CHAPTER II.
"REMEMBER THAT THOU ART A TOLTEC"
Knowing the cruelty of his Aztec captors as well as he did, Tlahuicolhad hoped for no mercy from the first. He even attempted to hastenthe fate that he foresaw was inevitable, by bitter denunciations ofthe Aztec priesthood and their horrid rites. Even Topil, the chiefpriest, whom Montezuma sent to the prisoner with the hope that hisawful threats might terrify the bold warrior into an acceptance of histerms, was treated with such scornful contempt, that when he returnedto his royal master the priest's dark face was livid with rage. Underpenalty of the wrath of the gods, which should be called down upon thewhole nation in case his request was not granted, Topil then and theredemanded that not only the impious warrior, but his family as well,should be delivered to him for sacrifice.
To this the monarch granted a reluctant consent, only stipulating thatthey should be reserved for the greatest and most important feasts ofthe year, and that their fate should not be announced to them until thevery hour of sacrifice. Although Topil agreed to these terms, he hadno intention of keeping his word. The opportunity of prolonging hisenemies' sufferings by anticipation was too precious to be neglected.So he caused the information to be conveyed to Tlahuicol's wife thather husband was doomed to death by torture. At the same time it wasintimated, with equal secrecy, to the brave warrior himself, thatunless he held himself in readiness to put to death with his own handsa number of Tlascalan captives then awaiting their doom in the dungeonsof the great temple, and to lead an Aztec army against the mountainrepublic, his wife and children should die on the altars of Huitzil.With these cruel threats hanging over them the several members of thisunfortunate family were kept apart, and no communication was allowed topass between them.
Although the stern warrior continued in his defiant attitude, andrefused to be moved by either threats or promises, he fell into a stateof settled melancholy. This was soon afterward deepened by the sad newsthat the loving wife, who had shared his captivity as cheerfully asshe had his former triumphs, was dead. Of his children he could learnnothing. It was of them that he was thinking, with a heart well-nighbreaking from its weight of sorrow, on the night of rejoicing thatpreceded the festival of the great calendar stone.
In pursuance of his policy of kindness, by which he hoped to winthis redoubtable warrior to his own service, Montezuma had causedTlahuicol to be lodged in one of the numerous dwellings that formedpart of the royal establishment. These buildings, which were occupiedby Aztec nobles in attendance upon the king, and by royal hostagesfrom conquered nations, stood with the palace in an immense walledenclosure, hard by the great temple. They were surrounded by gardensplanted with a wealth of tropical trees, shrubs, and flowers, traversedby a labyrinth of shaded paths and cool grottoes, watered by canals,lakes, and fountains, and containing immense aviaries of every birdknown to the kingdom, as well as cages of serpents and wild animals.Ten large tanks, some filled with salt-water, and others with fresh,were stocked with every procurable variety of fish and marine animal;while for the care of these creatures, whose habits the king was nevertired of studying, an army of attendant slaves was maintained. Besidesthese features of the royal museum, there was a building containingevery form of warlike weapon and defensive armor known to the Aztecs,another for rare fabrics, and one for exquisitely wrought vessels ofgold, silver, and the prized pottery of Cholula. There was also anestablishment for dwarfs and other human monstrosities, which themonarch took pleasure in collecting from all parts of his kingdom.
In this place of beauty, and surrounded by all that royalty couldcommand of things best calculated to interest and amuse, Tlahuicolchafed at his captivity, and dreamed of his home in the distantmountains. If he could but once more lead his trusty troops to battleagainst the hated Aztec, how gladly would he pay for the privilege withhis life! He was allowed the freedom of the gardens, though alwaysunder guard, and sometimes he would stroll to the training-field wherethe king's sons and other noble youth vied with each other in feats ofarms. As he watched them his lip would curl with scorn at their punyefforts, and a fierce desire to show them what a mountain warrior coulddo with those same weapons would seize upon him. But no weapon wasallowed within his reach, and with an air of disgust he would turn andwalk back to his own quarters, always closely followed by his watchfulguards.
On the evening preceding the day of the great feast, Tlahuicol satmoodily just outside the door of the house in which he was lodged, andwhich, beautiful as it was, still seemed to him the most hateful ofprisons. Two motionless guards, armed with keen-edged maquahuitls, orAztec swords, stood close at hand at either side, with their eyes fixedupon him. Should he escape, or should he even do himself bodily harm,their lives would be forfeit, and with this knowledge their vigilancewas never relaxed.
