y guns, the baggage, the treasure, and the prisoners, among
whom were a son and two daughters of Montezuma, Cacama, and several
nobles. The Tlascalans were pretty equally divided among the three
divisions. The general had previously superintended the construction of
a portable bridge to be laid across the open canals. This was entrusted
to the care of an officer named Magarino and forty men, all pledged to
defend the passage to the last extremity. Well would it have been if
three such bridges had been made, but the labour would have been great
and the time was short. At midnight all was ready, and after a solemn
mass had been celebrated by Father Olmedo, the Spaniards for the last
time sallied forth from the ancient fortress, the scene of so much
suffering and of such great courage.

THE NIGHT OR HORROR.

The night was dark, and a fine rain fell steadily. The vast square
before the palace was deserted, as indeed it had been since the death of
Montezuma, and the Spaniards made their way across it as noiselessly as
possible, and entered the great street of Tlacopan. Though to their
anxious eyes every dark lane and alley seemed to swarm with the shadowy
forms of their enemies, it was not really so, and all went well until
the van drew near the spot where the street opened upon the causeway.
Before the bridge could be adjusted across the uncovered breach the
Mexican sentinels stationed there fled, raising the alarm as they went.
The priests from the summits of the teocallis heard them, and sounded
their shells, while the huge drum upon the desolate temple of the
war-god sent forth its solemn sound, which--heard only in seasons of
calamity--vibrated through every corner of the capital. The Spaniards
saw that there was no time to be lost; the bridge was fitted with all
speed, and Sandoval rode across first to try its strength, followed by
the first division, then came Cortes with the baggage and artillery, but
before he was well over, a sound was heard as of a stormy wind rising in
a forest. Nearer and nearer it came, and from the dark waters of the
lake rose the plashing noise of many oars. Then a few stones and arrows
fell at random among the hurrying troops, to be followed by more and
more, ever thicker and faster, till they became a terrible blinding
storm, while the air was rent with the yells and war-cries of the enemy,
who seemed to be swarming in myriads over land and lake.

The Spaniards pushed on steadily, thoug