the
last time, and for the last time the wild scream of the Aztec warriors
went up to heaven. We fought our best; I killed four men that day with
my arrows which Otomie, who was at my side, handed me as I shot. But the
most of us had not the strength of a child, and what could we do? They
came among us like seamen among a flock of seals, and slaughtered us by
hundreds. They drove us into the canals and trod us to death there, till
bridges were made of our bodies. How we escaped I do not know.

At length a party of us, among whom was Guatemoc with his wife
Tecuichpo, were driven to the shores of the lake where lay canoes, and
into these we entered, scarcely knowing what we did, but thinking that
we might escape, for now all the city was taken. The brigantines saw us
and sailed after us with a favouring wind--the wind always favoured the
foe in that war--and row as we would, one of them came up with us and
began to fire into us. Then Guatemoc stood up and spoke, saying:

'I am Guatemoc. Bring me to Malinche. But spare those of my people who
remain alive.'

'Now,' I said to Otomie at my side, 'my hour has come, for the Spaniards
will surely hang me, and it is in my mind, wife, that I should do well
to kill myself, so that I may be saved from a death of shame.'

'Nay, husband,' she answered sadly, 'as I said in bygone days, while you
live there is hope, but the dead come back no more. Fortune may favour
us yet; still, if you think otherwise, I am ready to die.'

'That I will not suffer, Otomie.'

'Then you must hold your hand, husband, for now as always, where you go,
I follow.'

'Listen,' I whispered; 'do not let it be known that you are my wife;
pass yourself as one of the ladies of Tecuichpo, the queen, your sister.
If we are separated, and if by any chance I escape, I will try to make
my way to the City of Pines. There, among your own people, we may find
refuge.'

'So be it, beloved,' she answered, smiling sadly. 'But I do not know
how the Otomie will receive me, who have led twenty thousand of their
bravest men to a dreadful death.'

Now we were on the deck of the brigantine and must stop talking, and
thence, after the Spaniards had quarrelled over us a while, we were
taken ashore and led to the top of a house which still stood, where
Cortes had made ready hurriedly to receive his royal prisoner.
Surrounded by his escort, the Spanish general stood, cap in hand, and by
his side was Marina, grown more lovely t