by G. A. Henty
When therefore Roger heard of the misfortune that had befallen Cacama, he was filled alike with surprise and consternation, and hurrying to Malinche, begged her to use her influence with Cortez to spare the young prince’s life.
“I have already done so,” she said; “and he has promised that no blood shall be shed, though the chiefs who have leagued themselves with Cacama must all be imprisoned. The safety of the army requires it. No harm, however, shall befall Cacama, of that be assured. I may tell you, now, that it has been settled that his brother Cuicuitzca shall be appointed Lord of Tezcuco in his place. This will be done by a decree, tomorrow.”
“Malinche, I must go at whatever hazard to warn Cacama’s wife and sister, in order to give them the opportunity of leaving the palace before this young prince arrives. Pray obtain for me leave from Cortez to go away for twenty-four hours. You can tell him of the interest I have in the matter.”
“I will manage it for you,” Malinche said; “but as your princess is also sister to the new king, I see no reason for uneasiness.”
“She is devoted to Cacama,” Roger replied; “and would not, I feel sure, consent to remain in the palace with the usurper.”
“You had best advise her,” Malinche said, with a little nod of the head, “to disguise her sentiments, and make the best of the matter. It may make, you know, a good deal of difference in the amount of dowry you will get with her.”
“I am not greedy, Malinche,” Roger said; “but the present is, at any rate, no time for talking of marriage.”
“Most of the officers have married,” Malinche said.
“They may have done so, but they are officers, and can maintain their wives in all honor and respect, and have apartments allotted to them here. I have neither rank nor station, and shall certainly not ask my princess to share my rough quarters as a soldier. There is no hurry. As I told you but a year ago, Malinche, I am scarcely out of my boyhood; and there will be plenty of time when matters settle down, and we see what is going to happen, to think of marrying.”
“I will go and speak to Cortez at once, and get leave for you. But you had best disguise yourself well—Tezcuco will be in an uproar tonight; for the capture of Cacama will be known there ere many hours, if it is not known already.”
She soon returned with the required permission. This time Roger dressed himself in the attire of a trader, as being less likely to attract attention. Malinche again secured a boat for him, and having dyed his face and hands, he started at once, as it would be dark before he reached Tezcuco. Since Montezuma had been captive in their hands, there was no longer any fear of an attack being made upon the Spaniards; and the soldiers were now able to come and go through the town, at pleasure.
Upon landing, Roger at once made his way to the palace. There was great excitement in the town. The people were assembled in crowds, discussing the news that had reached them; and even at the palace gate the guards were careless of their duty, and Roger entered without question.
He hurried direct to the royal apartments. An official who would have barred his way allowed him to pass at once, when he recognized his identity.
When he entered, he found a scene of grief and confusion. The queen was extended upon a couch, weeping bitterly; while Amenche and some of her ladies, although themselves weeping, were trying to console her.
The princess gave a cry of joy when she saw him and, running forward, threw herself into his arms.
“You have heard the news?” she exclaimed. “Cacama is lost. These monsters will put him to death.”
“I can reassure you as to that,” Roger said. “He is a captive, but his life is not in danger. Malinche has interceded for him, and Cortez has promised that his life shall be spared.”
A cry of gladness burst from all present.
“I have other and less pleasant news to give you, Amenche,” Roger whispered in her ear. “Get rid of all these ladies. My news must be for you, only.”
A minute or two later, the queen dismissed her ladies.
“The news I have to tell you,” Roger went on, “is that tomorrow Montezuma will issue a decree deposing Cacama, and appointing Cuicuitzca Lord of Tezcuco.”
An exclamation of anger and indignation broke from the queen and Amenche.
“He cannot do it,” the latter exclaimed, passionately. “It is beyond his power. The emperor has a voice in the council, but beyond that he has no power to make or unmake the Lords of Tezcuco.”
“At the present moment,” Roger said gravely; “he has got the Spanish power at his back; or rather, he is but the mouthpiece of the Spaniards. They are the masters, and care nothing for the law or usages of your country.”
“The Tezcucans will not receive Cuicuitzca,” Amenche said. “Everyone knows that he is weak and cowardly, and of late he has been at Mexico, dancing attendance on the Spaniards. They will never receive him.”
The queen raised her head from the couch.
“We must not build on that, Amenche. He comes, sent here by the whites; and when Mexico dares not rise against them, you may be sure that the people here will not dare to provoke their anger. Besides, who have they to lead them? Was not Cacama betrayed by his own nobles? Let us send for Cuitcatl, and hear what he advises us.”
Cuitcatl, on his arrival, was so thunderstruck on hearing that Montezuma had so debased himself, to the Spaniards, as to depose his own nephew, whose only fault was patriotism, and who had been endeavoring to effect his rescue, that he was for a minute or two speechless with indignation.
“The gods have, indeed, deserted us,” he said; “when they have turned a monarch who was considered brave and honorable into a base slave. May their vengeance fall upon him! May the curse of our ruined country descend upon the man who is the real author of our misfortunes!”
“Do you think, Cuitcatl,” Amenche asked, “that the people will receive this usurper?”
