-Narrow escape at Iztalapatan--General
defection of the tributary cities--How accounted
for--The Spanish fleet on the Lake--Genius of
Cortez--Tenochtitlan invested--Preparations for the
siege--Spirit of the Aztecs--Their supplies cut off--The
Queen in her reverses--Famine--Distress in the
city--Love stronger than hunger--The famishing
fed--Desperation--an assault--an ambush--The tide of
battle suddenly turned--Perilous position and severe
loss of the Spaniards--Cortez narrowly
escapes--Disastrous retreat.

CHAPTER XI.

STRAITNESS OF THE FAMINE--THE FINAL CONFLICT--FLIGHT AND
CAPTURE OF GUATIMOZIN--DESTINY FULFILLED. 179

The Mexicans encouraged--Oracular declaration of the
priests--It fails to be fulfilled--Cortez resolves to
lay waste the city--A wide spread ruin--Terrible
sufferings of the besieged--Love and loyalty outliving
hope--Death preferred to submission--Nahuitla proposes a
plan of escape--Guatimozin rejects it, but is overruled
by the unanimous voice of his people--Prepares for
flight--The battle of the ghosts--The
retreat--Guatimozin on the lake--Pursued by the enemy--A
captive--Brought before Cortez--His noble spirit and
bearing--The Queen and the conqueror--Her destiny
fulfilled.

* * * * *

THE FLIGHT OF THE KATAHBA CHIEF. 193

The dream of Minaree, the young bride of Ash-te-o-lah--Its
effect upon the Chief--He goes to the chase--Power and
prosperity of the Katahbas--Beauty of their
villages--The wigwam of Ash-te-o-lah--The Chief in his
canoe--The deer--The foe--The chase--He turns upon his
pursuers--Slays seven of their number successively--Is
taken--Marched off as a captive--His boldness and
dignity--Arrives in the territories of his
enemies--Insulted and beaten by the women--Condemned to
the fiery torture--Led out to execution--Breaks away
and escapes--Pauses to defy his pursuers--Distances
them all--Stops to rest--Finds a place of
concealment--Plans the destruction of the pursuing
party--Succeeds--Returns home in triumph, laden with
trophies and spoils.

MONICA--THE ITEAN CAPTIVE. 209

Reverence for the dead--Indian burial--The journey to the
Spirit land--The favorite dog killed--Food for
journey--Me