on called away by the new
dangers which threatened the garrison.

[Illustration: MONTEZUMA ASSAILED BY MISSILES]

Opposite to the Spanish quarters stood the great teocalli of
Huitzilopochtli, rising to a height of nearly a hundred and fifty feet,
and thus completely commanding the palace occupied by the Spaniards. A
body of five or six hundred Mexicans, many of them nobles and warriors
of the highest rank, now took possession of the teocalli, whence they
discharged such a tempest of arrows upon the garrison that it was
impossible for any soldier to show himself for an instant outside his
defences without great danger, while the Mexicans themselves were
completely sheltered. It was absolutely necessary that they should be
dislodged, and Cortes entrusted the task to his chamberlain Escobar,
giving him a hundred men for the purpose. But after making three
desperate attempts, in which he was repulsed with considerable loss,
this officer returned unsuccessful, and Cortes determined to lead the
storming party himself, though he was suffering much from a wound which
disabled his left hand. He made the arm serviceable, however, by
strapping his shield to it, and thus prepared sallied forth at the head
of three hundred chosen cavaliers and several thousand of the Indian
allies. In the courtyard of the temple a body of Mexicans was drawn up
to oppose him, and he charged them briskly, but the horses could not
keep their footing on the slippery pavement, and many of them fell.
Hastily dismounting the Spaniards sent the animals back to their
quarters, and then, renewing the assault, had little difficulty in
dispersing the Indians and securing a passage to the teocalli. And now
began a great and terrible struggle. You will remember that the huge
pyramid-shaped teocalli was built in five divisions, growing smaller and
smaller, till at the top you came out upon a square platform, crowned
only by the two sanctuaries in which stood the images of the Aztec gods.
You will also remember that the only ascent was by flights of stone
steps on the outside, one above another, and that it was necessary
between each flight to pass by a kind of terrace, right round the
building, so that a distance of nearly a mile had to be traversed before
reaching the top. Cortes sprang up the lower stairway, followed by
Alvarado, Sandoval, Ordaz, and the other gallant cavaliers, leaving a
strong detachment to hold the enemy in check at the foot of the temple.