CHAPTER XXXII.
A NIGHT OF FIGHTING, DESPAIR, AND DEATH
The dreadful news that the bridge could not be moved, and that with itsloss went their chief hope of escape, swept like wild fire from therear where Alvarado and his gallant band were charging and momentarilyholding in check the thronging masses of the enemy. Like a death-knellit sounded through the long line, beset on both lines by a myriad ofassailants who seemed to rise from the very waters, to the distantfront where Sandoval and his cavaliers fought, as best they might, andfretted at Margarino's delay. Everywhere the fatal message convertedthe orderly ranks into a panic-stricken mob. All subordination was atan end. Frenzied men flung away their weapons and sought only to savethemselves. The wounded were abandoned and trampled under foot. Theweak gave way before the strong.
In the very front, snugly nestled among the soft cushions of herlitter, and surrounded by her faithful body guard, Marina hardlyrealized that anything more than a skirmish was taking place. Everynow and then she heard the ringing voice of sturdy Sandoval, and morethan once Huetzin parted the curtains to assure her that he was closeat hand. She liked to see him on horseback, this noble cavalier of herown race, and, as she lay back in the litter, listening to the far-awayroar of grim Mesa's final volley, she saw a vision of a battle scenein which her hero led a glorious charge of cavalry, and the gallanthorsemen were of her own people.
Suddenly she was startled by a swaying of her litter, as though by theadvanced swell of a mighty tide. There came cries of terror and dismay,oaths, prayers, and a great surging to and fro. The panic-strickenfugitives in the rear were pressing tumultuously forward, and herTlascalan body-guard were fighting savagely, against their own friends,in a desperate effort to stem the swelling flood, and keep from beingswept off their narrow footing.
Already Sandoval and his cavaliers were dashing into the dark waters,and struggling to clear a way, in which the infantry might follow,through the close-packed canoes that blocked the passage.
Backward, step by step, were the Tlascalans pressed, until half of themhad been forced to take the fatal plunge, and the litter containing thechiefest treasure of the Spanish army, hovered on the very brink of theblack chasm. At this juncture the curtains were torn aside, and theterrified girl was lifted from her soft nest in a pair of strong arms.In a moment she found herself on horseback, in front of a cavalier whowas saying, in reassuring tones: "Thou shalt yet be saved, dear one."In the next, the steed, bearing this double burden, had taken the leap,and all three were struggling in the cold waters.
Cocotin, though fleet of foot and brave of spirit, had not the body norstrength of Motilla, and quickly gave signs of being overweighted. Ashe realized this, Huetzin slipped from the saddle, pulled Marina backinto its safer seat and swam beside her. The dark waters about themwere filled with despairing men, fighting, struggling, and drowningeach other in their frenzied efforts to escape the fate of which allseemed doomed. Among them dashed the Aztec canoes, their inmatesdealing savage blows to right and left, and only striving to savelives that their gods might have the more victims. From one of thesecanoes Cocotin was wounded in the head by the blow of a maquahuitl,and unmanageable from pain, swerved toward the open lake. Huetzin letgo his hold of the saddle to spring to her head. At that moment hisfeet were seized by some drowning wretch, and he was dragged beneaththe blood-stained waters. It was a full minute before he could releasehimself from that death-clutch at the bottom of the lake. When withbursting temples, he again breathed the blessed air, the same awfulstruggle was going on about him, but Cocotin and her precious burdenhad disappeared.
In the meantime the gaping chasm was rapidly filling with the bodiesof men and horses, guns and baggage wagons, ingots of gold that mightransom a prince, bales of rich fabrics, weapons and equipments of everydescription. It was a seething inferno from which frantic Aztec demons,plying war club and javelin, were reaping a goodly harvest of captives.The awful carnage that now raged along the length of the causeway, wasnowhere so great as at this point. Finally, the ghastly opening wasfilled with the wreck of battle, until over the hideous bridge thusformed those in the rear passed dry-shod to the opposite side.
All this while Cortes, who had discovered, a little to one side, apassage that was fordable, was valiantly holding it with a handful ofcavaliers, while vainly urging the troops to gain safety by coming thatway. Through the storm-swept darkness, he could not be seen, nor couldhis voice be heard above the wild uproar. At length, swept onward bythe human tide and forced to the opposite bank, he spurred forward tothe third and last opening. Here he found Sandoval and a few followersengaged in another fierce conflict with the enemy, who had hurried astrong force to this point in canoes. At this place the exultant Aztecshoped to complete the destruction of the shattered army, and but forthe matchless bravery of Cortes and his cavaliers they would havesucceeded.
