ot merely the ruler of the
country, but in some senses he was a deity, and his capture, together
with the capture of the great lords of his family, who, under ordinary
circumstances would have succeeded to his throne, paralyzed the
national, social, political and religious organization.

Cortes actually held his captive in this way until spring. The
intervening months were not wasted. Expeditions were sent to all parts
of the country to ascertain its resources and report upon them, so
that, when the Spaniards took over the government, they would be
prepared to administer it wisely and well. No such prudent and
statesmanlike policy was inaugurated by any other conqueror. Cortes in
this particular stands absolutely alone among the great adventurers,
Spanish and otherwise. He was not a mere plunderer of the people, he
was laying a foundation for an empire. Vast treasures were,
nevertheless, collected. {174} Messengers were despatched to Charles
V. with the letters which have already been quoted and with the royal
share of the booty, which was great enough to insure them a favorable
reception.

What Cortes would have done further can only be surmised. Something
happened suddenly which forced his hand. In the spring, Montezuma
received word through an excellent corps of messengers which supplied
him daily with information from all parts of the empire, of the arrival
of a strange Spanish force on the coast. Mexico had no writing, but
its messenger system was one of the best in the world. Messengers
arrived daily from the farthest parts and confines of the Mexican
empire, supplementing pictures, which the Mexicans drew very cleverly,
with verbal accounts. Incidentally, there was no money in the empire,
either. The art of coinage had not been attained.

IX. The Revolt of the Capital

Cortes was naturally much interested and not a little perturbed by the
news. Soon the exact tidings reached him from the commander at Vera
Cruz, that the force consisted of some twelve hundred men, including
eighty horse, all under the command of one Panfilo de Narvaez, which
had been organized, equipped and sent out by Cortes' old enemy,
Velasquez, with instructions to seize him and his companions and send
them back to Cuba for trial. Narvaez was loud in his threats of what
he was going to do with Cortes and how he was going to do it.

The great Spaniard acted with his usual promptness. He left in charge
of the city one Ped