CHAPTER XX.
HUETZIN IN THE POWER OF THE CHIEF PRIEST
Thus far Huetzin had felt almost certain that he had escapedrecognition in Tenochtitlan. By the Spaniards he was invariablyaddressed as Don Juan, while his own followers spoke and thought of himonly as their chieftain, giving him always the title of his office.Although, under the circumstances of his present appearance in thecity, he did not fear any evil consequences to himself from beingidentified with the prisoner who had escaped from Huitzil's altar onlythree months before, he thought it best, for Tiata's sake, to remainunknown as long as possible. Nor did he esteem this a difficult matter.While the personality of the Spaniards was of great interest in thecourt of Montezuma, that of their despised Tlascalan allies was notdeemed worthy of consideration. Who, then, would concern himself as tothe name, title, or previous history, even of their chief? As Huetzinanswered to himself "No one," he forgot that the anger of a baffledpriest never slumbers, forgives, nor forgets. He forgot Topil.
Thus, when the young Toltec finally discovered a shadowy form, thatseemed to move when he moved, and to halt when he halted, though alwaysat a distance from him, he became interested rather than apprehensive,and wondered for whom he was mistaken. In his efforts to obtain acloser view of his shadow, he tried disappearing around corners andthen quickly retracing his steps, hiding in dark angles, and variousother plans, but always without success. At length he lost sight ofthe figure, and was beginning to think he must be mistaken in hissuspicions, when he was startled by a whisper in his ear: "If you wouldknow of Tiata, follow me!" Then a dark form moved swiftly ahead of him.
For a moment the young Toltec stood irresolute. The utterance of hissister's name showed that he was indeed recognized. He longed above allthings for news concerning her, but should he, for that reason, throwprudence to the winds and follow the first stranger who bade him do so?Certainly not. At the same time his curiosity was so aroused that hedetermined to overtake the mysterious person, if possible, and forcean explanation from him. The shadow was still in sight, though at somedistance, and, under the impulse of the resolve just made, Huetzinstarted swiftly after it. As he ran, so it fled, always almost, butnot quite, within reach. A touch of its fluttering garments led himto believe that the chase was nearly ended, and in his exultation hefailed to notice that he had passed through a wide gateway. Again, ashe was about to grasp the figure, it darted through an open door; buthere the pursuer paused. He would follow no further.
At that moment there came a shrill scream from within. It was a woman'svoice, and it seemed to cry: "Huetzin! oh, Huetzin!" Impulsively theyoung man sprang forward. He had hardly passed the dark portal, whenhe was seized by several pairs of strong hands and thrown to theground. A minute later he was led away, helplessly bound, through thedarkness. At length he was rudely thrust into a wooden cage, such aswere used for captives destined for sacrifice, and there left to hisown sorrowful reflections.
He could no longer doubt that he had been recognized, his everymovement watched, and his capture devised by means of the simple trapto which he had fallen so easy a victim. Fortunately for him, Topil,the chief priest, had that day gone on a secret mission to Tezcuco.He did not return until near noon of the following day. As soon as hereached the temple he was informed that the young Tlascalan, upon whomhe had so long desired to lay hands, once more awaited his pleasure.
Topil's eyes lighted with a fierce gleam as he muttered, "Ha! son ofTlahuicol, and avowed enemy of the holy priesthood, thou shalt notescape me now!" Then, aloud, he said: "Away with him to the altar ofHuitzil, to which I will shortly follow. With this sacrifice shallthe anger of the gods be averted, and all shall once more go well withAnahuac."
In obedience to this order, Huetzin was dragged from his cage, towhich no ray of light had penetrated since he was thrust into it, wasblindfolded, and bound to the back of a sturdy tamane, or porter of thetemple. In this manner, and surrounded by a strong guard of priests,he was borne for a long distance, and, as he could distinguish fromthe motion, up many flights of stairs. When he was at length set down,although the bandage was not removed from his eyes, he felt certainthat he once more stood on the horrible platform crowning the greatteocal of Huitzil.