Tlahuicol sat with downcast eyes and listened to the sounds of revelrythat came faintly to him from the city. Clearly he understood theirmeaning, and wondered if on the morrow he was to meet the doom that hebelieved to be in store for him. He thought of the wife who was gonefrom him, and of the son and daughter concerning whose fate he had longbeen kept in ignorance. From these thoughts he was roused by the soundof approaching footsteps, and at once rose to his feet. In a moment theking, followed at a short distance by armed torch-bearers, stood beforehim.
Abruptly, and in a tone that proved him to be greatly agitated,Montezuma said:
"Tlahuicol, I am come to thee once again as a friend. As such I wouldserve thee, and as such I claim thy service."
"Thy friendship I reject, O king, and my service thou shalt neverhave," returned the other, proudly.
"Hear me to the end," replied the king, calmly; "for many days I haveknown what thou hast had no means of learning, but which will interestthee. An army of strange beings, white-skinned and bearded, but whethergods or men cannot be determined, have come out of the eastern sea,and landed on our coast. Since their earliest appearance my spies havenoted their every movement, and brought me hourly word concerning them.I had hoped they would depart in peace, but was disappointed in thehope. Even now is word brought me that they have attacked and capturedmy city of Cempoalla, destroyed its gods, and are preparing to advanceinto the interior. If they be gods my power may not prevail againstthem. If they be men, as I hope, then will I fight them until theyare swept from the face of the earth, and their hearts smoke upon thealtars of Huitzil. In such a fight all other feuds should be forgotten,and all the nations of Anahuac united. It is in this service that Iwould have thy aid. With thy word that thou wilt enlist thy Tlascalansagainst this common foe, and lead them to battle as of old, both thouand thy children are free. Refuse it, and thy heart shall lie onHuitzil's altar ere the setting of the morrow's sun."
In spite of this startling intelligence, in spite of the temptingoffer thus made, and in spite of the terrible threat by which it wasaccompanied, Tlahuicol's voice, as he answered the king, was as calm asthough he was discussing some topic of ordinary interest.
"O king," he said, "know what I have told no man ere now, that I am noTlascalan, but am a Toltec of the Toltecs. For many generations havemy ancestors dwelt in the country of the Mayas. From there I came tothis land to battle against thy accursed gods. Since the day that Ileft the Mayan people have I ever been in communication with them. Thusdid I learn long since of strange and terrible beings, white-skinnedand bearded as thou dost describe, who had landed on the Mayan coast.I was told much concerning them, and one thing I learned that thouwouldst give half thy kingdom to know for a certainty."
"Tell it me then, I command thee?" cried the king.
"I will tell it," answered Tlahuicol, "upon condition that thou firstgrant me a few minutes private converse with my children."
"Thy daughter is removed from here, but thy son is at hand. In returnfor thy secret, I will grant thee a single minute with him, but nomore."
"It is all I ask," replied the prisoner.
The king gave an order to one of the guards and handed him his signet.The soldier depa
rted. In a few minutes he returned accompanied by atall, finely proportioned youth, of noble bearing, just entering uponmanhood. It was Huetzin, who, at sight of his father, whom he hadfeared was dead, sprang into Tlahuicol's arms, and was enfolded in aclose embrace. Quickly releasing himself, the elder man said hurriedly,but in too low a tone for the bystanders to hear:
"Huetzin, my son, by tomorrow's set of sun I may be with thy mother,therefore do thou take these as my latest words. Remember always thatthou art a Toltec, that the Aztecs and the Aztec gods are mortalenemies of thy gods and thy people. If thou art spared, as I feel thouwilt be, devote thy life to their overthrow. The white conquerors, ofwhom I have so often spoken to thee, are even now in the land. If thoucanst escape from this den of murderers, make thy way to them, jointhyself to them, and lead them to this place. As for little Tiata, Itrust thee----"
"Thy time is ended!" interrupted the stern voice of the king; "and nowfor thy secret?"
There was one more straining embrace between father and son, then thelatter, exclaiming, "I will never forget!" was roughly dragged away anddisappeared in the darkness.
Folding his arms, and turning grandly to the king, Tlahuicol said:"The secret that thou wouldst hear, O Montezuma, is that the strangebeings who trouble thee are not gods, but men. At the same time they bemen possessed of powers so terrible that they will sweep thee and thyfalse gods from the face of the earth, as the breath of the north windscattereth chaff. Know, too, that sooner than lift hand to stay theircoming, I will pray for their success with my latest breath."
"Thy prayers will be few and short, then," answered the king, in a toneof suppressed rage, as he turned away; "for on the morrow thy falseheart shall be torn from thy body, and the wild fowls of the air shallfeast upon thy carcass."