ng lance firmly on the wreck which
strewed the lake, he gave a mighty leap which landed him in safety upon
the opposite bank. Aztecs and Tlascalans looked on in amazement at this
almost incredible feat, and a general shout arose. 'This is truly the
Tonatiuh--the Child of the Sun.' To this day, the place is called
'Alvarado's Leap.' Cortes now rode to the front, where the troops were
straggling miserably off the fatal causeway. Most fortunately, the
attention of the Aztecs was diverted by the rich spoil that strewed the
ground, and their pursuit ceased, so that the Spaniards passed
unmolested through the village of Popotla. There the Spanish commander
dismounted from his weary steed, and sitting down on the steps of an
Indian temple, looked mournfully on while the broken files dragged
slowly past. It was a piteous spectacle. The cavalry, many of them
dismounted, were mingled with the infantry, their shattered mail
dripping with the salt ooze, and showing through its rents many a
ghastly wound; their firearms, banners, baggage, artillery, everything
was gone. Cortes, as he looked sadly on their thin, disordered ranks,
sought in vain many a familiar face, and missed more than one trusty
comrade who had stood by his side through all the perils of the
conquest; and accustomed as he was to conceal his emotions, he could
bear it no longer, but covered his face with his hands, while he wept
tears of anguish. It was, however, some consolation to him that Marina
had been carried safely through the awful night by her faithful guards.
Aguilar was also alive, and Martin Lopez, who had built two boats for
him in Mexico, as well as Alvarado, Avila, Sandoval, Olid, and Ordaz.

[Illustration]

But this was no time to give way to vain regrets. Cortes hastily mounted
again and led his men as speedily as possible through Tlacopan, and, as
soon as he reached the open country, endeavoured to bring his
disorganised battalions into something like order. The broken army,
half-starved, moved slowly towards the coast. On the seventh morning the
army reached the mountain range which overlooks the plains of Otumba.
All the day before, parties of the enemy had hovered round, crying
vindictively, 'Hasten on. You will soon find yourselves where you cannot
escape!' Now, as they climbed the steep hillside, Cortes realised what
this meant, for his scouts came back reporting that a powerful body of
Aztecs was encamped upon the other side waiting for them