The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-10-05
REFoRMER: BRATTLEBoRo VT, Friday OCTOBER s. 1894

groaned aloud, and my knees tremblcd
so that almost fell to the ground. Then
great fury seized me, and forgetting my
fathers counsel blasphemed the gods of
that country and the people who worship
ed them, first in the Aztec and Maya Ian
guages, then, when my knowledge Of these
tongues failed me, in Spanish and good
English. But Otomie, who heard some Of
my words and guessed more, was seized
with fear and lifted her hands, saying
Course not the awful gods, beseech
you, lest some terrible thing befall you at
once. If you are overheard, it will be
thought that you have an evil spirit and
not good one and then you must die
now and by torment. At the least the
gods, who are everywhere, will hear YOU
"Let them hear" 1 answered. "They
are false gods, and that country is accursed
which worships them. They are doomed,
say and all their worshipers are doomed.
Nay, care not if am heard-as well die
now by torment as live a year in the tor
ment of approaching death. But I shall
not die alone. All the sea of blood that
your priests have shed cries out for venge-
ance to the true God, and he will avenge."
Thus I raved on, being mad with fear
and impotent anger, while the Princess
Otomie stood terrified and amazed at my
blasphemies, and the flutes piped and the
dancers danced behind us. And as I raved
saw that the mind of Otomie wandered
from my words, for she was staring to-
ward the east like one who sees vision.
Then looked also toward the east and
saw the sky was alight there, for from
the edge of the horizon to the highest parts
of heaven spread a fan of pale and fearful
light powdered over with sparks of fire,
the handle of the fan resting on the earth,
as it were, while it's wings covered the
eastern sky Now ceased my cursing and
stood transfixed, and as l stood cry of
terror arose from all the precincts of the
palace and people poured from every door
to gaze upon the portent that fared and
blaZed in the east. Presently Montezuma
himself came out, attended by his great
lords, and in that CHASTITY light saw that
his lips worked and his hands writhed
over each other. Nor was the miracle done
with, for anon from the clear sky that |
hung over the city descended ball of fire,
which seemed to rest upon the points of
the lofty temple in the great square, light
ing up the teocalli as with the glare of
day. 1t vanished, but where it had been
another light now burned, for the temple
of Quetzal was afire.
Now cries of fear and lamentation arose
from all who beheld these wonders on the
hill of Chapoltepec and also from the city
below Even was frightened, do not
know why, for it may well be that the
blaze of light which we saw on that and
after nights was nothing but the bright
ness of comet, and that the fire in the
temple was caused by a thunderbolt. But
to these people, and more especially to
whose mind was filled already
with rumors of the coming of strange
white race, which, as it was truly prophe-
sled, would bring his empire to nothing
ness, the omen seemed very evil. Indeed,
If they had any doubt as to their meaning,
it was soon to be dispellAd, in their mind
ut least for as we stood, wonder struck,
D messenger, painting and soiled with trav-
a, arrived among us, and prostrating him