Itwasagaysight，forinthebrightsunlighttheirfeatherdressesflashedlikecoatsofgems，andnonewouldhaveguessedhowitwastoend。
　　MinglingwiththedancersweregroupsofSpaniardscladinmailandarmedwithswordsandmatchlocks，butInotedthat，asthetimewenton，thesemenseparatedthemselvesfromtheIndiansandbegantoclusterlikebeesaboutthegatesandatvariouspointsundertheshadowoftheWallofSerpents。
　　’Nowwhatmaythismean？’IsaidtoGuatemoc，andasIspoke，IsawaSpaniardwaveawhiteclothintheair。
　　Then，inaninstant，beforetheclothhadceasedtoflutter，asmokearosefromeveryside，andwithitcamethesoundofthefiringofmatchlocks。
　　Everywhereamongthedancersmenfelldeadorwounded，butthemassofthem，unharmedasyet，huddledthemselvestogetherlikefrightenedsheep，andstoodsilentandterror-stricken。
　　ThentheSpaniards，shoutingthenameoftheirpatronsaint，asitistheircustomtodowhentheyhavesomesuchwickednessinhand，drewtheirswords，andrushingontheunarmedAztecnoblesbegantokillthem。
　　Nowsomeshriekedandfled，andsomestoodstilltilltheywerecutdown，butwhethertheystayedorrantheendwasthesame，forthegateswereguardedandthewallwastoohightoclimb。
　　Theretheywereslaughteredeverymanofthem，andmayGod，whoseesall，rewardtheirmurderers！
　　Itwassoonover；withintenminutesofthewavingofthecloth，thosesixhundredmenwerestretcheduponthepavementdeadordying，andwithshoutsofvictorytheSpaniardsweredespoilingtheircorpsesoftherichornamentstheyhadworn。
　　ThenIturnedtoGuatemocandsaid，’Itseemsthatyoudidwellnottojoininyonderrevel。’
　　ButGuatemocmadenoanswer。
　　Hestaredatthedeadandthosewhohadmurderedthem，andsaidnothing。
　　OnlyOtomiespoke:’YouChristiansareagentlepeople，’shesaidwithabitterlaugh；’itisthusthatyourepayourhospitality。
　　NowItrustthatMontezuma，myfather，ispleasedwithhisguests。
　　Ah！wereIhe，everymanofthemshouldlieonthestoneofsacrifice。
　　Ifourgodsaredevilsasyousay，whatarethosewhoworshipyours？’
　　ThenatlengthGuatemocsaid，’Onlyonethingremainstous，andthatisvengeance。
　　Montezumahasbecomeawoman，andIheedhimnomore，nay，ifitwereneedful，Iwouldkillhimwithmyownhand。
　　Buttwomenarestillleftintheland，Cuitlahua，myuncle，andmyself。
　　NowIgotosummonourarmies。’
　　Andhewent。
　　Allthatnightthecitymurmuredlikeaswarmofwasps，andnextdayatdawn，sofarastheeyecouldreach，thestreetsandmarketplacewerefilledwithtensofthousandsofarmedwarriors。
　　TheythrewthemselveslikeawaveuponthewallsofthepalaceofAxa，andlikeawavefromarocktheyweredrivenbackagainbythefireoftheguns。
　　Thricetheyattacked，andthricetheywererepulsed。
　　ThenMontezuma，thewomanking，appeareduponthewalls，prayingthemtodesistbecause，forsooth，didtheysucceed，hehimselfmightperish。
　　Eventhentheyobeyedhim，sogreatwastheirreverenceforhissacredroyalty，andforawhileattackedtheSpaniardsnomore。
　　Butfurtherthanthistheywouldnotgo。
　　IfMontezumaforbadethemtokilltheSpaniards，atleasttheydeterminedtostarvethemout，andfromthathourastraitblockadewaskeptupagainstthepalace。
　　HundredsoftheAztecsoldiershadbeenslainalready，butthelosswasnotallupontheirside，forsomeoftheSpaniardsandmanyoftheTlascalanshadfallenintotheirhands。
　　Asfortheseunluckyprisoners，theirendwasswift，fortheyweretakenatoncetothetemplesofthegreatteocalli，andsacrificedtheretothegodsinthesightoftheircomrades。
