IsawsomeSpaniardsalso,butthemostoftheseweresodrunkwithmescal,andwithjoyatthetidingsthatTenoctitlanhadfallen,andtheirlabourswereendedatlast,thattheytooknoheedofme。
NeverdidIseesuchmadnessaspossessedthem,forthesepoorfoolsbelievedthathenceforththeyshouldeattheirverybreadoffplatesofgold。
ItwasforgoldthattheyhadfollowedCortes;forgoldtheyhadbravedthealtarofsacrificeandfoughtinahundredfights,andnow,astheythought,theyhadwonit。
Theroomofthestonehousewheretheyprisonedmehadawindowsecuredbybarsofwood,andthroughthesebarsIcouldseeandheartherevellingsofthesoldiersduringthetimeofmyconfinement。
Alldaylong,whentheywerenotonduty,andmostofthenightalso,theygambledanddrank,stakingtensofpesosonasinglethrow,whichthelosermustpayoutofhisshareofthecountlesstreasuresoftheAztecs。
Littledidtheycareiftheywonorlost,theyweresosureofplunder,butplayedontilldrinkoverpoweredthem,andtheyrolledsenselessbeneaththetables,ortilltheysprangupanddancedwildlytoandfro,catchingatthesunbeamsandscreaming’Gold!gold!gold!’
ListeningatthiswindowalsoIgatheredsomeofthetidingsofthecamp。
IlearnedthatCorteshadcomeback,bringingGuatemocandseveraloftheprinceswithhim,togetherwithmanyofthenobleAztecladies。
IndeedIsawandheardthesoldiersgamblingforthesewomenwhentheywerewearyoftheirplayformoney,adescriptionofeachofthembeingwrittenonapieceofpaper。
OneoftheseladiesansweredwelltoOtomie,mywife,andshewasputuptoauctionbythebrutewhowonherinthegamble,andsoldtoacommonsoldierforahundredpesos。
Forthesemenneverdoubtedbutthatthewomenandthegoldwouldbehandedovertothem。
Thusthingswentforseveraldays,duringwhichIsatandsleptinmyprisonuntroubledbyany,exceptthenativewomanwhowaitedonmeandbroughtmefoodinplenty。
DuringthosedaysIateasI
havenevereatenbeforeorsince,andIsleptmuch,formysorrowscouldnotridmybodyofitsappetitesandcommandingneedforfoodandrest。
IndeedIverilybelievethatattheendofaweek,Ihadincreasedinweightbyafullhalf;alsomywearinesswasconqueredatlength,andIwasstrongagain。
ButwhenIwasneithersleepingnoreatingIwatchedatmywindow,hoping,thoughinvain,tocatchsomesightofOtomieorofGuatemoc。
IfImightnotseemyfriends,however,atleastIsawmyfoe,foroneeveningdeGarciacameandstaredatmyprison。
Hecouldnotseeme,butIsawhim,andthedevilishsmilethatflickeredonhisfaceashewentawaylikeawolf,mademeshiverwithapresageofwoestocome。
Fortenminutesormorehestoodgazingatmywindowhungrily,asacatgazesatacagedbird,andI
feltthathewaswaitingforthedoortobeopened,andKNEWthatitwouldsoonbeopened。
ThishappenedontheeveofthedayuponwhichIwasputtotorture。
Meanwhile,astimewenton,Inoticedthatachangecameoverthetemperofthecamp。
Thesoldiersceasedtogambleforuntoldwealth,theyevenceasedfromdrinkingtoexcessandfromtheirriotousjoy,buttooktohangingtogetherinknotsdiscussingfiercelyIcouldnotlearnofwhat。
OnthedaywhendeGarciacametolookatmyprisontherewasagreatgatheringinthesquareoppositemyprison,towhichIsawCortesrideuponawhitehorseandrichlydressed。
Themeetingwastoofarawayformetooverhearwhatpassed,butInotedthatseveralofficersaddressedCortesangrily,andthattheirspeecheswereloudlycheeredbythesoldiers。
