CHAPTER XXX.
The battles of the Anahuacans were not fought on scientific principles.They had no conception of even the ordinary maneuvers of an army. Whatthey did was done by main force and strategem. Their tactics were theresult of untutored cunning, rather than intelligent design. To besure, their armies were organized--as has been previouslydescribed--and, with their gaudy and glittering war paraphernalia ofgorgeously decorated banners, bright shields, helmets, and cuirasses,presented a sight truly magnificent--according to the story of writerscontemporaneous with the conquerors--as they moved forward in "soadmirable order." They usually aimed to overwhelm an adversary,especially if the strength of numbers was on their side. They advancedamid the noises of rude drums, trumpets, and other instruments, singingtheir war songs, and vociferating their war cries, which was, no doubt,a kind of whistle-to-keep-up-your-courage proceeding. When on thedefensive they resorted to cunningly devised ambuscades and othersudden surprises. They also practiced that peculiar manner of fightingcommon with savages, known as guerilla warfare, in which men havestooped to engage, in this nineteenth century, who claimed to becivilized.
Ixtlilchoatl's plans for meeting his adversary had been decided upon.He purposed standing on the defensive, and, if Maxtla was not informedas to the make-up of his army, felt that he could defeat him. Heaccordingly, at their request, placed three grand divisions--those ofTlacopan and the other two allies--in front to meet the onslaught ofthe enemy, while two divisions of Tezcucans were conveniently locatedto support them. The right of his line was made especially strong, inaccordance with his plan of defense. The sixth grand division, theflower of the Tezcucan councils, was situated some distance to theleft, and ordered to remain in concealment behind a strip of woodsuntil the engagement was fairly opened, when it was to advance quicklyand attack the enemy from that direction. Thus disposed, the armyawaited the assault of the foe.
The Tepanec army was splendidly caparisoned and equipped, and, as itmarched across the country with its gorgeous banners flapping in thebreeze, and the glittering armor and other belongings of its warriorsscintillating in the sun's refulgent rays, left behind it theimpression that it was an invincible force. The people, whose heartsbeat in sympathy with those who were to oppose the mighty aggregation,despaired of its defeat as they looked upon its dazzling splendor. Itwas clearly the stronger of the two opposing belligerents in equipmentif not in numbers, and yet, the difference was more than equalized bythe spirit of determination, which inspired the hearts of itsopponents, especially the Tezcucans, who had witnessed their countrywasting under the hand of oppression, their homes made desolate bypoverty and distress, and their people gradually sinking into acondition of ignorance and degradation, while, in the advancing hostsof Maxtla they recognized the power which had wrought thesedisheartening deteriorations. Was it not enough to make each Tezcucanarm a nemesis in itself, when the sufferer and the author of hissuffering stood face to face, on equal footing?
Some of the allied armies were as gaudily, if not so richly, accouteredas their adversary. The Tezcucans, however, although well armed, wereindifferently dressed, and remarkably free from tinseled decoration,except in a few instances among the chiefs.
Maxtla, on learning that his enemies were in the field, determined toattack them at once, as delay would give them time to strengthen andperfect their organization, in which he was, to a certain extent,correct; for recruits and reinforcements from various points werehourly arriving to swell the allied army.
He was not aware of the deliberate manner in which the rising had beenbrought about, and expected to meet in the Tezcucan insurgents only amob of undisciplined rebels. He had yet to learn how perfectly theywere organized, and that Ixtlilchoatl was in command.
On came the imperial hosts, intent upon crushing the insurrectionistsand their allies at a single blow. Ixtlilchoatl's advance sentinelswere forced back upon the main body of his warriors, and, with hideousyells and a multiplicity of deafening noises, the minions of Maxtlaswooped down upon the waiting confederates.
A perfect silence held the expectant lines of the patriotic allies. Theshowers of arrows and other missiles which fell about and on them movedthem not. When the moment for action came, a shout of defiance went upfrom them, and the confident hosts of the enemy were given a receptionthey were not looking for. The javelin was used with telling effect,and the advancing lines of Maxtla's vassals were shaken from right toleft, and the force of his onslaught broken. For a moment the attackingwarriors were checked, and appeared to waver; but, quickly recovering,renewed the assault, and it now became a matter of force in numbers. Inthis Maxtla had the advantage, and Ix's left was forced back, as it wasexpected it would be. His right, however, being well supported, heldthe first advantage gained, and pressed the enemy hard. The leftcontinued to fall back slowly, though contesting every inch of ground.This encouraged the Tepanec leaders, and they poured their reserveforces onto this point, thinking to crush the slowly retreatingdivisions. To an eye witness the situation at this moment would havelooked very unfavorable for Ixtlilchoatl and his prince, if notabsolutely critical. But now was the time for the sixth grand divisionof Tezcucans to strike where a stroke was least expected. Its commanderwas prompt to take advantage of the opportunity, and out from the thickwoods poured a host of vengeful warriors, with Tezcuco's prince attheir head. The battle-cry of "Hualcoyotl and Victory" struck upon theear of the enemy like a knell, as they fell upon the rear of his rightlike an avalanche of destruction. The retreating left took up the cryand leaped forward with a will; the middle, or center, Macua's splendiddivision of Tlacopans, reechoed it, and it soon reached the right, thewarriors of which sent back an inspiring shout, and from it gatheredrenewed strength for the conflict, which now became one of fiercenessand desperation.
