not have the power to withstand the
decision of the priests. They will never permit a single white man
to remain alive in the land. Had Cacama lived, he might possibly
have protected me; but I think that even his authority would have
been insufficient to do so. If the Spaniards are destroyed, I have
but one chance of my life: and that is, to make my way down to the
coast, and to sail away with the Spaniards there."

Cuitcatl was silent, for he felt the force of what Roger said.

"If you go, you must not go alone," he replied at last. "Amenche
would die, were you to desert her."

"I will assuredly take her, if she will accompany me," Roger said;
"but I do not think that there is much chance of my escape, even in
that way. The news of the destruction of the Spaniards will be
carried, with the speed of the wind, down to the coast; and the
tribes there will instantly rise and fall upon the Spaniards. Those
who have been the most friendly with them will be the very first to
take up arms against them, in order to make their peace with the
Aztecs, and to avert their vengeance for the aid they have given
the Spaniards. Long before we could reach the coast, the Spaniards
there would either be killed, or driven on board their ships."

Cuitcatl could not deny the justice of Roger's reasoning.

"There is nothing to do," the latter went on, "but to wait--at any
rate, until this battle has taken place. Impossible as it seems,
the Spaniards may yet extricate themselves from the toils; in which
case I should join them. If not, and I find my escape by the coast
cut off, by the rising of the tribes there, the only thing that I
can see is to take to the mountains; and to live there, as I did
with Bathalda, on the proceeds of the chase. I might then, perhaps,
in time make my way to people in the far north, who have not such
reason as they have here for hating a man with a white skin; or I
might wait until the Spaniards send another expedition, to carry
out what Cortez has failed to accomplish."

Leaving their fires burning, the remains of the Spanish army
marched, at midnight, from the temple where they had enjoyed rest,
and had recruited their strength and spirits. The sick and wounded
were placed in the center, and carried on litters, or on the backs
of the porters; while others, who were strong enough to sit
upright, rode on the horses behind the mounted soldiers. All night
the march continued without disturbance; but in the mor