The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-11-19

the task, and was three times repulsed
with considerable loss.
COrtes then determined to leau the
stOrming party himself. though suffer
ing from a painful wound His injury
was in his left hand. and ne made it
seryiceable by having his buckler
fastened to it. With 300 Spaniards
and 5000 auxiliarles he sailed forth,
and, fighting his way to the enclosure,
charged into the courtyard. The
horses slipped upon the polished
surface of the floor and the Spaniards
were compelled to dismount and give
the animals int the care of their
allies. Now came hand to hand
conflict, the natives being IN no degree
a match for the hejmeted and steel
covered Spahiards, using swords and
guns. Slowly the latter cut their
way through the ranks of the devoted
Aztecs, no quarter being asked or
given, for the valiant Indians were
defending their Gods, and died rather
than ask mercy of their enemies,
After a severe battle the courtyard
was cleared, and the marble floor
bore awfnl witness to the might Of
the Spaniards and the desperation of
the Indians.
\ short pause now ensued while
Corte5 stationd his allies, with the
support of a body Of Spanish argue
busters, to hold the court which had
been gained against the attacks of the
Aztecs from without.
All being now ready, Cortes sprang
up the lower stairway OF the temple,
closely followed bp his leading cap
tains A stretch of nearly mile was
before them ere they could reach the
top of the structure, every inch of
which would be closely contested by
the thousand warriors who crowded
the terraces. At the summit would
come the supreme conflict with the
chosen fighting men of the nation
mobiles everyone.
As the Spaniards comm enced the
ascent the Indians, with hideous
yelIs, launched down upon them an
immense stone, which came thunder
ing and bounding along the steps,
plunging three Spaniaris to death at
the bottom. Following this came
stone after stone and big timbers,
CARRYING death and dismay with them.
Ten of the Spaniards were hurled to
the pavement below in gaining the
first terrace. In the courtyard, the
arquebusiers and crossbowmen then
commenced a brisk and fatal fire on
the unprotected natives on the tar
rrces. On reaching the first landing
COrtes and his men threw themselves
on their opponents and drove them
slowly backward. Excellent execution
was done by the fire from below and
the resistance rapidly le5senea. As
they gradually approached the second
stairway the Indians commenced
rapid retreat, endeavoring to clear the
steps so that their companions above
might do as effective work with stones
and timber as they had dones on the
first flight.
Cortes saw their object and, crying
to his men to follow him closely. he
rushed after the Mexicans, keeping
right on their heels, and reached the
top before a stone could be rolled. In
this manner, terrace after terrace was
taken, fighting every foot on the way.
At last the Spaniards reached the
summit-a perfectly smooth surface,
unobstructed save by the two towers
and the sacritical stones. Not even a
railing bordered the edge of the area,
over one hundred feet in mid air 1t
was a remarkable and terrible place
for pitched battle. Not an avenue
Of escape was open to the SOC roblest
SONS Of the Aztec empire unless they
defeated their enemies and regained
the terraces. Victory meant life and
hope for the deliverance of their
country; defeat meant death to every
one of them. Cortes and his men,
after having fought and climbed for
a rl;lc, burdened with their heavy
arm OF, had no time to even think Of
being exhausted. Uttering fierce
shouts the combatants closed with the
desperate fury of men who had no
hopes save in victory.
In full view of the whole city the
last desperate struggle commenced.
1t was a thrilling sight. As if by
mutual consent all fighting below
ceased and every eye was turned in
intense expectation on the aerial con
tiict. The battle went furiously on.
No one dreamed of asking for quarter
and none was given. Flight was i'm
possible; to slip and fall meant death.
The contestants, as they struggled in
deadly strife, were often seen to roll
over the sides of the precipice to-
gether. COrtes narrowly escaped
such a death. Three gigantic warriors
suddenly rushed unarmed upon him.
He ran one of them through with his
sword, but before he could recover
the others grasped him and, lifting
him bodily, started for the edge. 1t
was their entention to leap off and die
with the redoubted hero. Great
would be their glory if they thus sue
ceeded in destroying their country's
terrible scourge.
Cortes was equipped in heavy armor
and struggled desperately. Owing
to this the warriors made slow prog
ress toward the edge Cortes called
Justify for help, but aid could not
reach him. On the very verge of the
precipice one of the savages slipped
and fell and before he could recover
Cortes threw the other bodily over
the edge and escaped. Many Span
iards shared and some succumbed to
similar dangers.
For ever three hours the battle
lasted with uninterrupted fury. At
first the Indians tried by mere force
of numbers to push the Spaniards
over the edge. But the Sons of
CASTLE held their ground by literally
cutting off the edge of the human ram
as it pressed against them. As the
Aztecs had nothing to protect them
selves from the sharp swords and
penetrating Iances of the Christians
they fell in great numbers.