　　NowitwasthatCortesreturnedwithmanymoremen，forhehadconqueredNarvaez，whosefollowersjoinedthestandardofCortes，andwiththemothers，oneofwhomIhadgoodreasontoknow。
　　CorteswassufferedtorejoinhiscomradesinthepalaceofAxawithoutattack，Idonotknowwhy，andonthefollowingdayCuitlahua，Montezuma’sbrother，kingofPalapan，wasreleasedbyhimthathemightsoothethepeople。
　　ButCuitlahuawasnocoward。
　　Oncesafeoutsidehisprisonwalls，hecalledthecounciltogether，ofwhomthechiefwasGuatemoc。
　　Theretheyresolvedonwartotheend，givingitoutthatMontezumahadforfeitedhiskingdombyhiscowardice，andonthatresolvetheyacted。
　　Haditbeentakenbuttwoshortmonthsbefore，bythisdatenoSpaniardwouldhavebeenleftaliveinTenoctitlan。
　　ForafterMarina，theloveofCortes，whosesubtlewitbroughtabouthistriumph，itwasMontezumawhowasthechiefcauseofhisownfall，andofthatofthekingdomofAnahuac。
　　OnthedayafterthereturnofCortestoMexico，beforethehourofdawnIwasawakenedfrommyuneasyslumbersbythewhistlingcriesofthousandsofwarriorsandthesoundofatabalsanddrums。
　　Hurryingtomypostofoutlookonthelittlepyramid，whereOtomiejoinedme，Isawthatthewholepeopleweregatheredforwar。
　　Sofarastheeyecouldreach，insquare，marketplace，andstreet，theyweremassedinthousandsandtensofthousands。
　　Somewerearmedwithslings，somewithbowsandarrows，otherswithjavelinstippedwithcopper，andtheclubsetwithspikesofobsidianthatiscalledmaqua，andyetothers，citizensofthepoorersort，withstakeshardenedinthefire。
　　Thebodiesofsomewerecoveredwithgoldencoatsofmailandmantlesoffeatherwork，andtheirskullsprotectedbypaintedwoodenhelms，crestedwithhair，andfashionedliketheheadsofpumas，snakes，orwolves——othersworeescaupils，orcoatsofquiltedcotton，butthemostofthemwerenakedexceptforaclothabouttheloins。
　　Ontheflatazoteas，orroofsofhousesalso，andevenonthetopoftheteocalliofsacrifice，werebandsofmenwhosepartitwastorainmissilesintotheSpanishquarters。
　　Itwasastrangesighttoseeinthatredsunrise，andonenevertobeforgotten，asthelightflashedfromtemplesandpalacewalls，ontotheglitteringfeathergarmentsandgaybanners，thepointsofcountlessspearsandthearmouroftheSpaniards，whohurriedtoandfrobehindtheirbattlementsmakingreadytheirdefence。
　　Sosoonasthesunwasup，apriestblewashrillnoteuponashell，whichwasansweredbyatrumpetcallfromtheSpanishquarters。
　　ThenwithashriekofragethethousandsoftheAztecsrushedtotheattack，andtheairgrewdarkwithmissiles。
　　Instantlyawaveringlineoffireandsmoke，followedbyasoundasofthunder，brokefromthewallsofthepalaceofAxa，andthechargingwarriorsfelllikeautumnleavesbeneaththecannonandarquebussballsoftheChristians。
　　Foramomenttheywaveredandagreatgroanwentuptoheaven，butIsawGuatemocspringforward，abannerinhishand，andformingupagaintheyrushedafterhim。
　　Nowtheywerebeneaththewallofthepalace，andtheassaultbegan。
　　TheAztecsfoughtfuriously。
　　Timeupontimetheystrovetoclimbthewall，pilingupthebodiesofthedeadtoservethemasladders，andtimeupontimetheywererepulsedwithcruelloss。
　　Failinginthis，theysetthemselvestobatteringitdownwithheavybeams，butwhenthebreachwasmadeandtheyclusteredinitlikeherdedsheep，thecannonopenedfireonthem，tearinglonglanesthroughtheirmassandleavingthemdeadbyscores。
