The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-08-29

crowned with flowers. AS She passed the
palace she turned her face. knew her at
once. It was my friend Marina, who had
now attained the greatness which she de-
sired, and who, notwithstanding all the
evil that she had brought upon her coun-
try, looked most happy in it and in her
masters love.
AS the Spaniards went by searched
their faces one by one, with the vague hope
Of hate, for, though it might well chance
that death had put us out Of each others
reach, I half thought to see De Garcia
among the number Of the conquerors.
Such quest as theirs, with its promise Of
blood and gold and to his evil heart should
it be in his power to join it, and a strange
instinct told me that he was not dead
But neither dead nor living was he among
those men who entered Mexico that day.
That night saw Guatemoc and asked
him how things went
'.Weu for the kite that roosts In the
doves nest" he answered, with a bitter
laugh, '.but very Ill for the dove. Monte
yuma, my uncle, has been cooling yonder,
and he pointed to the palace Of AKA, land
the captain Of the Teules has cooed in an
swer, but though he tried to hide it
could hear the hawks shrek in his pi-
geon's note. Ere long there will be merry
doings in Tenoctitlan.
He was right. Within week Montezu-
ma was treacherously seized by the Span
iards and kept prisoner in their quar-
tiers, watched day and night by their sol
diers Then came event upon event Ger
tain lords on the coast lands, having Kill
ed some Spaniards, were summoned to
Mexico by the instigation of Cortes. They
came and were burned alive in the court
yard Of the palace. Nor was this all, for
Montezuma, their monarch, was forced to
witness the execution with fetters on his
ankles So low had the emperor of the
Aztecs fallen that he must bear chains Gko
a common felon. After this insult he
swore allegiance to the King Of Spain and
even contriyed to capture Caca1na, the lord
Of Tezcuco, by treachery and to deliver
him into the hands Of the Spaniards on
whom he would have made war. To them
also he gave up all the boarded gold and
treasure Of tho empire to the value Of hun
dreds of thousands OF English pounds. All
this the nation bore, for it was stupefed
and still obeyed the commands Of its cap
tive king. But when he suffered the
Spaniards to worship the true God in one
Of the sanctuaries of the great temple q
murmur of discomfort and sullen fury rose
among the Thousands Of the Aztecs. 1t
filed the air, it could be heard wherever
men were gathered, and 4ts sound was like
that Of distant angry sea- The hour OF
the breaking of the tempest was at hand.
Now, all this while my life went on as
before, save that was not allowd to go
outside the walls Of the palace, for it was
feared lest I should find soInc means of
intercourse with the Spaniards, who did
not know that man Of white blood was
confined there and doomed to sacrifice;
also in these days I saw little Of the prin-
cess Otomie, the chief of my destined
brides, who since our strange love scene
had savoided me, and when we met at
feasts or in the gardens spoke to me only
on Indifferent matters or OF the affairs OF
state. At length came the day of my mar
riage 1t was, remember, the night be-
fore the massacre Of the 600 Aztec mobiles
on the occasion of the festival of Huitzel.
On this my wedding day was treated
with great circumstance and worshlped
like god by the highest in the city, who
came in to do me reverence and burned in
cense before me till was weary of the
smell Of it, for though such sorrow was Oh
the land the priests would abate no jot OF
their ceremonies or cruclties, and great
hopes were held that I, being of the race OF
Teulss, my sacrifice would avert the anger
of the gods. At sunset was entertained
with a splendid feast that lasted two hours
or more, and at its end all the company
rose and shouted as with one voice:
GLORY to thee, o Tczcat! Happy art
thou here on Garth, happy nlayst thou be
in the houses of the sun. When thou COM
est hither, remember that VIC dealt we'll by
thee, giving thee of our best and intcrccde
for us that our sins may be forgiven. Clio
ry to thee, o Tczcat!''
Then two of the chief mobiles came for
ward, and taking torches led me to a mag
nificent chamber that had never seen be-
fore. Hero they changed my apparel, in
yesting me in robes which were still moro
splendid than any that had worn hither-
to, being made of the finest embroidered
cotton and of the glittcring feathers Of the
humming bird. On my head they set
wrcaths of flowers, and about my neck
and wrists emeralds of vast size and value,
and q sorry popinjay looked in this attire,
+b,t cncmcd moro. s11itcl to T. yyoman'S