also; and we were mightily pleased because the
officer did not attempt to take our revolvers away from us. But in this
our satisfaction was short-lived, for the Priest Captain quickly ordered
the officer to relieve us of them, and of our cartridge-belts as well;
nor was it until we had been thus entirely disarmed that he arose from
his undignified position and resumed his seat upon the throne.

While the disagreeable process of disarming us was going on I spoke to
Fray Antonio of the curious possibilities suggested by the knowledge of
fire-arms which the Priest Captain, alone among all the Aztlanecas, so
obviously possessed; and he, in reply, bade me remember what Tizoc had
told us of the use that Itzacoatl made of wax-matches in lighting the
sacred fire. "Can it possibly be, then, that he is in communication with
the outside world?" I exclaimed.

As I uttered these words I glanced at Itzacoatl, and the expression on
his face was that of one who listens intently, and who is greatly
enraged by what he hears. At the same moment Rayburn cried: "That man
understands Spanish. He is listening to you."

Doubtless, some sort of an explanation would have followed this strange
discovery, for that we had made it was very obvious, but at that moment
a man--seemingly, from his dress, a priest of high rank--came into the
hall hurriedly, and very earnestly delivered a communication to
Itzacoatl in low, excited tones. That the substance of this
communication was highly disagreeable to him was shown by his manner of
receiving it; and for a moment he slightly hesitated, as though very
grave consequences might attend upon the decision that he then made. But
it was for a moment only that he stood in doubt. Then he called the
barge-master to him, and gave some order in a low voice; and then,
accompanied by the priest, went out rapidly from the hall.

Evidently in obedience to the order that he had received, the
barge-master bade us follow him, and so led us into the court-yard
again. Young proposed, since we had only this one man to deal with, that
we should make short work of him, and so get back our arms--which
remained where he had placed them in a pile beside the throne. But
Rayburn's more prudent counsel overcame this tempting proposition. As he
pointed out, the promptness with which the curtains had been pulled back
showed that attendants of some sort were close at hand; and, in addition
to these, we knew that the guard of soldiers