Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-09-12

! chanced, the very first arrow that 1 drew
| was on my hated foe, Do Garcia, but
here my common fortune pursued me,
for, being out of practice or overanx-
ious, I aimed too high, though the
! mark was an easy one, and the sha1t
pierced the iron of his casque, causing him
to reel In his saddle, but doing him no
further hurt. Still this craftsmanship,
DOOR as 1t was, gained me great renown
among the Aztecs, who weTo but feeble
archers, for they had never before seen ON
arrow pierce through tho spanish man.
Nor would mine have done so had not
| collected the iron barbs of the crossbow
bolts of the Spaniards and fitted them to
my own shafts. seldom found the mail
that would withstand arrows made thus
when the range was short and the aim
good. y
After the first days fight, was ap-
pointed general over body of 5000 arch
ers and was given banner to be borne
before me and gorgeous captains dress
to wear. But what pleased me better was
| chain shirt which came from the body
of a Spanish cavalier. For many years l
| always wore this shirt beneath my cotton
mail, and 1t saved my life more than once,
for even bullets would not pierce the two
| Of them.
Ihad taken over the command Of my
| arohers but 4S hours, scant time In which
TO teach them discipline whereof they had
| little, though they were brave enough
when the occasion caIne to use them In
GOOD earnest, and with 1t the night of dis
ester that Is still known among the Span
-. H. A-ir 10 ny,t hn off
before that night council was held IN the
palace, at which spoke saying Twas GER
tain that the Teules thought of retreat
from tho city and in the dark, for other
wise they would not have been so eager 70
fill up the canals in the causeway. To this
Cuitlahua, who now that MonteZuma was
dead would be emperor, though he was not
vet chosen and crowned answered that 1T
might we'll be that the Teules meditated
flight, but that they could never attempt
in the darkness, since in so doing they
must become entangled in tho streets and
dikes.
Ireplied that, though it was not the Az
tee habit to march and fight ut night,
such things were common enough among
white men, as they had seen already, and
that because the Spaniards knew it was
not their habit they would be the moro
likely to attempt escape under cover OF
the darkness, when they thought their
enemies asleep. Therefore I counseled
that sentries should bo set at all the en-
frances to every causcway. To this Cult
lahua assented, and assigned tho cause
way Of Tlacopan to Guatemoc and myself,
making US the guardians of its safety.
That night Guatemoc and T. with some
soldiers, went out toward midnight to visit
tho guard that we had placed upon the
causeway. 1t was very dark, and rain
fell, so that man could see no farther be-
fore his eyes than he can at evening
through Norfolk roke in autumn. We
found and relieved the guard, which re-
ported that all was quiet, and we were re-
turning toward the great square when Of
q sudden heard dull sound as Of thou
sands Of men tramping.
Listen" said.
1T Is the Teules who escape" whisper
ed Guatemoc.
Quickly we ran to where the street from
the great square opens on to the causeway,
and there even through the darkness and
rain we caught the gleam Of armor. Then
! CrlSu dlCuu Ill u S1Cdo NOASO' ~ sAAAt1S'
To arms! The Teules escape by the cause
way of Tlacopanp'
Instantly my words were caught up by
the sentries and passed from post to post
till the city rang with them. They were
cried In every street and canal; they echoed
from the roofs Of houses and among the
SUBMITS Of hundred temples. The city
awoke with murmur; from the lake came
the sound Of water beaten by 10, 600 oars,
as though myriads Of wild fowl had sprung
suddenly from their recdy beds. Here,
there and everywhere torches flashed out
like falling stars, wild notes wero blown
on horns and shells, and above all arose the
booming of the snakeskin drum, which
the priests upon the tcocali beat furiously.
Presently the murmur grew to roar,
and from this direction and from that
armed men poured toward the causeway
Of Tlacopan. Some came on foot, but the
most of them were in canoes which covered
the waters Of the lake farther than the ear
could hear. Now the Spahiards to the
number Of 1900 or so, accompanied by
some 5000 or 5000 Tlascalans, were
emerging on the causeway in long thin
line. Guatemoc and rushed before them,
collecting men as we went, till we came to
the first canal, where canoes were already
gathering by scores. The head Of the Span
ish column reached the canal, and the fight
began, which, 80 far as the Aztecs wero
concerned, was fray without plan or order,
for In that darkness and confusion the
captains could not see their men or the
men hear their captains. But they were
there in countless numbers and had only
one desire in their breast-to kill the
Teules. A cannon roared, sendinga storm
Of bullets through us, and by its flash we
saw that the Spaniards carried timber
bridge with them, which they were plac-
ing across the canal. Then we fell on
them, every man fighting for himself
Guatemoc and I were swept over that
bridge by tho first rush of the enemy as
leaves are swept in q gale, and though both
of us won through safely we saw each 9TH
er no more that night. With us and after
us ca1ne the long array Of Spaniards and
Tlascalans, and from every side the Aztecs
poured upon them, clinging to their strug-
Cling line as ants cling to a wounded
worm.
How can I tell all that came to pass
that night? I cannot, for saw but little
Of it. All know is that for two hours l
was fighting like mailman. Tho foe
crossed the first canal, bat when all were
over tho bridge was sunk SO deep in the
mud that 1t could not bo stirred, and three
furlongs on ran a second canal, deeper and
wider than the first. Over this they could
not cross till it was bridgcd with the dead
1t seemed Us though all hell had broken
loose upon that narrow ridge of ground
The sound of cannon and of arquebuses,
the shricks of agony and fear, tho shouts
Of the Spanish soldiers, the warcries of the
Aztccs, the screams of wounded horses, the
vail of women, tho hiss Of hurtling darts
and arrows and tho dull noise Of falling
blows went up to heaven in one hideous
hurly burly. Like 3 frightened mob OF
cattle, tho long Spanish array swayed this
way and that, following as it swayed
Many rolled down the sides of the cause
way to be slaughtered in the waters OF the
lake or borne away to sacrifice In the
| canoes, many were drowned in the canals