Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-08-29
auurmn leaves Denearn TTre cannon ana
1,all- of tho Chrictians

arquebus balls Of the Christians.
For moment they wavered, and q great
groan went up to heaven, but saw Qua
temoc spring forward, banner in his
hand, and forming up again they rushed
after him. Now they were beneath tho
wall of the palace, and the assault began.
The Aztecs fought furiously. Time upon
time they strove to climb the wall, pillng
up the bodies of the dead to serve them as
ladders, and time upon time they were re-
pulsed with cruel loss. Failing in this,
they set themselves to battering 1t down
with heavy beams, but when the breach
was made and they clustered In 1t ike
herded sheep the cannon opened tre on
them, tearing long lanes through their
mass and leaving them dead by scores.
Then they took to the shooting of flaming
arrows, and by this means fired tho out
works, but the palace was Of stone and
would not burn. Thus for 12 long hours
the struggle ragged increasingly till the
sudden fall of darkness put an end to 1t,
and the only sight to be seen was the hare
of countless torches carried by those who
sought out tho dead, and the only sounds
to be heard were the voices of women
On the morrow the fight broke out again
at dawn, when Cortes sailed forth with
the greater part Of his soldiers and somo
thousands of his Tlascalan allies At first
I thought that he aimed his attack at
Montezuma's palace, and breath of hope
went through me, since then 1t might be-
come possible for me to escape in tho con-
fusion. But this was not SO, his object
being to set fire to the houses from the
flat roofs Of which numberless missiles
were hailed hourly upon his followers.
The charge was desperate, and it succeeded,
for the Indians could not Withstand the
shock Of horsemen any moro than their
naked skins could turn the Spaniards'
steel. Presently scores Of houses were In
flames, and thick columns Of smoke rolled
up like those that float from the mouth OF
Popo. But many Of those who rode and
ran from the gates of AKA did not come
back thither, for the Aztecs clung to the
legs of the horses apd dragged theic riders
away living.
That very day these csptiyes were sacri-
feed on the altar Of Huitzel and in the
sight of their comrades, and with them
horse was offered up, which had been tax
en- alive, and was borne and dragged with
infinite labor up the steep sides of the pyr-
amid. Indeed never had tho sacrifices been
so many as during these days of combat.
All day long the altars ran rcd, and all
day long the cries Of the victims rang in
my ears as the maddeDed priests went
about their work, for thus they sought
to please the gods who should give them
victory over the Teules.
Even at night the sacrifices continued
by the light of the sacred fires that from
below gave those who wrought them the
appearance of devils fitting through tho
flames of hell and inficting its tormcnts
on the damned, much as they are depicted
in the Doom" painting Of the resurrec-
tion of tho dead that Is over the chancel
arch in this church of buckingham. And
hour by hour through the darkness voice
called out threats anu warnings to tho
Spaniards, saying: "Huitzel is hungry for
your blood, ye Teules. Ye shall surely fol-
low where ye have seen your follows go.
The cages arc ready, the knives arc sharp
and the irons are hot for the torture Pre-
pare ye Teules, for though 20 slay many
ye cannot escape"
Thus the struggle went on day after
day till thousands Of tho Aztecs were dead
and the Spaniards were we'll nigh worn
out with hunger, war and wounds, for they
could not rest single hour. At length
one morning when the assault was at its
hottest Montezuma himself appeared upon
the central tower OF the palace clad In
splendid robes and wearing the diadem.
u III hoo In
wands, and about him were the mobiles
who attended him in his captivity and
guard Of Spaniards. He stretched out his
hand, and suddenly the fighting was staid
and silence fell upon the place; even the
wounded ceased from their groaning. Then
he addressed the multitude. What he said
I was too far off to hear, though learned
its purport afterward. He prayed his reo-
ple to cease from war, for the Spanit ds
were his friends and guest and would
presently leave the city OF Tenoctitlan.
When these cowardly words had passed his
lips, fury took his subjects, who for long
years had worshiped him as god, and q
shrek rent the air that seemed to say two
words only:
''Womanl Traitor!"
Then saw an arrow rush upward and
strike the emperor, and after the arrow
shower Of stones, 80 that he fell down up
on the tower roof.
Now q voice cried: eve have slain our
king! Montezuma is deed" And instant
", with a dreadful wailing, the multitude
fed this way and that, 80 that presently
no living man could be seen where there
b,d baa, thousands
turned to comfort Otomie, who was
watching by my side and had seen her
royal father fall, and led her weeping into
tho palace. Here we met Guatemoc, the
prince, and his mien was fierce and wild.
He was fully armed and carried bow. in
his hand.
"Is Montezuma dead?' asked.
II neither know nor care" he answer
ed, with savage laugh, then added:
Now curse me, Otomie my cousin, for
1t was my arrow that smote him down,
this king who has become q woman and q
traitor, false to his manhood and his coun-
try"
IT cannot curse you, Guatemoc, for tho
gods have smitten my father with mad
ness as you smote him with your arrow,
uIlu IL - DcoU UIlttU lAC oliONAN oASi SNS'A ava
his own sake and for that Of his people.
Still, Guatemoc, am sure Of this-that
your crime will not 60 unpublished, and
that in payment for this sacrilege you
shall yourself come to shameful death. !"
1T may be So, said Guatcmoc, 'but at
least shall not die betraying my trust, -"
and he went.
Now I must tell that, rs believed, this
was my last day on earth, for on the NOR
row my year of godhead expired, and I,
Thomas Wingflcld should be led out to
sacrifice. Notwithstanding all the tu-
multi in the city. the mourning for tho
dead and tho fear that hung over 1t like a
cloud, the ceremonies of religion and its
feasts were still celebrated strictly, moro
strictly even than before. Thus on this
night festival was held in my honor, and
I must sit at the feast crowned with flow
ers and surrounded by my wives, while
those mobiles who remained alive in the
city did me homage, and with them Cult
lahua, who, If Montezu1na were dead,
would now be emperor.
1t was dreary meal enough, for 1 could
scarcely be gay, though strovc to drown