if we had such a bird in our power, we
could teach it to fly from the hand, and attack a bird of any size and
kill it.

Then, returned Motecusuma, I will have this same hawk caught, and we
shall see whether they can teach it all they say. Upon which, we all
took our caps off and thanked him for his kindness. Motecusuma then sent
for his birdcatchers, and commanded them to bring him the hawk above
mentioned. These immediately set to work, and before the hour of Ave
Maria they actually caught the bird, and presented it to Azenedo, who
immediately recognized, by the plumage, that it was the identical one we
had seen. We saw many similar instances, and even stronger proofs of the
punctuality with which this monarch's orders were fulfilled. Even now,
in his confinement, his subjects not only continued to bring him tribute
from the most distant parts of New Spain, but they likewise obeyed his
commands implicitly, and stood in such great awe of him, that even the
birds which flew in the skies above were brought down for him if he
expressed a wish that way.

It is now, however, time to relate how suddenly the wheel of fortune
turned against us, by a conspiracy, which was set on foot by the
inhabitants, to put us all to death.

CHAPTER C.

_How the nephews of Motecusuma assembled the principal personages of
the empire, and formed a conspiracy to rescue the monarch from
confinement, and beat us out of the city._

When Cacamatzin, the prince of Tezcuco, which, next to Mexico, was the
largest town of all New Spain, was informed of his uncle Motecusuma's
imprisonment, and that we seized everything we could lay our hands
on,--that we had even opened the treasure of his ancestor Axayacatl,
though left it entire as yet,--he determined to put an end to our
dominion before we should likewise take him prisoner.

For this reason he assembled all the chiefs of Tezcuco, and with them
the prince of Cojohuacan, who was his cousin, and nephew to Motecusuma;
likewise the princes of Tlacupa and Iztapalapan, and another powerful
cazique, prince of Matlaltzinco, a man of great courage, and so nearly
related to Motecusuma, that many even believed the crown of right should
have devolved upon him.

These powerful caziques accordingly, with other Mexican generals, fixed
a day when all their warriors were to meet and fall upon us with their
united forces. It appeared, that the prince of Matlaltzinco, who was
considered to b