The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-01-30
by force Of arms they called parley with

WOQU GOWN Uu0 Ur0tCu Ill UAAO 1ONA
way and spoke with their envoy, who
stood upon the path below. At first the
terms offered were that we should surren-
der at discretion. To this I answered that
sooner than ~ so we would die where we
WERE Their reply was that If we would
give over all who had any part in the hu-
man sacrifice the rest Of us might go free.
To this I said that the sacrifice had been
carried out by women and some few men,
and that all Of these were dead by their
own hands. They asked if Otomie was
also dead. I told them no, but that l
would never surrender unless they sWore
that neither she nor her son should be
harmed, but rather that together with my
self they should be given a safe conduct to
go whittier we willed. This was refused,
but in the end won the day, and a parch-
ment was thrown up to me on the point OF
lance. This parchment, which was
signed by the Captain Bernal Diaz, set out
that, in consideration of the part that
and some men of the Otomie had played
in rescuing the Spanish captives from
death by sacrifice, a pardon was granted
to me, my wife and child and all upon the
teocalli, with liberty to go whithersoever
we would unharmed our lands and wealth
being, however, declared forfeit to the
viceroy.
With these terms I was we'll content
indeed I had never hoped to win any that
would leave us our lives and liberty. And
yet for my part death had been almost as
welcome, for now Otomie had built a wall
between us that / could never climb, and
I was bound to her, to a woman who, will
ingly or no, had stained her hands with
sacrifice. Well, my son was left to me,
and with him I must be satisfed-at the
least, he knew nothing Of his mothers
shame. Oh, thought to myself, as l
climbed the teocalli-oh, that could but
escape far from this accursed land and bear
him with me to the English shores-aye,
and Otomie also, for there she might for
get that once she had been a savage! Alas,
it could scarcely bel
Coming to the temple, and those with
me told the good tidings to our compan-
ions, who received it silently. Men of
white race would have rejoiced thus to es-
cape, for when death is near all other loss
seems as nothing. But with these Indian
people it is not so, since when fortune
frowns upon them they do not cling to
life. These men of the Otomie had lost
their country, their wives, their wealth,
their brethren and their homes. Therefore
life, with freedom to wander whittier they
would, seemed no great thing to them. So
they met the boon that I had won from the
mercy of our foes, as had matters gone
otherwise they would have met the bane,
in sullen silence.
I came to Otomie, and to her also told
the news.
II had hoped to die where am" she
answered. But so be it. Death is always
to be found"
Only my son rejoiced, because he knew
that God had saved us all from death by
sword Or hunger. Father he said, the
Spaniards have given us life, but they take
our country and drive us out of it.
Where, then, shall we go?'
II do not know, my son." answered.
Father the lad said again, let us
leave this land of Anahuac, where there is
nothing but Spaniards and sorrow. Let us
find ship and sail across the seas to Eng
land, our own country
The boy spoke my very thought, and
my heart leaped at his words, though
had no plan to bring the matter about
pondered moment, looking at Otomie
The thought is good, Teule," she said,
answering my unspokcn question. For
you and for your son there is no better, but
for myself I will answer in the proverb of
my people, The earth that bears us lies
lightest ON our bones' -
Then she turned, making ready to quit
the storehouse of the temple, where we had
been lodged during the siege, and no more
was said about the matter.
Before the sun set weary thrOng of
men, with some few women and children,