The Fair God; or, The Last of the 'Tzins: A Tale of the Conquest of Mexico
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CHAPTER XI.
BATTLE IN THE AIR.
As Cortes, at the head of his column, drew near the gate of the_coatapantli_, he saw the inclosure and the terraces on that side of thetemple occupied by warriors, and the edge of the azoteas above linedwith _pabas_, chanting in dismal harmony with the deep music of thegreat drum. Ensigns and symbols of unknown meaning, and rich regaliapranked the dull gray faces of the pile with holiday splendors. Littlenote, however, gave he to the beautiful effect.
"God helping us," he said to his cavaliers,--and with such gravity thatthey knew him unusually impressed with the task before them,--"Godhelping us, gentlemen, we will do a deed now that hath no likeness inthe wars of men. Commend we ourselves each, and all who follow us, tothe holy Christ, who cometh yonder on the staff of Father Olmedo."
So saying, he reversed his sword, and carried the crossed handle softlyand reverently to the bars of his helmet, and all who heard him didlikewise.
In front of the gate, under a shower of arrows, he stopped to adjust thearmlets of his shield, for his hand was yet sore; then, settling in hissaddle again, he spurred his horse through the entrance into theenclosure.
Right into the mass waiting to receive him he broke, and whom his swordleft untouched the trained steed bore down. After him charged thechoicest spirits of the conquest, animated with generous rivalry andthe sublime idea that this time the fight was for God and His Church.And so, with every thrust of sword and every plunge of horse, out rangtheir cries.
"On, on, for love of Christ! Death to the infidels! Down with the falsegods!"
On the side of the infidels there was no yielding, for the ground washoly ground to them. When their frail weapons were broken, they flungthemselves empty-handed upon the nearest rider, or under the horses,and, dying even, tried to hold fast locked the hoofs that beat them todeath. In their aid, the pavement became heaped with bodies, and soslippery with blood that a number of the horses fell down; and, in suchcases, if the rescue came not quickly they and their riders were lost.Indeed, so much did this peril increase that Cortes, when his footmenwere fairly in the yard, dismounted the horsemen the better to wage thefight.
At length resistance ceased: the inclosure was won. The marble floorbore awful evidences of the prowess of one party and the desperation ofthe other.
The Christians took up their wounded, and carried them tenderly to theshade, for the sun blazed down from the cloudless sky.
Around Cortes gathered the captains, resting themselves.
"The Tlascalans must hold the yard," he said, well pleased, and withraised visor. "That charge I commit to thee, Lugo."
Lugo bared his face, and said, sullenly,--
"Thou knowest, Senor, that I am accustomed to obey thee questionless;but this liketh me not. I--"
"By the love of Christ--"
"Even so, Senor," said Lugo, interrupting him in turn. "I feel bidden bylove of Christ to go up, and help cast down the accursed idols."
The face of the crafty leader changed quickly.
"_Ola_, father!" he said. "Here is one malcontent, because I would havehim stay and take care of us while we climb the stairways. What say'stthou?"
Olmedo answered solemnly, "What ye have in mind now, Senores,--thedisgrace of the false gods who abide in this temple of abominations,--iswhat hath led us here. And now that the end is at hand, the leastcircumstance is to be noted; for the wise hear God as often in the smallvoice as in the thunder. Doubt not, doubt not; the prompting of the goodcaptain is from Him. Be this lower duty to the unassoilzied Tlascalans:go we as the love of Christ calleth. Verily, he who doeth this workwell, though his sins be many as the sands of the sea, yet shall hebecome as purity itself, and be blessed forever. Take thy measuresquickly, Senor, and let us be gone."
"Amen, amen!" said the cavaliers; and Cortes, crossing himself, hastenedin person to make dispositions for the further emprise.
The Tlascalans he set to hold the _coatapantli_ from attack without. Tothe arquebusiers and cross-bowmen he gave orders to cover him with theirfire while he climbed the stairways and was driving the enemy around theterraces. When the _azoteas_ was gained, they were to ascend, and takepart in the crowning struggle for the sanctuaries. The cavalry, alreadydismounted, were to go with him in the assault. To the latter, uponrejoining them, he said,--
"In my judgment, gentlemen, the fighting we go to now is of the kindwherein the sword is better than axe or lance; therefore, put away allelse."
He took place at the head, with Alvarado and Sandoval next him in thecolumn.
"And thou, father?" he asked.