　　Thentheytooktotheshootingofflamingarrows，andbythismeansfiredtheoutworks，butthepalacewasofstoneandwouldnotburn。
　　Thusfortwelvelonghoursthestruggleragedunceasingly，tillthesuddenfallofdarknessputanendtoit，andtheonlysighttobeseenwastheflareofcountlesstorchescarriedbythosewhosoughtoutthedead，andtheonlysoundstobeheardwerethevoiceofwomenlamenting，andthegroansofthedying。
　　Onthemorrowthefightbrokeoutagainatdawn，whenCortessalliedforthwiththegreaterpartofhissoldiers，andsomethousandsofhisTlascalanallies。
　　AtfirstIthoughtthatheaimedhisattackatMontezuma’spalace，andabreathofhopewentthroughme，sincethenitmightbecomepossibleformetoescapeintheconfusion。
　　Butthiswasnotso，hisobjectbeingtosetfiretothehouses，fromtheflatroofsofwhichnumberlessmissileswerehailedhourlyuponhisfollowers。
　　Thechargewasdesperateanditsucceeded，fortheIndianscouldnotwithstandtheshockofhorsemenanymorethantheirnakedskinscouldturntheSpaniards’
　　steel。
　　Presentlyscoresofhouseswereinflames，andthickcolumnsofsmokerolleduplikethosethatfloatfromthemouthofPopo。
　　ButmanyofthosewhorodeandranfromthegatesofAxadidnotcomebackthither，fortheAztecsclungtothelegsofthehorsesanddraggedtheirridersawayliving。
　　ThatverydaythesecaptivesweresacrificedonthealtarofHuitzel，andinthesightoftheircomrades，andwiththemahorsewasofferedup，whichhadbeentakenalive，andwasborneanddraggedwithinfinitelabourupthesteepsidesofthepyramid。
　　Indeedneverhadthesacrificesbeensomanyasduringthesedaysofcombat。
　　Alldaylongthealtarsranred，andalldaylongthecriesofthevictimsranginmyears，asthemaddenedpriestswentabouttheirwork。
　　ForthustheythoughttopleasethegodswhoshouldgivethemvictoryovertheTeules。
　　Evenatnightthesacrificescontinuedbythelightofthesacredfires，thatfrombelowgavethosewhowroughtthemtheappearanceofdevilsflittingthroughtheflamesofhell，andinflictingitstormentsonthedamned，muchastheyaredepictedinthe’Doom’
　　paintingoftheresurrectionofthedeadthatisoverthechancelarchinthischurchofDitchingham。
　　Andhourbyhourthroughthedarkness，avoicecalledoutthreatsandwarningstotheSpaniards，saying，’Huitzelishungryforyourblood，yeTeules，yeshallsurelyfollowwhereyehaveseenyourfellowsgo:thecagesareready，theknivesaresharp，andtheironsarehotforthetorture。
　　Prepare，yeTeules，forthoughyeslaymany，yecannotescape。’
　　Thusthestrugglewentondayafterday，tillthousandsoftheAztecsweredead，andtheSpaniardswerewellnighwornoutwithhunger，war，andwounds，fortheycouldnotrestasinglehour。
　　Atlengthonemorning，whentheassaultwasatitshottest，Montezumahimselfappeareduponthecentraltowerofthepalace，cladinsplendidrobesandwearingthediadem。
　　Beforehimstoodheraldsbearinggoldenwands，andabouthimwerethenobleswhoattendedhiminhiscaptivity，andaguardofSpaniards。
　　Hestretchedouthishand，andsuddenlythefightingwasstayedandasilencefellupontheplace，eventhewoundedceasedfromtheirgroaning。
　　Thenheaddressedthemultitude。
　　WhathesaidIwastoofarofftohear，thoughIlearneditspurportafterwards。
　　Heprayedhispeopletoceasefromwar，fortheSpaniardswerehisfriendsandguestsandwouldpresentlyleavethecityofTenoctitlan。
　　Whenthesecowardlywordshadpassedhislips，afurytookhissubjects，whoforlongyearshadworshippedhimasagod，andashriekrenttheairthatseemedtosaytwowordsonly:
　　’Woman！
　　Traitor！’