CHAPTER VI.
TWO SLAVES OF IZTAPALAPAN
Following the mysterious priest, who bore the torch that illuminatedtheir way, Huetzin was conducted through bewildering ranges ofgalleries, passages, and halls, until finally Halco paused, saying:
"Farther than this I may not go. It is high time that I showed myselfamong the priests, that my absence may not cause suspicion. Follow thispassage to its end, where thy way of escape will be made plain. Nowfare thee well, son of Tlahuicol, and may the god of the Four Windsguide and protect thee."
With these words, and without waiting for a reply, the priest turnedabruptly away, and in another moment both he and the light of his torchhad disappeared. For a minute or so Huetzin stood motionless wherehe had been left, but as his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness,he imagined that a faint light came from the direction he had beentold to take. Walking cautiously toward it his ear caught the soundof lapping waters, and in a moment later he stood in the opening ofa low water-gate that looked out on the broad lake of Tezcuco. Thestorm had passed and the stars shone brightly. The cool night air wasdelightfully refreshing, and Huetzin inhaled it with long breaths. Ashe looked out beyond the wall of the gateway, he saw a shadowy formof a canoe containing a single occupant, who appeared to be waiting.Believing this to be the means of escape indicated by the priest, heuttered a slight cough.
Instantly there came a whisper of: "Art thou he who would be setacross?"
To which Huetzin replied, without hesitation: "I am he."
As the canoe moved to where he stood, he stepped in, and it instantlyshot away toward the farther side of the star-flecked waters. Manyboats, with twinkling lights, were seen, but all of them were skilfullyavoided, until the canoe was among a cluster of little floating islandsof artificial construction. Some of these were used as resorts bypleasure-loving Aztecs, and others as small gardens on which wereraised vegetables and flowers for the near-by city market. As the canoewhich bore Huetzin and his silent companion passed swiftly by one ofthese, a stern voice hailed them, demanding to know their business andwhither they were bound. Receiving no reply, the voice commanded themto halt, in the king's name.
"What shall I do?" asked Huetzin's companion, irresolutely.
"Do as he commands, and when his curiosity is satisfied so thatthou art allowed to depart, come for me to yonder chinampa," repliedHuetzin, in a whisper. As he spoke he pointed to one of the floatingislands dimly outlined not far from them, and at the same time quietlyslipped into the water. He swam noiselessly, but with such powerfulstrokes that a dozen of them placed him beside the tiny islet he hadindicated to his companion. He made as though he would land on it, andthen, with a sudden change of plan, the motive of which he could nothave explained even to himself, he slipped back into the water and swamtoward another chinampa that he could barely discern in the distance.It was well for him that he obeyed the instinct forbidding him to landon the first island; for, as he drew himself out on the second, andlay hidden in the tall grasses that fringed its edge, he heard thequick dip of paddles, and the sound of suppressed, but excited, voicescoming from the direction of the other. He was startled by hearing hisown name coupled with that of his father. It was borne distinctly tohim over the still waters, and gave him a certain intimation that thebloodhounds of the chief priest were already on his trail.
Without waiting a further confirmation of his fears, Huetzin hastilycrossed to the other side of the island on which he had taken refuge,almost stumbling against the tiny, grass-thatched hut of its proprietoras he did so. The man heard him, and shouted to know who was there. AsHuetzin quietly entered the water and swam away, the man emerged fromhis hut, keeping up the angry shouting that the young Toltec would sogladly have silenced. He soon gained another island, fastened to whichhe discovered a canoe. Even as he clambered into it and shoved off,its owner, aroused by the distant shouts, came hurriedly to the placewhere it had been. In another moment his outcries were added to theothers, as he discovered his loss. Fortunately the canoe had drifted sofar under the impetus of Huetzin's vigorous shove, that it was hiddenby the darkness from the eyes of its owner, so that he could form nonotion of who had taken it, nor why it had been stolen.