Olmedo raised his crucifix, and, looking up, said,--
"_Hagase tu voluntad en la tierra asi como en el cielo._"[49] Then toCortes, "I will follow these, my children."
"Forward, then! Christ with us, and all the saints!" cried Cortes."_Adelante! Christo y Santiago!_"
In a moment they were swiftly climbing the lower stair way of thetemple.
Meantime Io', from the _azoteas_, kept watch on the combats below. Twofigures charmed his gaze,--that of Cortes and that of the 'tzin,--both,in their separate ways, moving forward slowly but certainly. Before hethought of descending, the Christians were in the precinct of the_coatapantli_, and after them streamed the long line of Tlascalans.
As we have seen, the prince had been in battles, and more than once feltthe joyous frenzy nowhere else to be found; but now a dread fell uponhim. Did Malinche's dream of conquest reach the gods? Again and again heturned to the sanctuaries, but the divine wrath came not forth,--onlythe sonorous throbs of the drum. Once he went into the presence chamber,which was full of kneeling _pabas_. The _teotuctli_ stood before thealtar praying. Io' joined in the invocation; but miracle there was not,neither was there help; for when he came out, all the yard around thetemple was Malinche's.
Then Io' comprehended that this attack, unlike Escobar's, was of method;for the ways of succor, which were also those of retreat, were allclosed. The supreme trial had come early in his career. His spiritarose; he saw himself the stay of the religion of his fathers; the godsleaned upon him. On the roof and terraces were some two thousandwarriors, the fighting children of the valley: Tezcucans, with countlessglorious memories to sustain their native pride; Cholulans, eager toavenge the sack of their city and the massacre of their countrymen;Aztecs, full of the superiority of race, and the inspiration of ages ofempire. They would fight to the last man. He could trust them, as the'tzin had trusted him. The struggle, moreover, besides being of specialinterest on account of its religious character, would be in mid-air,with the strangers and all the tribes and companies as witnesses. So,with his caciques, he went down to the landing at the top of the lowerstairway.
A yell saluted Cortes when, at the head of the cavaliers, he appeared onthe steps, and, sword in hand and shield overhead, commenced theperilous ascent. At the same time javelins and spears began to rain uponthe party from the first terrace. Up they hurried. Half the height wasgained and not a man hurt,--not a foot delayed! Then, slowly at first,but with longer leaps and increasing force, a block of stone was starteddown the stairs. Fortunately, the steps were broad, having been builtfor the accommodation of processions. Down sped a warning cry; down asswiftly plunged the danger. Olmedo saw three figures of men in ironfollow it headlong to the bottom; fast they fell, but not too fast forhis words of absolution; before the victims touched the pavement, theirsins were forgiven, and their souls at rest in Paradise.
The stones and timbers placed on the landing by the 'tzin's order werenow laid hold of, and rolled and dragged to the steps and hurled down.Thus ten Christians more were slain. Even Cortes, deeming escapeimpossible, turned his battle-cry into a prayer, and not in vain! Frombelow, the arquebusiers and cross-bowmen suddenly opened fire, whichthey kept so close that, on the landing, the dead and wounded speedilyoutnumbered the living.
"The saints are with us! Forward, swords of the Church!" cried Cortes.
The meeting--combat it can hardly be called--was very brief. The bladesof Io's _maquahuitl_ broke at the first blow. Cortes replied with athrust of the sword,--quick, but true, riving both the shield and thearm. A cacique dragged the hapless boy out of reach of the secondthrust, and took his place before the conqueror.
The terrace so hardly gained was smoothly paved, and wide enough for tenmen to securely walk abreast; on the outer side there was no railing orguard of any kind, nothing but a descent of such height as to make afall certainly fatal. Four times the smooth, foot-worn pavement extendedaround the temple, broken in its course by six grand stairways, the lastof which landed on the _azoteas_, one hundred and fifty feet above thelevel of the street. Such was the highway of the gods, up which theadventurous Christians essayed to march, fighting.
"To my side, Sandoval! And ye, Alvarado, Morla, Lugo, Ordas, Duero,--tomy side!" said Cortes, defending himself the while. "Make with me a lineof shields across the way. Let me hear your voices. No battle-cry herebut Christ and St. James! When ye are ready, shout, that I may hear ye!"
One by one the brave gentlemen took their places; then rose the cry,"_Christo y Santiago! Christo y Santiago!_"
And then the voice of Cortes,--
"Forward, my friends! Push the dogs! No quarter! _Christo y Santiago!_"
Behind the line of shields moved the other cavaliers, eager to help whenhelp should be needed.
