e seething mass of the foe; and at some distance
beheld a small body of officers, whose gay and glittering attire
showed them to belong to the highest rank of nobles; gathered round
a litter on which was a chief, gorgeously attired with a lofty
plume of feathers floating above his head; rising above which was a
short staff, bearing a golden net.

Cortez knew that this was the symbol carried by the Aztec
commanders in chief. He called to his comrades--Sandoval, Olid,
Alvarado, Avila, and the other cavaliers--and pointing to the
chief, cried:

"There is our mark! Follow, and support me."

Then he spurred his wearied horse forward, and dashed into the
throng, followed by his cavaliers.

The fury and suddenness of the attack bore all before it. The
compact little body of horsemen, shouting their battle cry, clove
through the ranks of the enemy, making straight for the Indian
commander, whose name was Cihuaca. In vain the Mexicans tried to
bar the way. In vain, when after a few minutes of tremendous
exertion, Cortez reached his goal, the nobles and the bodyguard
strove to defend their chief. Cortez, fighting with almost
superhuman vigor, clove his way through all opposition; and with
his lance ran through the Aztec general, and hurled him to the
ground, when one of his followers, leaping from his horse, quickly
dispatched him.

The guard, appalled by the suddenness of the attack, broke and fled
in all directions, scattering panic among the lately triumphant
host. Scarce knowing what had happened, but feeling that some
dreadful misfortune had occurred, and all was lost, the Aztecs were
seized with a blind terror; and breaking their ranks, thought only
of escape.

As if by magic, a victorious army was transformed into a flying
mob. The Spaniards and Tlascalans took instant advantage of the
change. Fatigue and thirst, wounds and exhaustion were forgotten.
With shouts of triumph, and vengeance, they broke their ranks and
followed hotly upon the fugitives. These, impeded by their very
numbers, and half mad with panic, offered no resistance whatever.
Great numbers were overtaken and slain and, when the Spaniards
abandoned the pursuit at the summons of their leader's trumpet, and
assembled round him, the field was covered with the bodies of their
fallen foes.

An hour was spent in gathering the booty from the bodies of the
chiefs, of whom great numbers had fallen; and then, after offering
up thanks to God for their marv