ey were building for navigation on the lake, and in all respects
behaved to them as if they were his best friends. He now carried
his baseness still further, and informed Cortez that several of the
Tezcucan nobles were regularly in his pay, and that it would be
easy, through them, to capture Cacama and thus break up the
confederacy.

Cortez at once took means to carry out the suggestion. The traitors
invited Cacama to a conference, at a house overhanging the lake
near Tezcuco. Upon going there he was seized by them, bound, placed
in a boat, and carried to Mexico. He was there brought before
Montezuma.

In spite of the perils of his position, Cacama bore himself nobly.
He boldly accused his uncle of foul treachery, and with the
cowardice which he had betrayed since the Spaniards had entered his
kingdom. Montezuma handed him over to Cortez, who ordered him to be
loaded with fetters and thrown into a dungeon. The emperor then
issued an order, declaring that Cacama had forfeited his
sovereignty by his rebellion, and that he therefore deposed him,
and appointed a younger brother named Cuicuitzca in his place. The
other leaders of the confederacy were all seized by the orders of
Montezuma in their own cities, and brought in chains to the
capital, where they were imprisoned with Cacama.

Upon Roger, the news of Cacama's arrest and imprisonment came like
a thunderclap. He was in the habit of frequently seeing Malinche,
who still retained the warm feeling of friendship for him that had
originated at Tabasco, and with whom he often had long talks of
their life in those days; but she had let no word drop as to the
doings of Cacama. She had questioned him somewhat closely as to his
relations with that prince; and he had made no secret to her of the
fact that Cacama had promised him his sister's hand in marriage. As
many of the Spaniards had already married the daughters of great
caziques, this appeared to her natural; and she had congratulated
him upon the prospect of an alliance which would bring him wealth
and land, but had said that, for the present, it would not do to
think of marriage, as it would be unsafe for him to leave the
capital.

When therefore Roger heard of the misfortune that had befallen
Cacama, he was filled alike with surprise and consternation, and
hurrying to Malinche, begged her to use her influence with Cortez
to spare the young prince's life.

"I have already done so," she said; "and he has promised