And then were shown the excellences of the sword in a master's hand. Thebest shields of the infidels could not bar its point; it overcameresistance so quietly that men fell, wounded, or slain outright, beforethey thought themselves in danger; it won the terrace, and so rapidlythat the Christians were themselves astonished.
"_Ola, companeros!_" said Cortes, who in the fiercest _melee_ was stillthe watchful captain. "_Ola!_ Yonder riseth the second stairway. Thatthe heathen may not use the vantage against us, keep we close to thispack. On their heels! Closer!"
So they mounted the steps of the second stairway, fighting; and thecrowd which they kept between them and the enemy on the landing was abetter cover even than the fire of the bowmen and arquebusiers. And sothe terraces were all taken. Of the eight other Christians who fellunder the stones and logs rolled upon them from the heights above, twolived long enough to be shrived by the faithful Olmedo.
The _azoteas_ of the temple has been already described as a broad, pavedarea, unobstructed except by the sacrificial stones and the sanctuariesof Huitzil' and Tezca'. A more dreadful place for battle cannot beimagined. The coming and going of worshippers, singly or in processions,and of barefooted pabas, to whom the dizzy height was all the world, hadworn its surface smooth as furbished iron. If, as the combat rolledslowly around the terraces, rising higher, and nearer the chiefs andwarriors on the summit,--if, in faintness of heart or hope, they lookedfor a way of escape, the sky and the remote horizon were all they saw:escape was impossible.
With many others disabled by wounds, Io' ascended to the _azoteas_ inadvance of the fight; not in despair, but as the faithful might, neverdoubting that, when the human effort failed, Huitzil', the Omnipotent,would defend himself. He passed through the ranks, and with brave wordsencouraged the common resolve to conquer or die. Stopping upon thewestern verge, he looked down upon the palace, and lo! there was a restin the assault, except where the 'tzin fought, with his back to thetemple; and the thousands were standing still, their facesupturned,--each where the strange truce found him,--to behold the huntedgods in some majestic form at last assert their divinity. So Io' knew,by the whisperings of his own faith.
Again he turned prayerfully to the sanctuaries. At that instant Cortesmounted the last step of the last stairway,--after him the line ofshields, and all the cavaliers,--after them again, Olmedo with hiscrucifix! Then was wrought an effect, simple enough of itself, but sotimely that the good man--forgetful that the image of Christ dead on thecross is nothing without the story of his perfect love and sorrowfuldeath--found believers when he afterwards proclaimed it a miracle. Heheld the sacred effigy up to be seen by all the infidels; they gazed atit as at a god unfriendly to their gods, and waited in awe for thebeginning of a struggle between the divine rivals; and while theywaited, Cortes and his cavaliers perfected their formation upon the_azoteas_, and the bowmen and arquebusiers began to climb the secondstairway of the ascent. The moment of advantage was lost to the Aztecs,and they paid the penalty.
Io' waited with the rest; from crucifix to sanctuary, and sanctuary tocrucifix, he turned; yet the gods nursed their power. At last he awoke;too late! there was no escape. Help of man was not possible, and thegods seemed to have abandoned him.
"Tezcuco! Cholula! Tenochtitlan! Up, up, Tlateloco, up!"
Over the azoteas his words rang piercing clear, and through the rankstowards the Christians he rushed. The binding of the spell was broken.Shook the banners, pealed war-cry, conch, and atabal,--and the battlewas joined.
"Hold fast until our brethren come; then shall our swords drink theirfill! _Christo y Santiago!_"
Never was the voice of Cortes more confident.
Need, nevertheless, had the cavaliers for all their strength and skill,even the nicest cunning of fence and thrust. Every joint of theirharness was searched by javelin and spear, and the clang of_maquahuitls_ against the faces of their shields was as the noise of athousand _armeros_ at work. The line swayed and bent before the surge,now yielding, now recovering, at times ready to break, and then--deathawaited them all on the terraces below. For life they plied theirswords,--no, not for life alone; behind them to and fro strode Olmedo.
"Strike, and spare not!" he cried. "Lo, the gates of hell yonder, butthey shall not prevail. Strike for Holy Church, whose swords ye are! ForHoly Cross, and room to worship above the Baals of heathendom! For gloryhere, and eternal life hereafter!"
So he cried as he strode; and the crucifix on his lance and the saintlywords on his lips were better than trumpets, better than a hundred Cidsin reserve.