Many were the heroic deeds enacted in that hour of terrible andsanguinary strife.
While the battle is raging, let us turn briefly to those in whom we arespecially interested.
Hualcoyotl, as we have seen, led the grand division of Tezcucans fromits concealed position to the sudden attack upon the rear of Maxtla'sright. Cacami was at his side, and with his sword, along with that ofthe prince, dealt death to the now inwalled warriors of the enemy. Suchan exhibition of fearlessness as these two young leaders showed, andthe severe punishment they inflicted on the foe with their heavyswords, was an example which could not fail to stir their followers todeeds of savage daring. The enemy in their front became confused anddemoralized by the impetuosity with which they fought, and from whichconfusion they were not allowed to recover, but were forced back upontheir own men, carrying demoralization with them. More than once thelife of the prince was saved by Cacami's strong arm, which seemed towield with magic power the heavy maquahuitl in his hand.
Tzin Euet, who was at the head of the Tezcucans supporting the right,was quickly drawn into the fight when the shock of the first assaultcame. He led his warriors gallantly into the fray, and by his intrepidconduct nerved their hands for the conflict. In the midst of thehottest and decisive tug of the strife he suddenly disappeared, andwhen the great struggle ended could not be found.
Ixtlilchoatl remained calmly in his chair, watching from a position ofeminence the progress of the mighty struggle in front of him. So longas the fighting went on in accordance with his plans he saw no reasonfor disturbing his chiefs by interfering. However, when he saw thatMaxtla had fallen into his trap, messengers were hurriedly sent withorders to the leaders to meet the situation, and, as the battle waged,he saw that he would win. His guard of mountaineers, with Tezcot attheir head, stood ready to strike for Ix, the hermit, as they stillregarded him, should necessity require it.
Macua, with his grand division of Tlacopans, was doing good work in thefront and center. In the closing scenes of the engagement his warriorsgathered in a host of prisoners.
Everything was now in the allies' favor. Half of Maxtla's forces weresurrounded, and the other half was being hard pressed by as determineda body of w
arriors as ever threw a javelin or swung a _maquahuitl_. TheTepanec tyrant saw that the battle was going against him, and hisefforts were at once directed toward extricating his army from itsprecarious position. The signal to retreat was sounded, and thesurrounded warriors, with the force of desperation, fought their waythrough the human wall which encircled them, and joined the main body,which began to slowly fall back.
It was late in the afternoon when the Tepanec army commenced itsretrograde movement. The victorious allies followed up their advantageso long as it was possible, fighting and harrassing their retreatingfoe. Darkness finally came on, which put a stop to the strife.
It was not so much an object to kill, with the Anahuacans, ordinarily,as it was to capture.
Prisoners of war were reserved for sacrifice to the gods; and in orderthat greater numbers might be secured, incentives were held out to thesoldiers to encourage the taking of them. They did not engage in thebarbarous practice of scalping a fallen foe, but made a warrior'sstanding and promotion depend on the number of prisoners taken by himin battle, and any violation of his rights, by depriving him of his dueas a captor, was severely punished--in extreme cases by death. For thisreason their battles were attended with comparatively little loss oflife.
The losses of the allies were mostly in prisoners, the number of theirkilled being quite small. Maxtla's losses, on the contrary, werechiefly in killed, for the reason that the Tezcucans, on this occasion,fought a fight of extermination. At least one fifth of the defeatedarmy was left in the hands of the victors.
The victorious allies bivouacked for the night on the field of battle.The wounded were cared for and the dead disposed of, while theprisoners were put under a strong guard and sent to the rear.
When order was brought out of confusion, and the missing warriorsreported, Euetzin was found to be among them. This was a heavy blow tothe prince and Ixtlilchoatl; for, of all the army, he was the man whomthey would have had join them in rejoicing over their victory. Hisominous absence robbed it of much of the joy their triumph wouldotherwise have brought them. They knew only too well the doom thatawaited him if in Maxtla's hands; if not liberated, his fate wassealed.
A council of war was held; and, as the tzin stood high in the esteem ofall the princes, it was decided to push Maxtla to the wall, and, ifpossible, save the young cacique from the terrible fate of a prisonerof war. Ixtlilchoatl accordingly issued orders for the army to march atdawn the next morning, for the purpose of again engaging the enemy inbattle.
A Prince of Anahuac: A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec Empire Page 32