either side of the causeway swarmed with
canoes. Thousands of warriors poured out of the city. The canoes
swept down the lake intending to take the Spaniards in reverse and then
pour in a terrible flank fire of missiles as they had done on the
Melancholy Night. Cortes sustained this fire for a short time in order
to draw the canoes as far toward him as possible, then he let loose the
brigantines.

These brigantines were boats propelled by oars and sails on a single
mast. They carried about a score of armed men and were very well and
stoutly built. I suppose them to have been something like a modern
man-o'-war cutter. They played havoc with the frail canoes. Their
solid construction, their higher free-board, that is, the height they
were above the water-line, the armor of their crews and the fact that
the wind happened to be favorable and they {196} could sail instead of
row that morning, all contributed to the utter and complete destruction
of the Indian flotilla. Canoes were splintered and sunk. Men were
killed by the hundreds. They strove to climb up the slippery sides of
the causeways and dykes. The Spaniards thrust them off into the deep
water with their spears or cut them to pieces with their swords. The
battle along the causeways, which were narrow, although quite wide
enough for a dozen horsemen abreast, was terrible. The Aztecs
literally died in their tracks, disdaining to fly. The Spaniards made
their way over a floor of dead and writhing bodies.

Bare breasts, however resolute the hearts that beat beneath them, were
no match for the steel cuirasses. The wooden shields did not even
blunt the edge of the Toledo blade; the obsidian battle-axes could not
contest with the iron maces. The jewelled feather work of the proudest
noble was not equal even to the steel-trimmed leather jerkin of the
poorest white soldier. The Spaniards literally cut their way, hewed,
hacked, thrust their way into the city.

Here the fighting was slightly more equalized. The low roofs of the
houses and pueblos swarmed with warriors. They rained missiles down
upon the Spaniards' heads, while a never diminishing mob hurled itself
into the faces of the white men. The Aztecs could have done more
damage if they had not sacrificed everything in order to capture the
Spaniards alive. In some instances they succeeded in their purpose.
The fighting which was the same in all three of the causeways lasted
all day and then the Sp