Huetzin lay motionless in the bottom of the frail craft so long asit continued to move. Then he raised himself cautiously and began tofeel for a paddle. To his dismay there was none. The careful ownerhad carried it to his hut, and now the fugitive, though possessed ofa boat, had no means of propelling it. Yes, he had his hands! and,kneeling in the bottom of the canoe, he began to urge it forward bypaddling with them. It was slow and tedious work. Moreover, it wasaccompanied by a certain unavoidable amount of splashing. This soundedso loud to the strained senses of the poor lad, that he felt convincedit must reach the ears of his pursuers.
He had made considerable progress and was well-nigh exhausted bythe unaccustomed nature of his efforts, but still hopeful of escape.Suddenly he heard voices behind him, evidently approaching rapidly,and his heart failed him as he realized the utter helplessness of hisposition. He listened fearfully to the approaching sounds, which werecoming so directly toward him that discovery was inevitable if heremained in the canoe. All at once his ear detected something whichcaused such a sudden revulsion of feeling that he could have shoutedfor joy. The voices were those of a man and a woman, who were talkingin the familiar Tlascalan dialect.
"Ho, slaves!" he called in an imperious tone, as the other canoeapproached close to his own.
The paddling ceased and the man's voice, couched in submissive accents,answered, "Yes, my lord."
"Have you an extra paddle? Mine is broken and I am a King's messengeron a service that admits of no delay."
"We have but two, both of which are in use. But if your lordshipdesires one of them, and will make good its loss to our master----"
"Hand it to me at once," interrupted Huetzin, in as stern a tone as hecould command. "Or better still," he continued as the other craft drewalongside, "I will come into your canoe, and you shall carry me to thefurther side of the lake. In that way I shall get on more quickly, andyou will run no risk of losing your precious paddle."
Thus saying, Huetzin stepped lightly into the other boat, andperemptorily ordered its occupants to hasten forward with all speed, ashis mission could not longer be delayed.
With an obedience born of long servitude, they resumed their paddlesand labored to fulfil his wishes, without question. For some time theyproceeded in silence. Then Huetzin's curiosity got the better of hisprudence, and he asked the slaves what they were doing on the lake atso late an hour of the night.
"We carried a load of flowers from our master's garden, nearIztapalapan, to the market of Tenochtitlan," answered the man, "anddelayed to witness the festivities until overtaken by the storm. Whenit abated so that we might put forth, it was near the middle watch.Since then we have been stopped and examined three different times byboats of the lake patrol."
"What sought they?" demanded Huetzin.
"An escaped prisoner."
"Heard you his name?"
"They said----," began the woman, timidly.
"No," interrupted her husband, sharply, "we heard it not. Where will mylord that we should land him?"
"Anywhere," answered Huetzin, carelessly. Then, correcting himself, headded: "That is, you may land me at the place to which you are going.I would not that you should incur your master's displeasure by furtherdelay. You have a hut of your own, I suppose?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Then take me to it, for my garments are wet, and I would dry thembefore proceeding on my journey."
Although such a proposition from one who had recently claimed to be inthe greatest haste, struck both the Tlascalans as peculiar, they weretoo wise to pass remarks on the actions of a king's messenger, and soreceived it in silence.
Guiding their course by the stars, they soon brought the canoe to land,and led the way to their humble hut of rushes, plastered with lake mud,that stood not far from the wate
r's edge.
As the three entered it, the woman knelt to blow life into some coalsthat smouldered in a bed of ashes, on a rude hearth, while the manbrought a bundle of twigs to throw on them. As a bright blaze sprungup, both turned to look at the stranger who had so unceremoniouslythrust himself upon their hospitality. The firelight fell full on hisface, and as the man caught sight of it, a startled cry burst from hislips. It was echoed by the woman.
"It is Huetzin the Tlascalan!" gasped the former.
"The son of Tlahuicol, our war chief!" cried the woman, with a greatsob, and, seizing the young man's hand, she kissed it passionately.