As he stood there, feeling that now his last hour had indeed come,he vaguely calculated the chances of a desperate plan for wrenchinghimself free, at the last moment, seizing the chief priest, who he wassure would conduct the sacrifice in person, and leaping with him fromthe giddy height. All at once he became conscious of a mighty hum ofvoices rising from far below, and gradually swelling into acclamations.Then, although he could not see him, a priest came running breathlesslyup the stairway that led to the platform. Huetzin did, however, hearthe words, "They are coming here! Away with him! Another time will doas well! Even his dead body must not be discovered!" Then the prisonerwas seized and dragged into a building, which, by the horrible odorpervading it, he recognized as the shrine of the god. Here he wasthrust into some sort of a room or closet, and its door was closedbehind him.
In the meantime, Huetzin's former preserver, Tlalco, the Toltec priest,had been well aware of his arrival in the city, but had not yet foundan opportunity to communicate with him. With all his secret meansof acquiring information, he had not known of the young chieftain'scapture and imminent peril until Topil's return from Tezcuco. Then heoverheard the communication made to the chief priest, and, withoutan instant's delay, hastened to the king's palace. Montezuma was notthere, nor were his attendant nobles. They were escorting the Spaniardson a visit to the places of greatest interest within the city.
Sandoval had been greatly concerned to learn, upon inquiring for hisfriend Don Juan, just before setting forth on this excursion, that theyoung Tlascalan had not returned to his quarters since leaving themlate on the previous evening. He would have instituted an immediatesearch for the missing youth, had not the arrival of the king at thatmoment demanded his service. Filled with an ever-increasing uneasiness,the young Spaniard was compelled to visit, with his commander and theother cavaliers, the great market-place of Tlateloco, where not eventhe thousand strange sights, that so interested the others, coulddistract his mind from its one all-absorbing thought. What had becomeof the friend whom he had learned to love as a brother? Was he indanger? If so, what was its nature?
He rejoiced when the tedious inspection of the market-place was ended,and the Spaniards were conducted toward the great temple, which Corteswas especially desirous of visiting. They were still some distance fromit, when a page from the palace, mingling unnoticed with the throng,managed to attract the attention of Marina, who accompanied the partyas interpreter, and delivered to her a whispered message. She turnedpale as she gathered its import, and beckoning Sandoval to the side ofher litter, said, in a low but thrillingly earnest tone:
"I am just told to inform the lord Sandoval that, if he would savehis brother's life, he must make all speed to the summit of the greattemple."
For a moment Sandoval was bewildered. His brother? Then it flashed intohis mind that Huetzin, the missing one, must be meant. He also recalledthe dread fate already escaped once by the young Toltec on the summitof that same pyramid of horrors. Huetzin had never been very clear inhis account of how he escaped on that occasion, but it was likely thata similar method was well guarded against this time, if, indeed, hewere in a similar danger.
While thus thinking, the young captain, saluting his commander, andobtaining leave to take a handful of men and act as an advance guard inclearing the streets, clapped spurs to Motilla and dashed away with ahaste that occasioned general surprise. It was his impetuous arrival atthe foot of the teocal that had occasioned such consternation on itssummit, and the chief priest was but one flight of stairs ahead of himas he made his way, with all speed, up the long ascent. He was recklessof the fact that he had far outstripped his followers and was alone.Even when he gained the summit and found himself in the presence of alarge body of scowling priests, he had no thought of his own danger.Drawing
his sword, he advanced toward them with such a threatening airthat they instinctively fell back at his approach.
"Where is he? What have you done with him? Answer me, dogs, ere Iloosen thy false tongues with a taste of Spanish steel!" he cried, insavage tones, forgetting that they could understand no word of what hesaid.
As the priests retreated, so that his eyes could take in the wholeof the broad platform, he saw that the object of his search was notthere, nor was there any appearance of blood having been spilled thatmorning. Still he was not satisfied, and as his followers joined him,he led them, careless of the protests of the chief priest, into thefoul shrine, where, in spite of its sickening odor, he searched everynook and corner, feeling with his sword in all places that he could nototherwise reach.
When the rest of the visiting party gained the summit of the teocal,the priest made such bitter complaint, to Montezuma, of the insult thusoffered to their god that, for the first time during his intercoursewith the whites, the king expressed anger at their proceedings, anddeclared that he himself must do penance for their sacrilege.