’Nowweplaythelastroundofthegame，butdonotboast，forGodaloneknowstowhomthevictoryshallbegiven。
　　Youhaveprosperedlong，butadaymaybeathandwhenyourprosperityshallceasewithyourbreath。
　　Toyourerrand，JuandeGarcia。’
　　Foramomenthesatsilent，pullingathispointedbeard，andwatchinghimIthoughtthatIcouldseetheshadowofahalf-
　　forgottenfearcreepintohiseyes。
　　Ifso，itwassoongone，forliftinghishead，hespokeboldlyandclearly。
　　’Thisismymessagetoyou，ThomasWingfield，andtosuchoftheOtomiedogswithwhomyouherdaswehaveleftaliveto-day。
　　TheCaptainBernalDiazoffersyoutermsonbehalfofhisExcellencytheviceroy。’
　　’Whatarehisterms？’Iasked。
　　’Mercifulenoughtosuchpestilentrebelsandheathens，’heansweredsneering。
　　’Surrenderyourcitywithoutcondition，andtheviceroy，inhisclemency，willacceptthesurrender。
　　Nevertheless，lestyoushouldsayafterwardsthatfaithhasbeenbrokenwithyou，beitknowntoyou，thatyoushallnotgounpunishedforyourmanycrimes。
　　Thisisthepunishmentthatshallbeinflictedonyou。
　　AllthosewhohadpartorparcelinthedevilishmurderofthatholysaintFatherPedro，shallbeburnedatthestake，andtheeyesofallthosewhobehelditshallbeputout。
　　SuchoftheleadersoftheOtomieasthejudgesmayselectshallbehangedpublicly，amongthemyourself，CousinWingfield，andmoreparticularlythewomanOtomie，daughterofMontezumathelateking。
　　Fortherest，thedwellersintheCityofPinesmustsurrendertheirwealthintothetreasuryoftheviceroy，andtheythemselves，men，womenandchildren，shallbeledfromthecityandbedistributedaccordingtotheviceroy’spleasureupontheestatesofsuchoftheSpanishsettlersashemayselect，theretolearntheusefulartsofhusbandryandmining。
　　Thesearetheconditionsofsurrender，andI
　　amcommandedtosaythatanhourisgivenyouinwhichtodecidewhetheryouacceptorrejectthem。’
　　’Andifwerejectthem？’
　　’ThentheCaptainBernalDiazhasorderstosackanddestroythiscity，andhavinggivenitoverfortwelvehourstothemercyoftheTlascalansandotherfaithfulIndianallies，tocollectthosewhomaybeleftlivingwithinit，andbringthemtothecityofMexico，theretobesoldasslaves。’
　　’Good，’Isaid；’youshallhaveyouranswerinanhour。’
　　Now，leavingthegateguarded，Ihurriedtothepalace，sendingmessengersasIwenttosummonsuchofthecouncilofthecityasremainedalive。
　　AtthedoorofthepalaceImetOtomie，whogreetedmefondly，forafterhearingofourdisastershehadhardlylookedtoseemeagain。
　　’ComewithmetotheHallofAssembly，’Isaid；’thereIwillspeaktoyou。’
　　Wewenttothehall，wherethemembersofthecouncilwerealreadygathering。
　　Sosoonasthemostofthemwereassembled，therewerebuteightinall，IrepeatedtothemthewordsofdeGarciawithoutcomment。
　　ThenOtomiespoke，asbeingthefirstinrankshehadarighttodo。
　　TwicebeforeIhadheardheraddressthepeopleoftheOtomieuponthesequestionsofdefenceagainsttheSpaniards。
　　Thefirsttime，itmayberemembered，waswhenwecameasenvoysfromCuitlahua，Montezumaherfather’ssuccessor，topraytheaidofthechildrenofthemountainagainstCortesandtheTeules。
　　Thesecondtimewaswhen，somefourteenyearsago，wehadreturnedtotheCityofPinesasfugitivesafterthefallofTenoctitlan，andthepopulace，movedtofurybythedestructionofnearlytwentythousandoftheirsoldiers，wouldhavedeliveredusasapeaceofferingintothehandsoftheSpaniards。
　　OneachoftheseoccasionsOtomiehadtriumphedbyhereloquence，bythegreatnessofhernameandthemajestyofherpresence。
　　Nowthingswerefarotherwise，andevenhadshenotscornedtousethem，suchartswouldhaveavailedusnothinginthisextremity。