The great drum, which had been for a while silent, at this junctureburst out again; and still more to inflame the infidels, forth from thesanctuaries the pabas poured, and dispersed themselves, leaping,dancing, singing, through the ranks. Doubtless they answered theChristian priest, promise for promise, and with even greater effect; thecalm and self-possessed among their people became zealots, and thezealots became frantic madmen.
At last the bowmen and arquebusiers appeared upon the scene. When Cortessaw them,--their line formed, matches lighted, bows drawn,--he drew outof the combat to give them directions.
"_Viva companeros!_" he said, with a vivacity peculiar to himself, "Ibid ye welcome. The temple and its keepers are ours. We with swords willnow go forward. Keep ye the stairway, and take care of our flanks. Plyyour bolts,--ply them fast,--and spare not a cur in the kennel!"
They made no answer, spake not a word. Stolidly, grimly they gazed athim under their morions; they knew their duty, and he knew them. Oncemore he turned to the fight.
"To the sanctuaries!" he shouted, to the cavaliers. "We have come forthe false gods: let us at them. Charge, gentlemen, Christ with us!Forward all!"
Back came their response, "Forward! _Christo y Santiago!_"
They advanced their shields suddenly; the play of their swordsredoubled; the weapons in front of them splintered like reeds; war-crieshalf uttered turned to screams; under foot blood ran like water, andfeathered panoply and fallen men, dying and dead, blotted out thepavement. Surprised, bewildered, baffled, the bravest of the infidelsperished; the rest gave way or were pushed helplessly back; and thedismay thus excited rose to panic when the bowmen and arquebusiersjoined in the combat. A horrible confusion ensued. Hundreds threw awaytheir arms, and ran wildly around the _azoteas_; some flung themselvesfrom the height; some climbed the sanctuaries; som
e took to piteousimploration of the doomed idols; others, in blind fury, rushedempty-handed upon the dripping swords.
Steadily, as a good craft divides the current and its eddies, Cortesmade way to the sanctuaries, impatient to possess the idols, that, atone blow, he might crush the faith they represented, after which he madeno doubt of the submission of the nations in arms. A rare faculty thatwhich, in the heat of battle, can weave webs of policy, and in themind's eye trace out lines of wise conduct.
When, at last, the end was nigh, such of the pabas as survived withdrewthemselves from the delirious mob, and assembled around the sacrificialstones. Some of them were wounded; on many the black gowns hung inshreds; all of them had one purpose more, usually the last to linger inan enthusiast's heart. There, where they had witnessed so manysacrifices, and, in eager observance of auguries, overlooked or savagelyenjoyed the agony of the victims, they came themselves to die,--therethe sword found them; and from their brave, patient death we may learnthat Satan hath had his martyrs as well as Christ.
About the same time another body collected in the space before thepresence chamber of Huitzil'. They were the surviving caciques, with Io'in their midst. Having borne him out of the fray, they now took up alast position to defend him and the gods.
Upon them also the battle had laid a heavy hand; most of them were hurtand bleeding; of their beautiful regalia only fragments remained; somewere without arms of any kind, some bore headless javelins or spears; afew had _maquahuitls_. Not a word was spoken: they, too, had come todie, and the pride of their race forbade repining.
They saw the last of the pabas fall; then the rapacious swords, tocomplete the work, came to them. In the front strode Cortes. His armorshone brightly, and his shield, though spotted with blood, was as amirror from which the sun's rays shot, like darts, into the eyes of theinfidels attracted by its brightness.
Suddenly, three warriors, unarmed, rushed upon him; his sword passedthrough one of them; the others caught him in their arms. So quick, sobold and desperate was the action that, before he could resist or hiscaptains help him, he was lifted from his feet and borne away.
"Help, gentlemen! Rescue!" he cried.
Forward sprang Sandoval, forward Alvarado, forward the whole line. Thecaciques interposed themselves. Played the swords then never so fast anddeadly,--still the wall of men endured.
Cortes with all his armor was a cumbrous burthen; yet the warriors borehim swiftly toward the verge of the _azoteas_. No doubt of theirpurpose: fair and stately were the halls awaiting them in the Sun, ifthey but took the leap with him! He struggled for life, and called onthe saints, and vowed vows; at the last moment, one of them stumbled andfell; thereupon he broke away, regained his feet, and slew them both.