Without a moment's hesitation the leader, close followed by Sandovaland the others, plunged into the deadly waters, and, waging ahand-to-hand conflict from canoe to canoe, finally forced the passage.All the foot-soldiers, who were huddled like sheep on the brink ofthis chasm, at which the dreadful scenes of the other seemed about tobe repeated, now cast themselves into the water. Many were drownedby the weight of gold with which they had over-burdened themselves,others grasped the manes or tails of swimming horses and so were helpedacross. Still others, having cast away muskets, armor, gold, everythingthat might embarrass their flight, gained the opposite side by theirown unaided efforts. When all who were within hearing had scrambled, inone fashion or another, upon the causeway the precipitate flight wascontinued, though a distant din of battle showed some survivors to bestill waging the conflict of despair.
Cortes and the shattered remnant of his army had hardly reached solidearth, when a breathless runner overtook them, with the informationthat what was left of the rear-guard had won its way to the fartherside of the last opening, where they were now battling against suchodds that, unless speedily relieved, not a man would be left. Sandoval,utterly exhausted, had thrown himself on the ground beside his drippingsteed, as had many of the others. At this despairing cry for help thesturdy young soldier again sprang into his saddle, exclaiming: "I,for one, am ready!" "And I!" "And I!" shouted several more. With agrateful nod, Cortes put spurs to his own horse and galloped back overthe fatal causeway followed by a dozen gallant gentlemen, who thus rodeinto the jaws of death as cheerfully as though to a friendly trial ofarms.
For five hours had the battle raged, and in the gray light, nowbreaking, some of the hideous details of the night's disaster weremade visible. As far as the eye could reach, the road of death swarmedwith the victorious enemy, while on either side the lake was blackwith their canoes. The sight was fitted to appal even the stout heartsof the Spanish cavaliers; but near at hand was that which appealedto a feeling stronger than fear. On the opposite bank of the bloodygulf, which was fast filling with the dead, golden-bearded Alvarado,bare-headed, and bleeding from a dozen wounds, still fought withsuperhuman strength, and so animated his scant handful of troops, that,had they been fresh, instead of well-nigh fainting, their heroism musthave been crowned with victory.
With a cheering shout that inspired new hope in the sinking hearts ofAlvarado's men, the dozen cavaliers led by Cortes dashed once more intothe water, swam to the opposite side, and plunged into the thick of thefray. For a moment the Aztecs fell back before their fierce onslaught,like a receding wave of the sea. In the respite thus afforded all butone of those who had fought with the "Tonatiah," cast themselves intothe water, from which most of them emerged on the other side in safety.At that moment Alvarado's horse, the faithful steed that had borne himso nobly amid a thousand dangers, fell, to rise no more, pinning hermaster to the ground as she did so. A Tlascalan warrior, who was sodisfigured by wounds and covered with blood, that the Spanish cavalierhad not recognized him, though they had fought side by side for thepast hour, sprang to his relief. As he succeeded in disengaging theentangled man, the rescuin
g party was driven back upon them, withranks sadly thinned, and unable longer to hold their own against theonrushing foe.
"Mount with me!" shouted Sandoval to his unhorsed comrade, "Motilla canbear us both!"
"I can care for myself! Take thou this youth, to whom I owe my lifemany times," answered Alvarado. Thus saying, he seized a long Chinantlapike, and planted one end in the wreck at the bottom of the canal.Then, gathering his strength for a prodigious effort, he vaulted clearacross, and landed safely on the other side of the yawning chasm.Victors and vanquished, Aztecs, Spaniards, and Tlascalans, stood for amoment spell-bound at the sight of this marvellous feat.
Sandoval was among the first to recover from his amazement, and turningto the youth whom Alvarado had recommended, he bade him mount behindhim. They two, on the gallant Motilla were the last to leave; but itwas not until the brave mare had borne them to the opposite side, andthe young warrior leaped to the ground, that Sandoval recognized him.Then in joyful accents he cried out, "Praised be the blessed saints!Don Juan, that thou hast escaped yon hell in safety, for truly I hadgiven thee up for dead."
"And I would that I were," answered the young Toltec, bitterly, "sinceI have lost that which, of all life, I held most dear. But I soughtdeath in vain. It could come to all others, but not to me."
"What mean you?" cried Sandoval, bewildered by this strange speech.
"I mean that Marina lies somewhere in yon lake, and if I knew where, mybody should lie beside hers."
Thus ended the dreadful night, called for all time the _Noche Triste_,or night of sadness.