of this we had proof; for as we passed
through the guard-room we found there a moaning wretch, belonging to the
Priest Captain's party, in whose chest was a great hole made by a
spear-thrust--and at a sign from Tizoc one of our men stepped aside, and
with a blow of his heavy sword coolly mashed in the wounded man's skull,
and so finished him.

The metal grating that closed the entrance had been raised by Tizoc's
people from the inside, and we passed out beneath it to where the main
body of his men was drawn up in readiness to march. But of Pablo and El
Sabio there was no sign. Tizoc was not less distressed by the loss of
the lad than we were, for he had counted upon the moral effect which the
exhibition of Pablo and El Sabio most certainly would produce to aid
powerfully in fomenting the spirit of revolt. When, therefore, we
refused to go forward until further search had been made, he did not
oppose us; but he told us plainly that further looking for him in that
place was useless, for already every room in the building had been
examined without the finding of a trace of him. There could be no doubt,
he said, that when we had been made prisoners Pablo, and El Sabio with
him, had been taken up the stair to the temple for greater security; in
which place, if they were not both by this time dead, they still
remained. Whereupon Young was for making an attack upon the temple
instantly, and in this project Rayburn and I warmly seconded him; and
even Fray Antonio said that this was a case in which he felt justified
in using carnal weapons, since the fighting would be to rescue from
among infidels a Christian soul.

But Tizoc hurriedly explained to us the hopelessness, at that time, of
such an assault. The success that had attended his bold rescue of us had
been due to the suddenness of it; for the majority of the people in the
city, including the large force of soldiery there, assuredly was on the
Priest Captain's side. It was outside the city that the strength of the
revolution must be gathered; and his orders were, when his rescue of us
should be accomplished, to carry us safely out beyond the walls with all
possible speed. Such of the Council of the Twenty Lords as had decided
to take the chances of revolt--being all the members of that body save
the five priests that had belonged to it--already had gone down to the
water-side, together with the small force that they had gathered, that
they might seize the water-gate and h