The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-10-03
CHAPTER XVI.


At first was taken into the chamber
that had left, but placed in little room
opening out of it where the guard slept.
Here I waited awhile, bound hand end
foot and watched by two soldiers with
drawn swords. AS waited, torn by rage
and fear heard the noise Of hammering
through the. wall, followed by sound OF
groans.
At length the suspense came to an end
A door was opened, and two fierce Tlasca-
Ian Indians came through it and seized me
by the hair and ears dragging me thus
into my own chamber.
Poor devil!'' I heard one Of the Span
ish soldiers say as I went. 'sApostate or
| no, am sorry for him. This is bloody
| work. -
Then the door closed, and I was in the
place Of torment The room was darkened,
for cloth had been hung in front Of the
window bars, but its gloom waa-sesleVed
by certain fires that burned in lbraklers. 1t
was by the light Of these fires chiefly that
SOW the sight. On the floor Of the cham
| Der were placed three solid chairs, one Of
them empty. The other two were filled by
| none other than Guatemoc, emperor OF the
Aztecs, and by his friend and mine, tie
| cazique Of Tacuba. They were bound In
the chairs, the burning braziers were
placed at their feet, behind them stood a
clerk with paper and inkhorn, and around
them Indians were busy at some dreadful
task, directed to it by two Spanish soldiers.
Near the third chair stood another Span
lard, who as yet took no part in the play.
III Ga~ofo Ac 1noEo6 Indian
lifted one Of the braziers, and seizing the
| naked foot of the Tacuban prince thrust
It down upon the glowing Goals. For
| awhile there was silence; then the Tacuban
broke into groans. Guatemoc turned his
head toward him and spoke, and as he
| spoke saw that his foot also was resting
| in the flames of brazier. "Why do you
complain, friend" he said in steady
voice, when I keep silence? Am then
taking my pleasure in q bed? Follow me
now as always, friend, and be silent be
meath your sufferings."
The clerk wrote down his words, for
heard the quill scratching on the paper,
and as he wrote Guatemoc turned his head
and saw me- His face was gray with pain
| Still he spoke as hundred times had
heard him speak at council-slowly and
| clearly. ''Alas, are you also here, my
friend Teules" he said 'Ihoped that they
had spared you. See how these Spaniar1s
keep faith. Malinche swore to treat me
with all honor. Behold how he honors ne,
with hot Goals for my feet and pinchcrs for
my flesh. They think that we have buried
treasure, Teule, and would wiring its Sc
cret from U.S. You know that it is a lie.
| IF we had treasure, would we not give it
gladly to our conquerors, the god born
sons of Quetzal? You know that there is
nothing left except the ruins Of our cities
and the bones Of our dead. -
Here he ceased suddenly, for the demon
| who tormented him struck him across the
mouth, saying, ''Silence, dog!'
But understood, and 1 swore in my
heart that would die ere I revealed my
brothers secret. This was the last triumph
that Guatemoc could win, to keep his gold
| from the grasp of the greedy Spaniard,
and that victory at least he should not lose
through me. So I swore, and very soon
my oath must be put to the test, for 81 q
| motion from De Garcia the Tlascalans
| seized me and bound me to the third chair.
Then he spoke into my ear in Castilian:
s.Strange are the ways of Providence,
Cousin Wingfeld You have hunted me
across the world, and several times we have
| met, always to your sorrow. thought 1
| had you in the slaveship thought that
the sharks had you in the water, but some
how you escaped me whom you came to
hunt. When I knew it, I grieved, but
now grieve no more, for see that you
were reserved for this moment. Cousin
Wingfeld, it shall go hard If you escape
me this time, and yet think that we shall
spend some days together before we part.
Now will be courteous with you. You
NAV have choice Of evils. How shall we
begin? The resources at my command are
not all that we could wish, alas; the holy
Office is not yet here with its unholy ar
mory, but still have done my best. These
fellows do not understand their art bot
Goals are their only inspiration. I, you
see, have several, and he pointed to vari-
GUS instruments Of torture. (Which viii
you selects"
made no answer, for had determined
that would speak no word and utter no
cry, do what they might with me.
"Let me think, let me Think went on
De Garcia, smoothing his beard "Ah, 1
have It! Here, slaves. F."
Now Will not renew my own agonles
or awake the horror Of any who may
chance to read what have written by de-
scribing what befell me after this. Suffice
it to say that for two hours and more this
devil, helped in his task by the Tlascalans,
worked his wicked will upon me. One by
one torments were administered to me
with skill and ingenuity that cannot Of
ten have been surpassed, and when at
times I tainted was recovered by cold
water being dashed upon me and spirits
poured down my throat. And yet, say
it with some pride, during those two
dreadful hours uttered no groan, how
ever great my suferings, and spoke no
word, good or bad.
Nor was it only bodily pain that must
bear, for all this while my enemy Knocked
me with bitter words, which tormented
my soul as his instruments and hot Goals
tormented my body. At length he paused
exhausted and cursed me for on obstinate
pig of an Englishman, and at that mo-
ment Cortes entered the shambles, and
with him Marina