　　Nowhergreatnamewasbutashadow，oneofmanywaningshadowscastbyanempirewhosegloryhadgoneforever；nowsheusednopassionateappealtotheprideandtraditionsofadoomedrace，nowshewasnolongeryoungandthefirstsplendourofherwomanhoodhaddepartedfromher。
　　Andyet，aswithhersonandmineatherside，sherosetoaddressthosesevencouncillors，who，haggardwithfearandhopelessinthegraspoffate，crouchedinsilencebeforeher，theirfacesburiedintheirhands，IthoughtthatOtomiehadneverseemedmorebeautiful，andthatherwords，simpleastheywere，hadneverbeenmoreeloquent。
　　’Friends，’shesaid，’youknowthedisasterthathasovertakenus。
　　MyhusbandhasgivenyouthemessageoftheTeules。
　　Ourcaseisdesperate。
　　Wehavebutathousandmenatmosttodefendthiscity，thehomeofourforefathers，andwealoneofallthepeoplesofAnahuacstilldaretostandinarmsagainstthewhitemen。
　　YearsagoIsaidtoyou，Choosebetweendeathwithhonourandlifewithshame！
　　To-dayagainIsaytoyou，Choose！
　　Formeandminethereisnochoiceleft，sincewhateveryoudecide，deathmustbeourportion。
　　Butwithyouitisotherwise。
　　Willyoudiefighting，orwillyouandyourchildrenserveyourremainingyearsasslaves？’
　　Forawhilethesevenconsultedtogether，thentheirspokesmananswered。
　　’Otomie，andyou，Teule，wehavefollowedyourcounselsformanyyearsandtheyhavebroughtusbutlittleluck。
　　Wedonotblameyou，forthegodsofAnahuachavedesertedusaswehavedesertedthem，andthegodsalonestandbetweenmenandtheirevildestiny。
　　Whatevermisfortuneswemayhaveborne，youhavesharedinthem，andsoitisnowattheend。
　　NorwillwegobackuponourwordsinthisthelasthourofthepeopleoftheOtomie。
　　Wehavechosen；wehavelivedfreewithyou，andstillfree，wewilldiewithyou。
　　ForlikeyouweholdthatitisbetterforusandourstoperishasfreementhantodragoutourdaysbeneaththeyokeoftheTeule。’
　　’Itiswell，’saidOtomie；’nownothingremainsforusexcepttoseekadeathsogloriousthatitshallbesungofinafterdays。
　　Husband，youhaveheardtheanswerofthecouncil。
　　LettheSpaniardshearitalso。’
　　SoIwentbacktothewall，awhiteflaginmyhand，andpresentlyanenvoyadvancedfromtheSpanishcamptospeakwithme——notdeGarcia，butanother。
　　ItoldhiminfewwordsthatthosewhoremainedaliveofthepeopleoftheOtomiewoulddiebeneaththeruinsoftheircitylikethechildrenofTenoctitlanbeforethem，butthatwhiletheyhadaspeartothrowandanarmtothrowit，theywouldneveryieldtothetendermerciesoftheSpaniard。
　　Theenvoyreturnedtothecamp，andwithinanhourtheattackbegan。
　　Bringinguptheirpiecesofordnance，theSpaniardssetthemwithinlittlemorethananhundredpacesofthegates，andbegantobatteruswithironshotattheirleisure，forourspearsandarrowscouldscarcelyharmthematsuchadistance。
　　Stillwewerenotidle，forseeingthatthewoodengatesmustsoonbedown，wedemolishedhousesoneithersideofthemandfilleduptheroadwaywithstonesandrubbish。
　　AttherearoftheheapthusformedIcausedagreattrenchtobedug，whichcouldnotbepassedbyhorsemenandordnancetillitwasfilledinagain。
　　AllalongthemainstreetleadingtothegreatsquareoftheteocalliIthrewupotherbarricades，protectedinthefrontandrearbydykescutthroughtheroadway，andincasetheSpaniardsshouldtrytoturnourflankandforceapassagethroughthenarrowandtortuouslanestotherightandleft，Ialsobarricadedthefourentrancestothegreatsquareormarketplace。
　　TillnightfalltheSpaniardsbombardedtheshatteredremainsofthegatesandtheearthworksbehindthem，doingnogreatdamagebeyondthekillingofaboutascoreofpeoplebycannonshotandarquebussballs。
　　Buttheyattemptednoassaultthatday。
