to banish asbeing out of keeping with his military duties.
The young chieftain entered his new office with the greatestenthusiasm, and at once set about the selection, from nearly onehundred thousand volunteers, of the six thousand warriors which Cortesdesired might accompany the Christian army. He believed that a greaternumber than this would only embarrass his own movements, while aforce of this size might be subjected to a certain amount of drillingthat would render them more effective than many times their number ofundisciplined troops. In selecting his men Huetzin always chose thosewho had fought under his father's command, and who, in consequence,embraced the service of Tlahuicol's son with gladness.
As fast as enlisted, these were sent to a camp outside the city, wherethey were formed into companies of hundreds, each under command of aproved warrior. These companies were assembled into four bodies, orregiments, each containing fifteen hundred warriors, and named afterthe four great houses or states of the republic. Thus each regimentwas entitled to a separate banner, while all were united under thatof their young leader. The device chosen by Huetzin as his own was arock on which stood the white heron of Titcala and a cross typical bothof his Toltec origin and his present service. Marina claimed, and wasgladly accorded, the privilege of making the first standard of the newalliance. On a blood-red field she embroidered the device in silverthread, and worked at it with such unflagging industry that, greatly toHuetzin's satisfaction, it was fin
ished and ready for display on themorning of the day appointed for departure.
Before daylight on that eventful morning, the young man entered thecity and sought his grandfather, that he might receive his blessingbefore setting forth on this first great undertaking of his life. Asthe blind chieftain placed his hands on the head of the youth andblessed him, he added:
THE BLIND CHIEFTAIN PLACED HIS HANDS, ETC.]
"My son, wherever thou goest, bear thyself modestly and be not puffedup, though thy station appear exalted among men. Remember always thatthe greatest is he who commands himself, rather than he who commandsothers. In time of battle forget not the bravery of thy father, andin the hour of victory recall the tender mercy of thy mother. Now, myson, farewell. Go to thy duty, and may the gods guide thee."
The departure of the army was witnessed by the entire population ofthe city, and it was accompanied for several miles by thousands whohad relatives or friends in its ranks. At length the shining walls ofTlascala disappeared from view, the last of its shouting inhabitantswas left behind, and the eventful march, toward the goal from whichso many of those now pressing eagerly forward would never return, wasbegun in earnest. Although the distance from Tlascala to Cholula wasbut six leagues, so much of the way was over rough ground that it wasafter noon before the army descended into the great plain of Puebla,and night had fallen ere they camped on the bank of a small stream,within sight of the lofty pyramid and hundreds of smoking temples ofthe ancient Toltec city.
The next morning the Spaniards, leaving Huetzin and his Tlascalansin camp where they were, marched on amid ever-increasing throngs ofeager sightseers, who, filled with an intense curiosity concerning thewonderful strangers, poured from the city gates by thousands. As theconquerors entered the city they, in turn, were filled with admirationat its cleanliness, the width and regularity of its streets, thesolidity of its buildings, the number of its temples, the intelligentand civilized aspect of its people, and the richly embroidered mantlesof its higher classes. They were also astonished at the surprisingnumber of what they supposed were beggars, but who, as they afterwardlearned, were, in reality, pilgrims, attracted to this point from everycorner of Anahuac by the fame of Quetzal, a god who was enshrined onthe great pyramid of Cholula.