device. With the ring he drew out also
a scroll of picture-writing, and held them both before the eyes of the
pabas. Now the ring was the ring of Montezuma, and the scroll was signed
by the great high priest of Tenoctitlan, and those who looked on the
ring and the scroll knew well that to disobey the mandate of him who
bore them was death and dishonour in one. So without more ado they
seized their chief and held him. Then Guatemoc spoke again and shortly:

'Lay him on the stone and sacrifice him to the god Quetzal.'

Now he who had taken such fierce joy in the death of others on this same
stone, began to tremble and weep, for he did not desire to drink of his
own medicine.

'Why must I be offered up, O prince?' he cried, 'I who have been a
faithful servant to the gods and to the Emperor.'

'Because you dared to try to offer up this Teule,' answered Guatemoc,
pointing to me, 'without leave from your master Montezuma, and because
of the other evils that you have done, all of which are written in this
scroll. The Teule is a son of Quetzal, as you have yourself declared,
and Quetzal will be avenged because of his son. Away with him, here is
your warrant.'

Then the priests, who till this moment had been his servants, dragged
their chief to the stone, and there, notwithstanding his prayers and
bellowings, one who had donned his mantle practised his own art upon
him, and presently his body was cast down the side of the pyramid. For
my part I am not sufficient of a Christian to pretend that I was sorry
to see him die in that same fashion by which he had caused the death of
so many better men.

When it was done Guatemoc turned to me and said, 'So perish all your
enemies, my friend Teule.'

Within an hour of this event, which revealed to me how great was the
power of Montezuma, seeing that the sight of a ring from his finger
could bring about the instant death of a high priest at the hands of
his disciples, we started on our long journey. But before I went I bid a
warm farewell to my friend the cacique, and also to Marina, who wept at
my going. The cacique I never saw again, but Marina I did see.

For a whole month we travelled, for the way was far and the road rough,
and sometimes we must cut our path through forests and sometimes we must
wait upon the banks of rivers. Many were the strange sights that I saw
upon that journey, and many the cities in which we sojourned in much
state and honour, but I cannot stop to te