“I fear, indeed, that they will do so,” he replied. “Montezuma has appointed him, and Montezuma’s name still has power. At any rate, it will afford them an excuse for submission. Besides, how could they fight when so many of our own nobles are treacherous? Doubtless Cacama will not be the only victim, and Montezuma will, at the orders of the Spaniards, disgrace all who have acted with him.”
“Then what would you advise us to do? We are both resolved that we will not await the coming of this usurper.”
“My house is at your service,” Cuitcatl said. “It lies, as you know, near the foot of the hills; and whatever strife may go on here, its quiet is little likely to be invaded. Cuicuitzca will not concern himself at present with you, nor would he venture to take any hostile steps against you; for did he do so, it would excite a storm of indignation.
“As to you, Princess, as his own sister, and of the royal blood, you could if you liked stay here, as at present; and indeed, were it not that I am sure you would not leave the queen, I should advise you to do so; for you might then act in the interests of Cacama, should you see an opportunity.”
Amenche shook her head.
“No,” she said, “brother though he is, I would not bend my head before a usurper, while Cacama lives. When do you think we had better leave here?”
“I should say it were best to leave at once,” Cuitcatl replied. “I will order three or four litters to be prepared; for yourselves and, say, two of your most trusted attendants. Bathalda will find, in the town, men on whom he can rely to take you. In this way none here will know where you have gone. I will have the litters in readiness at a short distance from the palace, and you can then issue out by the garden gate, unobserved. I shall, of course, myself escort you.”
“What shall we take with us, Cuitcatl?”
“I will get, in addition to those who carry the litters, five or six porters. These I will bring up through the gardens to the private door, and Roger and I will carry down to them such parcels of your clothes as you may make up. I should then make up two large caskets with your own jewels, those of Cacama, and some
of the most valuable stones and jewels from the royal treasury—leaving all the royal ornaments worn on state occasions, so that the usurper will not know that any have been abstracted.”
“I would rather take nothing but my own and Cacama’s personal jewels,” the queen said.
“The contents of the whole treasury are his, by rights; and you must remember, Madam, that jewels may be very useful to you. You will have to work for Cacama, and unhappily there are many who are not insensible to bribes; and the possession of valuable jewels may enable you to be of great assistance to the king.”
“I did not think of that,” the queen said. “Yes, you are right. There is a hoard stowed away by the late king, and by his father before him. Its existence is only known to my husband and myself. I have never seen it, but Cacama tells me that it is of immense value; and was to be used only in case of an extreme emergency, and danger to the state. We can take what we choose from this separate hoard, and Cuicuitzca will find, from the list in the hands of the chief of the treasury, that the royal store is untouched.”
“That will be vastly better, indeed,” Cuitcatl said. “It is well that he should have no possible cause of complaint against you. Where is this hidden receptacle?”
“Before I show it you, I will send all our attendants to bed, save the two we will take with us—my own maid, and Amenche’s.”
“I will be going. Roger Hawkshaw will help you,” Cuitcatl said. “It will take some time for Bathalda to get the litters and the men.
“It is now ten o’clock. In three hours the litters shall be outside the little gate of the garden, and I will bring six porters to the private door at the foot of the stairs.”
“That will be enough,” the queen said. “Two will be ample for our garments, and you and Roger Hawkshaw can take the jewels; which, when we start, can go in the litters with us.”
Cuitcatl left. The two ladies who were to accompany the party were then called in, and informed of what had taken place, and that they had been chosen to accompany the queen and princess in their flight.
“Tell all the others,” the queen said, “that we are overcome with the news we have received, and will dispense with all further attendance, except your own, for the night. When all is quiet, make up your jewels and such clothes as you may wish to bring in bundles. Then go to the wardrobe room and make up two bundles, each as much as a man can carry, of my garments; and two of the same size, of those of the princess. Take all our jewels out of the caskets, and put them in with our clothes.”
When the two waiting ladies had retired, the queen said to Roger:
“Now come with me, and we will open the treasure closet.”
The palace was by this time hushed and quiet, the greater part of the courtiers had long since left, having hurried away to their homes when the news came of Cacama’s arrest; and the remainder had gone to friends in the town or neighborhood, as it was thought probable that the Spaniards might, at once, send a force to take possession of the palace, and arrest all found there.
Taking some keys from a strong coffer in Cacama’s room, and bidding Roger take a torch from the wall, the queen led the way to the royal treasury. A massive door was first unlocked, and in a large room were seen ranged vessels of gold and silver; strong boxes containing gold necklaces, armlets, and other ornaments; while on lower shelves were bars of gold and silver, ready to be worked up.
They passed through this room into another the same size. Around it ran deep shelves, in which were piled the treasury papers; with the accounts of the royal revenues, and the tributes paid by the various cities and villages and land owners of the kingdom. In one corner stood a small cupboard of about four feet high, also filled with papers. The queen put her hand inside, and touched a small spring at the back.
“Now,” she said to Roger; “pull at that corner of the cupboard.”
He obeyed her instructions, and at a vigorous pull the cupboard, which had appeared solidly embedded in the wall, swung round on one of its angles. Nothing, however, was to be seen save a bare wall behind it.
