r of him."

As soon as Roger was equipped, he went out to the steps of the
palace, and presently descried Bathalda in the crowd. He beckoned
to him and, taking him into the garden, had a long talk with him.
He would have rewarded him largely for his services, but Bathalda
refused to accept anything.

"I came at my lord's orders," he said; "and am rejoiced to have
been of service to one who is at once so kind, so strong, and so
valiant."

"As you will. We shall have further opportunities of meeting,
Bathalda. Do you now make your way back to Tezcuco. Tell your lord
all that has happened, and that I am with the Spaniards, and shall
accompany them if, as I believe, they go forward to Mexico; that I
hope to see all my friends again, before long; and that I always
think of their kindness to me."

Chapter 13: The Massacre Of Cholula.

The Tlascalans had, from the moment when they admitted themselves
beaten by the Spaniards, laid aside all hostility; and had, indeed,
accepted the alliance with enthusiasm. They had a right to be proud
of their own valor, for they had resisted all the attempts of the
great Aztec monarchy to conquer them, and had defeated, with
slaughter, greatly superior forces; and that a mere handful of
white men should be able to withstand their attacks, day after day,
and to defeat their best and hardiest troops, led by generals who
had hitherto been always successful, excited their surprise and
admiration in the highest degree. They were not gods, they knew,
for some had been killed in the conflict; but as men they seemed to
them infinitely superior, in strength and courage, to any that they
had before heard of; and they were proud to enter into an alliance
with such heroes. Moreover, they saw they would now have an
opportunity of turning the tables upon their enemies of the plains.

They did not believe, for a moment, that Montezuma would admit the
white men to his capital, and in that case there would be great
battles, and perhaps much plunder to be gained; and therefore, when
the Spaniards were again ready to advance, the whole fighting force
of Tlascala was placed at their disposal. Cortez, however, declined
to take with him so large an army. The appearance of such a force,
composed of the bitter foes of the Aztecs, would have combined
against him the whole strength of that empire, and would have
destroyed any hope that might remain of peaceful arrangements.
Moreover, the difficulty of fe