ing the bow I held I sent
an arrow through the vulture and it fell to the earth fluttering and
screaming. Then I bade those with me to cut down the corpses of Guatemoc
and of the prince of Tacuba and another noble who hung with him, and
hollow a deep grave beneath the tree. There I laid them, and there I
left them to sleep for ever in its melancholy shadow, and thus for the
last time I saw Guatemoc my brother, whom I came from far to save and
found made ready for burial by the Spaniard.

Then I turned my face homewards, for now Anahuac had no king to rescue,
but it chanced that before I went I caught a Tlascalan who could speak
Spanish, and who had deserted from the army of Cortes because of the
hardships that he suffered in their toilsome march. This man was present
at the murder of Guatemoc and his companions, and heard the Emperor's
last words. It seems that some knave had betrayed to Cortes that an
attempt would be made to rescue the prince, and that thereon Cortes
commanded that he should be hung. It seems also that Guatemoc met his
death as he had met the misfortunes of his life, proudly and without
fear. These were his last words: 'I did ill, Malinche, when I held my
hand from taking my own life before I surrendered myself to you. Then my
heart told me that all your promises were false, and it has not lied to
me. I welcome my death, for I have lived to know shame and defeat and
torture, and to see my people the slaves of the Teule, but still I say
that God will reward you for this deed.'

Then they murdered him in the midst of a great silence.

And so farewell to Guatemoc, the most brave, the best and the noblest
Indian that ever breathed, and may the shadow of his tormentings and
shameful end lie deep upon the fame of Cortes for so long as the names
of both of them are remembered among men!

For two more months I journeyed homeward and at length I reached the
City of Pines, well though wearied, and having lost only forty men by
various misadventures of travel, to find Otomie in good health, and
overjoyed to know me safe whom she thought never to see again. But when
I told her what was the end of her cousin Guatemoc she grieved bitterly,
both for his sake and because the last hope of the Aztec was gone, and
she would not be comforted for many days.

CHAPTER XXXIII

ISABELLA DE SIGUENZA IS AVENGED

For many years after the death of Guatemoc I lived with Otomie at peace
in the City of Pines. Our c