Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

pas. Marina then
questioned her as to how she had come to the knowledge of that, which
the Cholullans had thought to keep so secret? "I know all this from my
husband," returned she, "who is the chief of one of the quarters of this
town, and who has already joined the men under his command, to make the
necessary preparations, and join the troops of Mexico in the mountain
defiles. Both armies will meet and cut down all the teules. All this I
have known three days ago, for my husband has been presented with a
golden drum, and the three other chiefs with splendid cloaks and gold
trinkets, with orders to take all the teules prisoners and send them to
Mexico."

Doña Marina artfully concealed the real impression all this made upon
her mind, and said to the old woman: "How delighted am I to learn that
your son, to whom you intend to marry me, is a man of high rank! We have
now been discoursing about matters which were intended to be kept a
secret. I will now go and pack up my things; in the meantime you wait
for me here, for I cannot carry all my goods alone; you, your son, my
future brother, must assist me to decamp."

The old woman swallowed all this, and stationed herself at some
particular spot with her son. In the meantime Doña Marina related to our
general the whole of the discourse she had had with the old woman.
Cortes immediately ordered the latter into his presence, and put further
questions to her respecting the plans of the treacherous Cholullans.
Everything she related corresponded with the account of the two papas;
Cortes then ordered her to be detained in close custody that she might
not return and disclose anything to her companions.

When morning arrived it was quite amusing to behold the air of contempt
and the confidence which was depicted in the countenances of the
caziques, the papas, and of the Indians in general. They appeared as if
they had already caught us in a snare. They sent a larger body of their
troops than we had demanded of them; yet there was sufficient room to
hold all these besides our own men in the square adjoining our quarters,
which may be seen to this hour as a memento of that bloody day. Though
it was very early when the troops of Cholulla arrived in our quarters,
yet they found us quite ready for the day's work.

The largest gate of this inclosed square was occupied by that portion of
our troops who were armed with swords and shields, who were ordered not
to allow egress to any Indian who bore arms. Our general had mounted his
horse, surrounded by several of us as a guard to his person, and when he
saw how early all the caziques, papas, and warriors had assembled in the
morning, he cried out in a loud voice: "How impatient these treacherous
people are to get us among the defiles and satiate themselves with our
flesh: but the Almighty will order things differently from what they
expect!"

He then inquired for the two papas who had disclosed the plot to him;
and was informed that they were waiting outside with other caziques, and
wished to be admitted; upon which Cortes sent our interpreter, Aguilar,
to desire them to return home, as he had no occasion for them at that
moment. This was done that no harm might befall them when we should fall
upon the Indians, and as a recompense for the services they had rendered
us.

Our general, seated on horseback, with Doña Marina at his side, then
severely upbraided the caziques and papas. "Why had they," said he to
them, "wished to murder us all the preceding night, though we had not
done them the smallest injury? Had we said or done anything to justify
this treacherous movement? Had he done anything more than exhorted them,
as he had all the different tribes through whose territories he had
passed, to abolish their human sacrifices and abstain from eating human
flesh, to commit no unnatural crimes, and to lead a better life than
they had hitherto? He had, further, merely spoken to them about our holy
religion, and certainly thereby done them no violence. For what purpose
had they collected all those long poles with the nooses and ropes in the
house adjoining the large cue? Why had they during the last three days
barricaded the streets, intersected the latter by deep holes, and
fortified the tops of their houses with breastworks? Why had they sent
away from the town their wives, children, and all their goods? All this
sufficiently proved their treacherous designs, which were no longer to
be concealed; they had even refused to provide us food, and in mockery
had sent us merely wood and water, as if to make us believe they had no
maise left. He was perfectly aware that large troops of warriors had
secreted themselves in the defiles near the town, laying in wait for us
when we should be on our road to Mexico. During the past night they had
been joined by several other troops. In reward for our having looked
upon them as brothers, and announced what our God and our sovereign had
commissioned us to reveal to them, they wished to murder us, and eat our
flesh, for which purpose they had already prepared the dishes, the salt,
the pepper, and the tomates. If they intended to kill us, why did they
not attack us boldly in the open field as beseemed brave warriors, as
their neighbours the Tlascallans had done? He was fully acquainted with
all their designs, how they had promised to sacrifice twenty of us to
their god of war; and that they had sacrificed seven Indians three
nights ago to him, that he might grant them victory over us. But all his
promises were full of lies and deceit. Their gods had no power whatever
over us, and their evil deeds, with all their treachery, would recoil
upon themselves."

When the caziques, papas, and the other principal personages heard this,
all of which Doña Marina most intelligibly interpreted to them, they
confessed that what Cortes had said was perfectly correct, but added,
that they were not the guilty persons, everything having been done at
the instigation of Motecusuma's ambassadors, in accordance with his
commands. To which Cortes answered, "That the Spanish laws did not allow
such treachery to pass by unpunished, and that they would be punished
for it with the loss of their lives." At this moment he ordered a cannon
to be fired, which was the signal for us to fall upon them.

A great number of these people were put to the sword, and some were
burnt alive, to prove the deceitfulness of their false gods. Before a
couple of hours had elapsed our friends of Tlascalla came storming out
of their camp into the town, and fought courageously with the troops of
Cholulla in the streets, who strove to drive them back. They then
dispersed themselves about the town for the sake of plunder, and taking
prisoners; nor were we able to prevent them. The following day more
troops arrived from Tlascalla, who committed worse depredations, so
deeply rooted was their hatred against Cholulla. At length our
compassion was aroused, and we ordered the Tlascallans to stay all
further hostilit

Previous Next