The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-10-17
SUMTER. c.. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER II, 1894.


it was to lind wide, roaring Hood that
no man could pass in anything less frall
than Yarmouth herring boat. So there
on the bank we must stay in misery, suf-
fering many ills from fever, lack OF food
and plentitude of water, till at length the
stream ran down.
Three days and nights we waited there,
and on the fourth morning made shift
to cross, losing four men by drowning in
the passage. Once over, hid my force in
the bush and reeds and crept forward with
six men only to see if I could discover
anything of the whereabouts of the Span
iards. Within an hour struck the trail
that they had cut through the forest and
followed it cautiously. Presently we came
to a spot where the forest was thin, and
here Cortes had camped, for there was heat
left in the ashes of his fires, and among
them lay the body of an Indian who had
died from sickness Not 80 yards from
this camp stood huge ceiba, a tree that
has habit of growth not unlike that OF
our English oak, though it is soft wooded
and white barked and will increase more
in bulk in 20 years than any oak may In
100.
Indeed never yet saw On oak tree so
large as this ceiba Of which write, either
in girth or in its spread of top unless it be
the Kirby oak or the tree that is called the
King Of Scoto, which grows at Broome,
that is the next parish to this Of Ditching-
ham, in Norfolk. On this ceiba tree many
zaphilotes or vultures were perched, and as
we crept toward it / saw what it was they
came to seek, for from the lowest branches
Of the ceiba three corpses swung in the
breeze. ''Here are the Spanfards' loot
prints said. "Let US look at them, +"
and we passed beneath the shadow Of the
tree.
As came, a zaphilote alighted on the
head of the body that hung nearest to me,
and its weight or the waiting OF the
fowls wing caused the dead man to turn
round so that he came face to face with
me. I looked, started back, then looked
again and sank to the earth groaning, for
here was he whom had come to seek and
save, my brother, Guatemoc, the last en-
peror Of Anahuac. Here he hung In the
dim and desolate forest dead by the death
of thief, while the vulture shrieked upon
his head. sat bewildered and horror
stricken, and as sat remembered the
proud sign of Aztec royalty, bird OF prey
clasping an adder in its claw. There be-
fore me was the last of the stock, and, be-
hold, bird of prey gripped his hair in its
talons, fitting emblem indeed Of the fall
of Anahuac and the kings of Anahuac!
sprang to my feet, with an oath, and
lifting the bow held sent an arrow
through the vulture, and it fell to the earth
futtering and screaming. Then I bade
those with me-, to cut down the corpses Ct
Guatemoc and Of the prince of Tacuba and
another noble who hung with him and
hollow a deep grave beneath the tree.
There laid them, and there left them
to sleep forever In its melancholy shadow,
and thus for the last time I saw Guatemoc-
my brother, whom + came Tar to save and
found ready for burial by the Spaniard.
Then turned my face homeward, for
now An.huacshad no.king to rescue, but
it chanced that before Event I caught
Tlascalan whoscould speak Spanish, and
who had deserted from the army Of Cortes
because of the hardships that he suffered
II their toilsome march. This man was
present at the murder Of Guatemoc and
bis companions and heard the emperor's
Last words. It seems that some kna7e
had betrayed to Cortes that an attempt
woald be made to rescue the prince, and
that thereon Cortcs commanded that he
should be hung. It seems also that Guate-
moe met his death as hoihad met the mis-
fortunes Of his. MeIppoudly and without
fear. These were his last words: Il did
i'll, Malinche, when held my hand from
taking my own life before surrendered
myself to you. Then my heart told me
that all your promises were false, and it
has not lied todne IsWeleome my death,
for have lived to know shame and defeat
and torture and tosee my people the slaves
of the Teule, but stiH rIsay that God will
reward you for this deed -
Then they murdered him in the midst OF
great silence.
And 80 farewell to Guatemoc, the most
brave, the best and the noblest Indian that
ever breathed, and may the shadow Of his
tormentfngs and shameful end lie deep up
on the fame Of Cortes ipr so long as the
names of both Of them are remembered
among men!
For two more months journeyed home
ward, and at length reached the City OF
Pines well, though wearied, and having
lost only 40 men by various misadventures,
to find Otomie in good health and over
ioyed to know me safe whom she thought
never to see again. But when I told her
what was the end Of her cousin Guatemoc
she grieved bitterly, both for his sake and
because the last hope Of the Aztecs was
gone, and she would not be comforted for
many days.
CHAPTER xxx.
ISABELLA DE s1GUENZA is AVENGED.
For many years after the death OF Qua