mony. Father
Olmedo preached and administered the sacrament, and we
returned thanks to God for our victory."

But now came the hour for discontent and murmuring. The excitement was
over, the din of arms was hushed, the beautiful city was entirely
destroyed, and two hundred thousand of the wretched inhabitants, whose
only crime against the Spaniards was that they defended their wives,
their children, and their homes, were festering in the grave. In
counting up their gains, these guilty men found that the whole sum
amounted to but about one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Their
grievous disappointment vented itself in loud complainings, and was
soon turned into rage. They accused Guatemozin of having secreted the
treasure which had been hoarded up, and demanded that he should be put
to the torture to compel him to disclose the place of concealment.
Cortez, for a time, firmly refused to yield to this atrocious demand;
but the clamor of the disaffected grew louder and louder, until at
last Cortez was accused of being in agreement with Guatemozin, that he
might appropriate to his own use the secreted treasure.

Thus goaded, Cortez infamously consented that the unhappy captive
monarch should be put to the torture. The cacique of Tacuba, the
companion of Guatemozin, and his highest officer, was put to the
torture with him. A hot fire was kindled, and the feet of the wretched
victims, drenched in oil, were exposed to the burning coals.
Guatemozin had nothing to reveal. He could merely assert that the
treasures of the city were thrown into the lake. With extraordinary
fortitude he endured the agony, adding additional lustre to a name
already ennobled by the heroism with which he conducted the defense.
His companion died upon this bed of agony. In the extremity of his
torment, he turned an imploring eye toward the king. Guatemozin, it is
recorded, observing his look, replied, "Am I, then, reposing upon a
bed of flowers?" Cortez, who had reluctantly yielded to this atrocity,
at last interposed, and rescued the imperial sufferer. Cortez has much
to answer for before the bar of this world's judgment. For many of
his criminal acts some apology may be framed, but for the torture of
Guatemozin he stands condemned without excuse. No voice will plead his
cause. Cortez seemed to be fully aware that it was not a creditable
story for him to tell, and in his dispatches to the King of Spain he
made no allusion to the event.