Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-10-24

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he raised his visor and began to speak.
Wingfeld. My luck is good, in truth, for
it has been one Of the great sorrows of my
life that you have SO often escaped me,
renegade. Be sure that this time there
shall be no escape"
"I know well that there will be no es-
cape for one or other of u.s. Juan de Gar
cia, f" answered "Now we play the last
round of the game, but do not boast, for
God alone knows to whom tho victory
shall be given. You have prospcred long,
but day may be ut hand when your pros
perity shall cease with your breath. TO
your errand, Juan de Garcia.
For moment he sat silent, pulling at
his pointed beard, and watching him 1
Thought that I could see the shadow of
half forgotten fear creep into his eyes: II
so, it was soon gone, for lifting his head
he spoke boldly and clearly.
''This Is my message to you, Thomas
Winefeld, and to such of the Otomie dogs
with whom you herd as we have left alive
today. The Captain Bcrnal Diaz offers you
terms on behalf of his excellency the vice
roy"
What arc his tcrms?" asked.
"Merciful enough to such pestilcnt rebels
and heathens," he answered, sneering
Surrender your city without condition,
and the viceroy, in his clelnency, will &C
cept the surrender. Nevertheless, lest you
should say afterward that faith has been
broken with you, be it known to you
that you shall not go unpunished for your
many crimes. This is the punishment that
shall be inflicted on you. All those who
had part or parcel in the dcvilish murder
of that holy saint, Father Pedro, shall be
burned at the stake, and the eyes of all
who beheld it shall be put out. Such OF
the leaders of the Otomic rs the judges
may select shall be hanged publicly, among
them yourself, Cousin WinS1icld, and
more particularly the woman Otolnie,
daughter of Montozuma, the late king. For
the rest, the dwcllers in the City Of Pines
must surrender their wealth into tho treas
ury of the viceroy, and they themselves,
men, women and children, shall be led
from the city and be distributed, according
to the viceroy's pleasure, upon the estates
of such of the Spanish settlers Us he may
select, there to learn the useful arts of hus-
bsndry and mining These are the con-
ditions of surrender and am commanded
to say that an hour is given you in which
to decide whether to accept or reject them
"And if we reject them?"
"Then the Captain Bernal Diaz has or
ders to sack and destroy this city, and hav-
ing given it over 12 hours to the mercy OF
the Tlascalans and other faithful Indian
allies to collect those who may be left liV-
ing within it and bring them to the City
of Mexico, there to be sold Us slaves.
Good" said You shall have your
answer in an hour"
Now, leaving the gate guarded, hurried
to the palace, sending messengers as l
went to summon such Of the council OF the
city as remained alive. At the door OF the
palace met Otomie, who greeted me fond
ly, for after hearing Of our disaster she
had hardly looked to see me again.
"Come with me to the hall Of assem-
bly," I said; There will speak to you"
Wewent to the hall, where the members
Of the council were already gathered. So
soon as the most of them were assembled
there were but eight in ALL repeated to
them the words of De Garcia without COM
ment. Then Otomie spoke, as, being the
first in rank, she had right to do. Twice
before had heard her address the people
Of the Otomie upon these questions Of de-
fense against the Spaniards. The first
time, it may be remembered, was when
we came as ENJOYS from Cuitlahua, Monte
zuma's cher fathers successor, to pray the
aid Of the children of the mountain against
Cortes and the Teules. The second time
was when, some IA years ago. we had re-
! turned to the City of Pines as fugitives aft
or the fall of Tenoctttlan, and the populace,
moved to fury by the destruction OF nearly
20, 900 Of their soldiers, would have deliy-
cred us as peace Offering into the hands
of the Spaniards.
On each Of these occasions Otomie had
triumphed by her eloquence, by the great
ness OF her name and the majesty Of her
presence. Now things were far otherwise,
and even had she not scorned to use them
suoh arts would have availed US nothing
In their extremity. Now her great name
was but q shadow, one Of many waning
shadows cast by an empire whose glory
had gone forever. Now she used no pas
sionate appeal to the pride and traditions
Of doomed race, now she was no longer
young, and the first splendor of her wom-
anhood had departed from her. And yet,
as with her son and mine by her side, she
rose to ddress those seven councillors, who,
haggard with fear and hopeless in the
grasp Of fate, crouched in silence before
her. their faces buried in their hands,
thought that Otolnie had never seemed
more beautiful, and that her words, sim
pie as they were, had never been moro elo-
quent.
Friends, " she said, "you know the dis
aster that has overtaken us. My husband
has given you the message Of the Teules,
Our case Is desperate. We have but l, 900
men at most to defend this city, the home
of our forefathers, and we alone Of all the
people Of Anahuac dare to stand in arms
against the white men. Years ago said
to you, Choose between death with honor
and life with shame Today again say
to you, Choosel For me and mine there is
no choice left, since whatever you decide
death must be our portion. But with you
1t is otherwise. VIII you die fighting, or
Will you anu your CHlllIeu scIfo SouE 10
naming years as slaves!'
For awhile the seven consulted together;
then their spokesman answered.
"Otomie and you, Teule, we have fol-
lowed your counscls for many years, and
they have brought US but little luck. We
do not blame you, for the gods of Anahuac
have deserted us as we have deserted
them, and the gods alono stand between
men and their evil destiny. Whatever mis-
fortunes we may have borne, you have
shared in them, and so it is now at the
end. Nor will we go back upon our words
in this the last hour of the people of the
Otomie. We have chosen; we have lived
free with you, and still free we will die
with you, for, like you, we hold that it Is
better for us and ours to perish us free
men than to drag out our days beneath the
yoke of the Teulc."
1T is well, said Otomie. Now moth
Ing remains for INC except to seek death
SO glorious that it shall be sung of in after
days. Husband, you have heard the answer
of the council Let the Spaniards hear 1t