e, while his whole aspect
breathed majesty and command. His body was encased in a cuirass of gold,
over which hung a mantle made of the most gorgeous feathers, exquisitely
set in bands of different colours. On his head he wore a helmet of gold
surmounted by the royal crest, an eagle, standing on a snake fashioned
in gold and gems. On his arms, and beneath his knees, he wore circlets
of gold and gems, and in his hand was a copper-bladed spear. Round this
man were many nobles dressed in a somewhat similar fashion, except that
the most of them wore a vest of quilted cotton in place of the gold
cuirass, and a jewelled panache of the plumes of birds instead of the
royal symbol.

This was Guatemoc, Montezuma's nephew, and afterwards the last emperor
of Anahuac. So soon as I saw him I saluted him in the Indian fashion by
touching the earth with my right hand, which I then raised to my head.
But Guatemoc, having scanned me with his eye as I stood, bow in hand,
attired in my simple hunter's dress, smiled frankly and said:

'Surely, Teule, if I know anything of the looks of men, we are too equal
in our birth, as in our age, for you to salute me as a slave greets his
master.' And he held his hand to me.

I took it, answering with the help of Marina, who was watching this
great lord with eager eyes.

'It may be so, prince, but though in my own country I am a man of repute
and wealth, here I am nothing but a slave snatched from the sacrifice.'

'I know it,' he said frowning. 'It is well for all here that you were so
snatched before the breath of life had left you, else Montezuma's wrath
had fallen on this city.' And he looked at the cacique who trembled,
such in those days was the terror of Montezuma's name.

Then he asked me if I was a Teule or Spaniard. I told him that I was
no Spaniard but one of another white race who had Spanish blood in his
veins. This saying seemed to puzzle him, for he had never so much as
heard of any other white race, so I told him something of my story, at
least so much of it as had to do with my being cast away.

When I had finished, he said, 'If I have understood aright, Teule, you
say that you are no Spaniard, yet that you have Spanish blood in you,
and came hither in a Spanish ship, and I find this story strange. Well,
it is for Montezuma to judge of these matters, so let us talk of them no
more. Come and show me how you handle that great bow of yours. Did you
bring it with you or did you fashi