　　Atlengththedarknessfellandtheirfireceased，butnotsoourlabours。
　　Mostofthemenmustguardthegatesandtheweakspotsinthewalls，andthereforethebuildingofthebarricadeswasleftchieflytothewomen，workingundermycommandandthatofmycaptains。
　　Otomieherselftookashareinthetoil，anexamplethatwasfollowedbyeveryladyandindeedbyeverywomaninthecity，andthereweremanyofthem，forthewomenoutnumberedthemenamongtheOtomie，andmoreovernotafewofthemhadbeenmadewidowsonthatsameday。
　　Itwasastrangesighttoseethemintheglareofhundredsoftorchessplitfromtheresinpinethatgaveitsnametothecity，asallnightlongtheymovedtoandfroinlines，eachofthemstaggeringbeneaththeweightofabasketofearthoraheavystone，ordugwithwoodenspadesatthehardsoil，orlabouredatthepullingdownofhouses。
　　Theynevercomplained，butworkedonsullenlyanddespairingly；nogroanortearbrokefromthem，no，notevenfromthosewhosehusbandsandsonshadbeenhurledthatmorningfromtheprecipicesofthepass。
　　Theyknewthatresistancewouldbeuselessandthattheirdoomwasathand，butnocryaroseamongthemofsurrendertotheSpaniards。
　　ThoseofthemwhospokeofthematteratallsaidwithOtomie，thatitwasbettertodiefreethantoliveasslaves，butthemostdidnotspeak；theoldandtheyoung，mother，wife，widow，andmaid，theylabouredinsilenceandthechildrenlabouredattheirsides。
　　Lookingatthemitcameintomymindthatthesesilentpatientwomenwereinspiredbysomecommonanddesperatepurpose，thatallknewof，butwhichnoneofthemchosetotell。
　　’WillyouworksohardforyourmasterstheTeules？’criedamaninbittermockery，asafileofthemtoiledpastbeneaththeirloadsofstone。
　　’Fool！’answeredtheirleader，ayoungandlovelyladyofrank；’dothedeadlabour？’
　　’Nay，’saidthisilljester，’butsuchasyouaretoofairfortheTeulestokill，andyouryearsofslaverywillbemany。
　　Say，howshallyouescapethem？’
　　’Fool！’answeredtheladyagain，’doesfirediefromlackoffuelonly，andmusteverymanlivetillagetakeshim？
　　Weshallescapethemthus，’andcastingdownthetorchshecarried，shetroditintotheearthwithhersandal，andwentonwithherload。
　　ThenI
　　wassurethattheyhadsomepurpose，thoughIdidnotguesshowdesperateitwas，andOtomiewouldtellmenothingofthiswoman’ssecret。
　　’Otomie，’Isaidtoherthatnight，whenwemetbychance，’Ihaveillnewsforyou。’
　　’Itmustbebadindeed，husband，tobesonamedinsuchanhour，’
　　sheanswered。
　　’DeGarciaisamongourfoes。’
　　’Iknewit，husband。’
　　’Howdidyouknowit？’
　　’Bythehatewritteninyoureyes，’sheanswered。
　　’Itseemsthathishouroftriumphisathand，’Isaid。
　　’Nay，beloved，notHISbutYOURS。
　　YoushalltriumphoverdeGarcia，butvictorywillcostyoudear。
　　Iknowitinmyheart；askmenothoworwhy。
　　See，theQueenputsonhercrown，’andshepointedtothevolcanXaca，whosesnowsgrewrosywiththedawn，’andyoumustgotothegate，fortheSpaniardswillsoonbestirring。’
　　AsOtomiespokeIheardatrumpetblarewithoutthewalls。
　　Hurryingtothegatesbythefirstlightofday，IcouldseethattheSpaniardsweremusteringtheirforcesforattack。
　　Theydidnotcomeatonce，however，butdelayedtillthesunwaswellup。
　　Thentheybegantopourafuriousfireuponourdefences，thatreducedtheshatteredbeamsofthegatestopowder，andevenshookdownthecrestoftheearthworkbeyondthem。
　　Suddenlythefiringceasedandagainatrumpetcalled。
　　Nowtheychargedusincolumn，athousandormoreTlascalansleadingthevan，followedbytheSpanishforce。
　　IntwominutesI，whoawaitedthembeyondittogetherwithsomethreehundredwarriorsoftheOtomie，sawtheirheadsappearoverthecrestoftheearthwork，andthefightbegan。