Atlengththegreatcaptainansweredthematsomelength,andtheybrokeupinsilence。
NextmorningafterIhadbreakfasted,foursoldierscameintomyprisonandorderedmetoaccompanythem。
’Whither?’Iasked。
’Tothecaptain,traitor,’theirleaderanswered。
’Ithascomeatlast,’Ithoughttomyself,butIsaidonly:
’Itiswell。
Anychangefromthisholeisoneforthebetter。’
’Certainly,’hereplied;’anditisyourlastshift。’
ThenIknewthatthemanbelievedthatIwasgoingtomydeath。
InfiveminutesIwasstandingbeforeCortesinhisprivatehouse。
AthissidewasMarinaandaroundhimwereseveralofhiscompanionsinarms。
Thegreatmanlookedatmeforawhile,thenspoke。
’YournameisWingfield;youareofmixedblood,halfEnglishandhalfSpanish。
YouwerecastawayintheTobascoRiverandtakentoTenoctitlan。
ThereyouweredoomedtopersonatetheAztecgodTezcat,andwererescuedbyuswhenwecapturedthegreatteocalli。
SubsequentlyyoujoinedtheAztecsandtookpartintheattackandslaughterofthenochetriste。
YouwereafterwardsthefriendandcounsellorofGuatemoc,andassistedhiminhisdefenceofTenoctitlan。
Isthistrue,prisoner?’
’Itisalltrue,general,’Ianswered。
’Good。
Youarenowourprisoner,andhadyouathousandlives,youhaveforfeitedthemallbecauseofyourtreacherytoyourraceandblood。
IntothecircumstancesthatledyoutocommitthishorribletreasonIcannotenter;thefactremains。
YouhaveslainmanyoftheSpaniardsandtheirallies;thatis,beinginastateoftreasonyouhavemurderedthem。
Wingfield,yourlifeisforfeitandIcondemnyoutodiebyhangingasatraitorandanapostate。’
’Thenthereisnothingmoretobesaid,’Iansweredquietly,thoughacoldfearfrozemyblood。
’Thereissomething,’answeredCortes。
’Thoughyourcrimeshavebeensomany,Iamreadytogiveyouyourlifeandfreedomuponacondition。
Iamreadytodomore,tofindyouapassagetoEuropeonthefirstoccasion,whereyoumayperchanceescapetheechoesofyourinfamyifGodisgoodtoyou。
Theconditionisthis。
WehavereasontobelievethatyouareacquaintedwiththehidingplaceofthegoldofMontezuma,whichwasunlawfullystolenfromusonthenightofthenochetriste。
Nay,weknowthatthisisso,foryouwereseentogowiththecanoesthatwereladenwithit。
Choosenow,apostate,betweenashamefuldeathandtherevealingtousofthesecretofthistreasure。’
ForamomentIwavered。
Ontheonehandwasthelossofhonourwithlifeandlibertyandthehopeofhome,ontheotheradreadfulend。
ThenIrememberedmyoathandOtomie,andwhatshewouldthinkofmelivingordead,ifIdidthisthing,andIwaverednomore。
’Iknownothingofthetreasure,general,’Iansweredcoldly。
’Sendmetomydeath。’
’Youmeanthatyouwillsaynothingofit,traitor。
Thinkagain。
IfyouhaveswornanyoathstheyarebrokenbyGod。
TheempireoftheAztecsisatanend,theirkingismyprisoner,theirgreatcityisaruin。
ThetrueGodhastriumphedoverthesedevilsbymyhand。
Theirwealthismylawfulspoil,andImusthaveittopaymygallantcomradeswhocannotgrowrichondesolation。
Thinkagain。’
’Iknownothingofthistreasure,general。’
’Yetmemorysometimeswakens,traitor。
Ihavesaidthatyoushalldieifyoursshouldfailyou,andsoyoushalltobesure。
Butdeathisnotalwaysswift。
Therearemeans,doubtlessyouwhohavelivedinSpainhaveheardofthem,’andhearchedhisbrowsandglaredatmemeaningly,’bywhichamanmaydieandyetliveformanyweeks。