“Now, Roger Hawkshaw, take your dagger and cut away that plaster—for it is but plaster, though it looks like stone.”
Roger obeyed. The task was an easy one, for the plaster was but half an inch thick, and came off in flakes; showing a massive copper door, three feet six in height, and three feet in width, behind it. No keyhole was visible.
“Press upwards against the lintel,” the queen said. “That will release the catch of the door.”
Roger did so, and at the same moment pushed with his shoulder against the door, and it swung round with ease.
“Do you enter first, with the torch, and we will follow,” the queen said.
Roger found himself in a room about twelve feet square. At the farther end was a pile of gold bars, four feet deep and as much high, extending right across the room. On the floor, along the other two sides, were ranged a number of large chests.
“Open these,” the queen said. “The gold is of no use to us.”
The chests were full of manufactured gold ornaments, many of them studded with jewels. Roger was astounded at the amount of wealth thus stored away.
“Cacama told me,” the queen said, “that even the treasure houses of Montezuma are poor, in comparison to the treasure his grandfather and father stowed away here; and I can well believe it. You have not opened that small chest, yet.”
This was opened, and was found to contain a number of bags which were full of pearls, turquoise, and other precious stones, of large size and immense value.
“We will take this chest away, as it stands,” the queen said.
“It would be awkward to carry,” Roger objected. “It is very heavy, and its shape would tell at once that it contained valuables. The contents do not weigh many pounds, and could easily be wrapped up in a cloth and put into one of the litters, without exciting observation. If you will allow me, I will go back to one of the sleeping rooms and fetch two or three thick rugs.”
He hurried away, and in a few minutes returned. The bags were transferred from the chest to one of the rugs he had brought, which was then wrapped round and tied into a bundle. On two other rugs were placed heaps of necklaces and other ornaments from the larger chests, until each contained, as nearly as Roger could guess by lifting them, some sixty pounds’ weight of gold ornaments. These were similarly tied up, and the three bundles were then carried out from the hidden room, and conveyed to the apartment they had before left.
Roger then went back to the treasury, closed the copper door, swept up and placed in a rug every particle of plaster, and then swung the cabinet back into its position, where it fastened with a loud click. So firmly was it fixed that, although Roger tried with his whole strength, it did not shake in the slightest; and the work was so admirably done that, from the closest inspection, he was unable to discern aught that would have shown that the cabinet was not built into the wall. He then returned to where the ladies were waiting him.
The queen urged him to take two or three of the bags of jewels, but this he absolutely refused to do.
“I am acting as Cacama’s friend,” he said; “and as the promised husband of his sister; and I should feel myself degraded, indeed, were I to receive even one of those jewels.”
“But there is no saying when we shall meet again,” the queen said. “There is no knowing what terrible events may occur.”
“Whatever occurs, lady, I shall see you again, if I live,” Roger said. “If not, of what use are the jewels to me?”
At the appointed hour, Cuitcatl returned.
“All is in readiness,” he said.
The two attendants were summoned from the apartments where they had been waiting. Roger and his friend first carried down the bundles of clothing, and then took up the rugs containing the heavy gold ornaments; Roger taking, in addition, the small parcel with the jewels. The attendants then took up their own bundles, and the whole party proceeded downstairs, and out into the garden.
Cuitcatl led the way with the queen. Roger followed with Amenche, the two ladies with the porters came behind.
“How strange,” Roger said. “Last time I came at night through this garden I was a fugitive, and you came down to bid me farewell. Now it is you who have to fly!”
“When shall we meet again?” the girl sobbed.
“I cannot tell you, dear; but if I live, we will meet again. Things may right themselves, yet; and at least, whatever happens to this unfortunate country, we may be happy together. I have a good friend in Malinche, and if the Spaniards conquer, Cortez will certainly give me leave to marry you. It is his policy to marry his soldiers to the daughters of Mexicans. If Cortez fails, and the Spaniards are finally driven out, Cacama will recover his own again, and can then proclaim that I am not of Spanish birth, and can give you to me. So you see that, whatever comes, there is hope that things will go happily with us.”
“I am afraid, Roger. I fear there is to be no happiness in this unfortunate country.”
“Then we must leave it together,” Roger said cheerfully. “You are naturally depressed now, and see things in their darkest light; but you will grow more hopeful again, when you are once established in Cuitcatl’s home. Arrange with him for Bathalda to act as messenger between us. He is faithful and brave, and will manage to reach me, whatever comes of it.”
A few minutes later they were beyond the gardens. The four litters stood ready. The queen and princess and the two ladies took their seats in them, and the three bundles of valuables were also placed inside.
“I shall love you—I shall love you until death,” Amenche sobbed out, and then the procession moved away, leaving Roger standing by himself.
Skirting the outside wall of the garden, he made his way to the shore of the lake. He found the boatmen asleep in their canoe. As soon as he aroused them, they seized their paddles and, on his taking his seat, pushed off.
“There is no occasion for speed,” he said. “It is but two o’clock now, and it is of no use our reaching Mexico until daybreak; for the gates of the palace will be closed, and there will be no getting in, dressed as I am, until sunrise.”