In the door of the sanctuary of Huitzil', meantime, Io' stood, bidingthe sure result of the unequal struggle. Again and again he had strivento get to the enemy; but the devoted caciques closed their circleagainst him as compactly as against them. Nearer shone the resistlessblades,--nearer the inevitable death. The rumble and roar of the drumpoured from the chamber in mighty throbs; at times he caught glimpses ofthe _azoteas_ strewn with bloody wreck; a sense of the greatness of thecalamity seized him, followed by the sullen calm which, in brave mendying, is more an accusation of fate than courage, resignation, ordespair; upon his faculties came a mist; he shouted the old war-cry ofthe 'tzin, and scarcely heard himself; the loves and hopes that had madehis young life beautiful seemed to rise up and fly away, not in theair-line of birds, but with the slow, eccentric flight of star-wingedbutterflies; then the light faded and the sky darkened; he reeled andstaggered, but while falling, felt himself drawn into the presencechamber, and looking up saw the face of the _teotuctli_, and heard thewords, "I loved your father, and he loved the god, who may yet save us.Come, come!" The loving hands took off his warlike trappings, andcovering him with the frock of a paba set him on the step of the altarat the feet of the god; then the darkness became perfect, and he knew nomore.
Directly there was a great shout within the chamber, blent with theclang of armor and iron-shod feet; the _teotuctli_ turned, andconfronted Olmedo, with Cortes and the cavaliers.
The Christian priest dropped his lance to the floor, threw back hiscowl, raised his visor, and pointing to the crucifix gazed proudly intothe face of the infidel pontiff, who answered with a look high andscornful, as became the first and last servant of a god so lately theruler of the universe. And while they faced each other, the beating ofthe drum ceased, and the clamor stilled, until nothing was heard but thebreathing of the conquerors, tired with slaughter.
Then Cortes said,--
"Glory to Christ, whose victory this is! Thou, father, art his priest,let thy will be done. Speak!"
Olmedo turned to that quarter of the chamber where, by permission ofMontezuma, a Christian shrine and cross had been erected: shrine andcross were gone! Answered he then,--
"The despoiler hath done his work. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.Take this man," pointing to the _teotuctli_, "and bind him, and lead himhence."
Alvarado stepped forward, and took off the massive silver chain which hehabitually wore twice encircling his neck, and falling down low over hisbreast-plate; with it he bound the wrists of the prisoner, who once, andonce only, cast an appealing glance up to the stony face of the idol. Asthey started to lead him off, his eyes fell upon Io'; by a sign and lookof pity, he directed their attention to the boy.
"He is not dead," said Sandoval, after examination.
"Take him hence, also," Olmedo ordered. "At leisure to-morrow we canlearn what importance he hath."
Hardly were the captives out when the chamber became a scene of wildiconoclasm. The smoking censers were overthrown; the sculpturings on thewalls were defaced; the altar was rifled of the rich accumulation ofgifts; fagots snatched from the undying fires in front of thesanctuaries were applied to the carved and gilded wood-work; and amidthe smoke, and with shouting and laughter and the noisy abandon ofschool-boys at play, the zealots despoiled the gigantic image of itsornaments and treasure,--of the bow and golden arrows in its hands; thefeathers of humming birds on its left foot; the necklace of gold andsilver hearts; the serpent enfolding its waist in coils glistening withpearls and precious stones. A hundred hands then pushed the monster fromits sitting-place, and rolled it out of the door, and finally off the_azoteas_. Tezca' shared the same fate. The greedy flames mounted to thetowers, and soon not a trace of the ages of horrible worship remained,except the smoking walls of the ruined sanctuaries.
Down from the heights marched the victors; into the palace they marched;and not a hand was raised against them on the way; the streets werealmost deserted.
"_Bien!_" said Cortes, as he dismounted once more in front of hisquarters. "_Muy bien!_ We have their king and chief-priests; we haveburned their churches, disgraced their gods, and slain their nobles bythe thousand. The war is over, gentlemen; let us to our couches. Welcomerest! welcome peace!"
And the weary army, accepting his words as verity, went to rest, thoughthe sun flamed in the brassy sky; but rest there was not; ere dreamscould follow slumber, the trumpets sounded, and the battle was on again,fiercer than ever.
The sun set, and the night came; then the companies thought to rest;but Cortes, made tireless by rage, went out after them, and burned avast district of houses.
And the flames so filled the sky with brilliance that the sun seemed tohave stood still just below the horizon.
During the lurid twilight, Olmedo laid away, in shallow graves dug forthem in the palace-garden, more than fifty Christians, of whom six andforty perished on the temple and its terraces.
FOOTNOTES:
[49] Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.