The National tribune., 1899-06-15

wherein the father Olmedo implored of
Heaven TO regard them in pity, to stupify
the senses of their enemies, and surround
his servants with the shields of mercy, so
that, this. night, they might walk out Of the
city which was their prison-house, and from9
the island which had been their charnel
oppressed no more by the weight Of His
anger.
The PROSTATE soldiers, to that moment,
full of confident hope, and not anticipating
the danger of any opposition, hearkened
with solicitude TO the humble and earnest
suppication; and when the padre besought
the deity to endow their arms with strength
and their hearts with courage, to sustain
the tolls, and perhaps the perils, Of retreat,
they were struck with vague but racking
fear. The petition which was meant TO
embolden, deprived them of hope; and they
rose from their vain devotions, in unex-
pected horror.
The gloom that invested the ruinous
palace, prevailed equally over the pagan
city. No torch shone from the easements
or house-tops, no taper fiickered in the
streets; and the urns of fire on the neigh
boring pyramid, the only light visible
save, now and then, a ghastly CLEAN of
lightning bursting up from the SOUTH
burned with a dull and sickened glare as If
neglected by their watchers. A silence. in
character with the obscurity, reigned over
the slumbering city; and when, at last. the
steps of those who bore the ponderous
bridge, and the creaking of artillery wheels.
were heard ringing and rolling over the
square, the sounds smote on the hearts of
all like the tolling of distant funeral bells
The plan OF retreat, determined after
anxious deliberation, and carefully made
known to all, was adopted with readiness.
as these footsteps and this rolling sollnd of
wheels,-the only signals made.-were
heard; each man knew his place, and, with
out delay, assumed it. In little more than
half hon no strfa f,-.i 1T.
Christian principals and Tlascalan abet,
tors, was in motion, creeping, with the
slow and Stealthy pace of malefactors over
the street that led to the dixie of Tacuba
Few glances were sent back TO the palace.
as those dim sheets of lightning, flashing
up over the path they were pursuing. re-
vealed obscurely, ever and anon, its broken
and deserted turrets. It's gloomy pile as
Sociated nothing but the memory of disas-
ter and grief. Fearful looks. however
were cast upon the dusky fabrics on either
side OF the street, as if the fugitives appre-
hended that each creak of a wheel, each
clattering OF horses hoofs, or the rafting of
| armor, might draw the infidel from his
| SlumberS; and many an ear was directed
| anxiously towards the van, in fear lest the
trumpet should, at last, be sounded, with
the signal OF enemies already drawn up, a
| thousand deep, on the path they were
treading. But no sounds were heard, save
those which denoted the continued progress
of their own bands; no wakeful barbarian
was seen lurking in the streets; and hone
again slowly returned to the bosoms of the
tremblerS.
| Before they had yet reached the borders
of the island, the night became still more
dark than at their outset; for the lightning
grew fainter at each flash, and finally sank
beneath the horizon, to continue it, lurd
gambols among the depths of the South
Sea. This was witnessed with secret sat
/ O. tr1, a.,
itillations, departed the dread that many
felt, lest they should betray the march Of
the army.
1t has been mentioned, that the people of
Tenochtitlan had not only covered the
surface OF the island with their dwellings,
but had extended them, on foundations OF
piles, into the lake, wherever the shallow
ness OF the water permitted. This was
especially the case in the neighborhood of
the great dikes; in which places, not only
single houses, but entire blocks, deserving
the name OF suburbs, were constructed. i.
Such suburb lutted out, for some dis
tance, along the causeway of Tacuba.
The van Of the army had already passed
beyond the furthest Of these black and
silent structures, and yet no lust cause
existed TO suppose the retreat had been
discovered; though many men of sharper
ears or fainter hearts than their fellows, had
averred that they could, at times, distin-
guish, on the rear, dull sound, as of men
moving behind them in heavy masses.
lhe wiser, however, were satisfied that no
such sounds could prevail even over the
subdued noise OF their own footsteps; but
some OF these bent their ears anxiousiy to-
wards the front. as if afraid of danger in
that quarter. The reason of this was not
concealed. All day, sounds Of lamenta-
ton had been heard coming from the dixie.
upon which they were now marching. or
from It's neighborhood. 1t was rumored,