best be done.
None of those with me know who you are; believing, in the darkness,
that you are one of ourselves. They are my own men, and I can rely
upon them when their blood is cooled; but it were best that, at
present, they remained in ignorance. Bathalda is in the bow, and
his influence and mine will be sufficient to control them, when we
are once out of hearing of the conflict. Nothing, save my duty to
Cacama, would have withdrawn me from it; but they must do without
me. Not a Spaniard will see tomorrow's sun.

"Are you badly hurt, Roger? It is too dark to see anything."

"Not badly. I have several arrow points sticking in me, in one
place or another; but they have not gone deep. My armor kept them
out. It was a blow on the head that felled me. There were many
Mexicans on the causeway, fighting with the Spaniards; and I was,
of course, mistaken for one of them. My helmet broke the blow, and
I was stunned rather than injured, I think.

"How came you to be just at that spot?"

"I was on the lookout for the prisoners, being determined to rescue
Cacama, if possible; and as I was fighting, farther back, I heard
it said that there were several white dresses among the Spaniards
ahead. So I made to that point and, just as I was springing ashore,
heard your shout; and saw you roll down, you and another. I guessed
it might be Cacama, for I knew that you would do your best to save
him; and so sprang back again to the water's edge, and found that
it was so.

"And found, alas! that Cacama was mortally wounded. How about the
other prisoners?"

"I think that all had fallen, before he did. You see, they had no
protection; and even we who had armor were suffering, terribly,
from the missiles poured in among us. I know that two ladies,
Montezuma's daughters, were among the first to fall. More than that
I cannot say, for I kept close to Cacama, hoping that in some way I
might find an opportunity to aid his escape; and had he not been
struck, just when he was, I might have done so; for after the news
came that the bridge could not be removed, all was confusion, and
each man thought only of saving his own life."

After rowing for three hours the canoe, having made a circuit of
the city and crossed the lake, reached the shore at a distance of a
few miles from Tezcuco. Cacama's body was lifted ashore, then
Cuitcatl said to Bathalda:

"Bathalda, you will be glad to know that we have saved Cacama's
friend, and mine, Roger Hawk