with us, and they would all become wealthy personages by such a
booty."

When the elder Xicotencatl received information of this rebellious
movement, he grew excessively angry, and commanded his son to banish
all such thoughts from his mind. Such a step as that, he said, would be
altogether unjustifiable, and he might be sure, if Maxixcatzin and
Chichimeclatecl got intelligence of it, they would certainly order him
to be put to death, to which he himself would give his consent. Old
Xicotencatl, however, might say what he liked, his son remained firm to
his purpose, and set earnestly about to make the necessary preparations,
when Chichimeclatecl, who was at enmity with the younger Xicotencatl,
got secret information of his intentions, which he instantly
communicated to Maxixcatzin, and both determined to call a meeting of
the chief personages of the town, with the elder Xicotencatl and the
caziques of Huexotzinco, and commanded the younger Xicotencatl to appear
before them.

After all had been assembled, Maxixcatzin addressed the meeting as
follows: "I ask you, do you yourselves think, or have you ever heard
others say that such riches or so much prosperity was ever known for the
last hundred years in the land of Tlascalla as since the time these
teules have appeared among us? Were we ever so much respected by all our
neighbours? It is only since their arrival we possess abundance of gold
and cotton stuffs; it is since that time only we eat salt again, of
which we had been deprived for such a length of time. Wherever our
troops have shown themselves with these teules, they have been treated
with the utmost respect; and if many of our countrymen have lately
perished in Mexico, they certainly fared no worse than the teules
themselves. All of you must likewise bear in mind the ancient tradition
handed down to us by our forefathers, that, at some period or other, a
people would come from where the sun rises, to whom the dominion of
these countries was destined. How dare Xicotencatl, taking all this into
consideration, contemplate this horrible treachery, from which nothing
can flow but war and our destruction? Is this not a crime which ought
not to be pardoned? Is it not exactly in accordance with the evil
designs with which this man's head always runs full? Now that misfortune
has led these teules to us for protection, and that we may assist them
with our troops to renew the war with Mexico, are we to act
treacherously to