The National tribune., 1899-05-04

of their own weapons, than they changed
their cries OF fury 10 lamentations; and
throwing down their arms, il seized
with a panic, they fled from the square,
leaving it TO the Christians and the dead.
In great grief and Consideration OF mind
the cavaliers carried the king TO his
departments, and added their own SHARP
regrets to the tears OF his children, when
the surgeon pronounced his wounds NOR
tai Even the senor Cortez did not dis
dain TO heave sigh over the mangled
form of his prisoner; for, in his death, he
perceived his innocence, and remembered
his benefachons; and, in addition, he
felt that, in the loss of MonteZuma, he
was deprived OF the strongest bulwark
against the animosity of his people.
Il have done this poor infidel king a
lgreat wong" he said, with TemOrSe
that might have been real, and yet, per
IhapS, was assumed, to effect a purpose
on his followers; "for now, indeed, il is
plain, he could not have. been unfaithtul
to us, OF he would not thus have pcrished;
| | call God to witness, that mad no hand
in his death; and l aver to yourselves,
noble cavaliers, that, when have seemed
TO treat him with harShness and injustice,
l have done so for the good of my COM
paniors, and the advantage of our king;
| for barbarians, being, in some sort, chill
| drcn. are to be governed by that severity
which is wholesome to infancy. Never
| theleSs, | do not wholly despair of his
| life; for there are some score or two lusty
| fellows in the garrison, who have mad
| their skulls cracked, and are none the
worse for the af1lictiOn. ! trust much in
| thy skill, senior boticario," he continued,
| addressing the surgeon; "and | promise
| thee, il thou restore Mcntezuma 10 his
| life and wits, | will, on mine own part,
beStow upon thee this golden chain and
crucifix, valued at 80 pesos, besides rec
| ommending thee, likewise, TO the graft
tude of my brother captains, and the
favorable notice Of his majesty, our king,
whom God preserve ever from the wrath
and inpietv OF such traitorouS subjects
as have laid our Montezuma low! What
now, Botellop' he cried, observing the
cncianter pressing through the throng;
What doest thou here'-ThGu never
madest me a prophecy of this great mis-
hapl"
"a never cast the horoscope, nor called
upon kalidOn-SaGabath, to discover the
fate of any but Christian man." said
Botello, gravcly; 'fCr what matters it
what is the fate OF a soul prcdO"med to
flames, whether it part with violence, or
in peace' ] have sought out the destiny
OF his people, because | thought, some
day, they should be baptized i'll the
faith; but | never cast me a spell tor the
king"
"'Wilt thou adventure thine art in his
behalf, and tell me whether he shall nov
live or die'"
at needs no coniuration to discover
that" said the magician, pointing sig
nificantly to the broken temple. "The
king will die, and that before We are re-
leased tom our thraldom. But hearken,
senOT." he continued, solemnly, 81 have
sought out the fate that concerns us more
nearly. Last night, while others buried
their weariness in sleep, and their sor,
rows in the dreams of home, | watched
in solitude, with prayers and fasting,
working many secret and godly spells.
and conversing with the spirits that came
TO the circle"
"And what have the spirits told thee,
them" demanded the General, meaningly. |
Doubtless, that, although there be
cloud about us now, there shall sunshine |
soon burst from it; and that, if we depart
from this city, it will only be like the
antique battering ram, pulled back from
a wall, that it may presently return |
against it with tenfold violence"
81 have not questioned so far" replied |
Botello, earnestly. 81 know, that we must
fly. What is to come after, is in the |
hands OF God, and has not been revealed. |
Death lies in store for many, but safety |
for some. The celestial aspects are un-
favorable, the cOniunctions speak of suf- |
fering and blood d;-dreamS are dark, Kali |
don is moody, and the fiends prattle in |
riddles. Day after day, the gloom shall
be thicker, the frowns of fate more men
acing, retreat more hopeless. Never be-
fore found so many black days clustered |
over the earthl In all this period, there |
is but one shining hour; and if we seize |
not that, heaven receive usl for, beyond |
that, there is nothing but death.-On the |
fifth day from this, at midnight, n path |
will be opened TO us on the causeway; |
for then, from the house Alpharg, doth |
the moon break the walls OF prisons, and |
light fugitives to the desert. But after |
that, i say to thee again, very noble senor,
all is hopelessness, all is wo!-starvation |
in the palace, and silrieking sacrifices on |
the temple"
"On the fifth night, then" said Cortez, |
gravely, "if the fates so will it, we must
take our departure, provided we die not
OF famine, on the fourth. | would the
devils that thou hast in command, had
revealed thee some earlier hour, or some
good means OF coming at meat and drink.
Get thee to thy horoscopes again, thy
prayers and thy suffumigations; and see