Now,lothasIamtodoit,itseemsthatifyourmemorystillsleeps,Imustfindsomesuchmeanstorouseit——
beforeyoudie。’
’Iaminyourpower,general,’Ianswered。
’Youcallmetraitoragainandagain。
Iamnotraitor。
IamasubjectoftheKingofEngland,notoftheKingofSpain。
Icamehitherfollowingavillainwhohaswroughtmeandminebitterwrong,oneofyourcompanynameddeGarciaorSarceda。
TofindhimandforotherreasonsIjoinedtheAztecs。
TheyareconqueredandIamyourprisoner。
Attheleastdealwithmeasabravemandealswithafallenenemy。
Iknownothingofthetreasure;killmeandmakeanend。’
’AsamanImightwishtodothis,Wingfield,butIammorethanaman,IamthehandoftheChurchhereinAnahuac。
Youhavepartakenwiththeworshippersofidols,youhaveseenyourfellowChristianssacrificedanddevouredbyyourbrutecomrades。
Forthisaloneyoudeservetobetorturedeternally,anddoubtlessthatwillbesoafterwehavedonewithyou。
AsforthehidalgoDonSarceda,Iknowhimonlyasabravecompanioninarms,andcertainlyIshallnotlistentotalestoldagainsthimbyawanderingapostate。
Itis,however,unluckyforyou,’andhereagleamoflightshotacrossthefaceofCortes,’thatthereshouldbeanyoldfeudbetweenyou,seeingthatitistohischargethatI
amabouttoconfideyou。
NowforthelasttimeIsaychoose。
Willyourevealthehidingplaceofthetreasureandgofree,orwillyoubehandedovertothecareofDonSarcedatillsuchtimeasheshallfindmeanstomakeyouspeak?’
Nowagreatfaintnessseizedme,forIknewthatIwascondemnedtobetortured,andthatdeGarciawastobethetorturer。
WhatmercyhadItoexpectfromhiscruelheartwhenI,hisdeadliestfoe,layinhispowertowreakhisvengeanceon?
Butstillmywillandmyhonourprevailedagainstmyterrors,andIanswered:
’Ihavetoldyou,general,thatIknownothingofthistreasure。
Doyourworst,andmayGodforgiveyouforyourcruelty。’
’DarenottospeakthatholyName,apostateandworshipperofidols,eaterofhumanflesh。
LetSarcedabesummoned。’
Amessengerwentout,andforawhiletherewassilence。
IcaughtMarina’sglanceandsawpityinhergentleeyes。
Butshecouldnothelpmehere,forCorteswasmadbecausenogoldhadbeenfound,andtheclamourofthesoldiersforrewardhadwornhimoutandbroughthimtothisshamefulremedy,hewhowasnotcruelbynature。
Stillshestrovetopleadformewithhim,whisperingearnestlyinhisear。
ForawhileCorteslistened,thenhepushedherfromhimroughly。
’Peace,Marina,’hesaid。
’What,shallIsparethisEnglishdogsomepangs,whenmycommand,andperchancemyverylife,hangsuponthefindingofthegold?
Nay,heknowswellwhereitlieshid;yousaidityourselfwhenIwouldhavehunghimforatraitor,andcertainlyhewasoneofthosewhomthespysawgooutwithituponthelake。
Ourfriendwaswiththemalso,buthecamebacknomore;
doubtlesstheymurderedhim。
Whatisthismantoyouthatyoushouldpleadforhim?
Ceasetotroubleme,Marina,amInottroubledenoughalready?’andCortesputhishandstohisfaceandremainedlostinthought。
AsforMarina,shelookedatmesadlyandsighedasthoughtosay,’Ihavedonemybest,’andIthankedherwithmyeyes。
PresentlytherewasasoundoffootstepsandIlookeduptoseedeGarciastandingbeforeme。
Timeandhardshiphadtouchedhimlightly,andthelinesofsilverinhiscurlinghairandpeakedbearddidbutadddignitytohisnoblepresence。
Indeed,whenI