‘I am an Englishman, and I have fought with the Aztecs because I have good cause to hate you Spaniards.’
‘You shall soon have better, traitor,’ he said furiously.
‘Here, lead this man away and hang him on the mast of yonder ship.’
Now I saw that it was finished, and made ready to go to my death, when Marina spoke into the ear of Cortes.
All she said I could not catch, but I heard the words ‘hidden gold.’
He listened, then hesitated, and spoke aloud:
‘Do not hang this man to-day.
Let him be safely guarded.
Tomorrow I will inquire into his case.’
CHAPTER XXVIII
THOMAS IS DOOMED
At the words of Cortes two Spaniards came forward, and seizing me one by either arm, they led me across the roof of the house towards the stairway.
Otomie had heard also, and though she did not understand the words, she read the face of Cortes, and knew well that I was being taken to imprisonment or death.
As I passed her, she started forward, a terror shining in her eyes.
Fearing that she was about to throw herself upon my breast, and thus to reveal herself as my wife, and bring my fate upon her, I glanced at her warningly, then making pretence to stumble, as though with fear and exhaustion, I fell at her feet.
The soldiers who led me laughed brutally, and one of them kicked me with his heavy boot.
But Otomie stooped down and held her hand to me to help me rise, and as I did so, we spoke low and swiftly.
‘Farewell, wife,’ I said; ‘whatever happens, keep silent.’
‘Farewell,’ she answered; ‘if you must die, await me in the gates of death, for I will join you there.’
‘Nay, live on.
Time shall bring comfort.’
‘You are my life, beloved.
With you time ends for me.’
Now I was on my feet again, and I think that none noted our whispered words, for all were listening to Cortes, who rated the man that had kicked me.
‘I bade you guard this traitor, not to kick him,’ he said angrily in Castilian.
‘Will you put us to open shame before these savages?
Do so once more, and you shall pay for it smartly.
Learn a lesson in gentleness from that woman; she is starving, yet she leaves her food to help your prisoner to his feet.
Now take him away to the camp, and see that he comes to no harm, for he can tell me much.’
Then the soldiers led me away, grumbling as they went, and the last thing that I saw was the despairing face of Otomie my wife, as she gazed after me, faint with the secret agony of our parting.
But when I came to the head of the stairway, Guatemoc, who stood near, took my hand and shook it.
‘Farewell, my brother,’ he said with a heavy smile; ‘the game we played together is finished, and now it is time for us to rest.
I thank you for your valour and your aid.’
‘Farewell, Guatemoc,’ I answered.
‘You are fallen, but let this comfort you, in your fall you have found immortal fame.’
‘On, on!’ growled the soldiers, and I went, little thinking how Guatemoc and I should meet again.
They took me to a canoe, and we were paddled across the lake by Tlascalans, till at length we came to the Spanish camp.
All the journey through, my guards, though they laid no hand on me, fearing the anger of Cortes, mocked and taunted me, asking me how I liked the ways of the heathen, and whether I ate the flesh of the sacrifices raw or cooked; and many another such brutal jest they made at my expense.
For a while I bore it, for I had learned to be patient from the Indians, but at last I answered them in few words and bitter.
‘Peace, cowards,’ I said; ‘remember that I am helpless, and that were I before you strong and armed, either I should not live to listen to such words, or you would not live to repeat them.’
Then they were silent, and I also was silent.
When we reached their camp I was led through it, followed by a throng of fierce Tlascalans and others, who would have torn me limb from limb had they not feared to do so.
I saw some Spaniards also, but the most of these were so drunk with mescal, and with joy at the tidings that Tenoctitlan had fallen, and their labours were ended at last, that they took no heed of me.
Never did I see such madness as possessed them, for these poor fools believed that henceforth they should eat their very bread off plates of gold.
It was for gold that they had followed Cortes; for gold they had braved the altar of sacrifice and fought in a hundred fights, and now, as they thought, they had won it.
The room of the stone house where they prisoned me had a window secured by bars of wood, and through these bars I could see and hear the revellings of the soldiers during the time of my confinement.
All day long, when they were not on duty, and most of the night also, they gambled and drank, staking tens of pesos on a single throw, which the loser must pay out of his share of the countless treasures of the Aztecs.
Little did they care if they won or lost, they were so sure of plunder, but played on till drink overpowered them, and they rolled senseless beneath the tables, or till they sprang up and danced wildly to and fro, catching at the sunbeams and screaming
‘Gold! gold! gold!’
Listening at this window also I gathered some of the tidings of the camp.