The Slave Sculptor — page 67: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MARCH OF CORTEZ 69. ercise moderation and forbearance, and by all means to keep posses- sion of the Aztec sovereign, for in that rested all their authority in the land. From Montezuma, Cortez exacted a promise to remain friendly with his le until he returned, assuring him that, if he did, their great 1 across the water should know it, but, if he proved false, he be the first to fall. The general then took his leave of. tn jital, and was escorted across the causeway by Montezuma of his nobles, under a strong guard of Spaniards _ Cortez left one hundred and fifty men in the garrison, with all the artillery, and nearly all the horses; and took with himself only sev- enty soldiers, with whom to cope with an army of nine hundred vet- erans, fully armed and equipped, and led by old experienced gene- rals. The cool, calculating Castilian, did not rely upon strength to accomplish the victory. .It must be done with artifice ene generalship. With this view he marched boldly and tly into the enemy’s country. During this time, he was reinforced by his own countrymen, previously stationed through thecountry, and by deserters from Narvaez’s army, until his little band num- bered two hundred and sixty-six, yet their arms were woefully defi- cient. Narvaez was then stationed in the city of Cempoalla, on the east- ern coast, and for a time negotiations were carried on between him and his intended victim, yet without resulting in any thing like harmony between the two generals, When all fair means had been E ly advanced as near to their enemies as was practicable, and, as the night ated the appearance of affording that shelter which they beat of or sound of trumpet, while each man fully realized the importance of the movement, and was resolved_to die or con Entering the suburbs of the city, Cortez was surprised at not find- ing a thorough system of sentry, and the fact of this deficiency of jadgment in so important a t, gave him new courage in the undertaking. The storm with unabated fury—the falling torrent, the constant roll of thunder, and the moaning of wind as it through the city, deadened the sound of the sodiers’ footsteps, ny aps Ne a coukl pot, however, move.stealthily en altogether to notice. Soon the alarm was given. wed an exciting and confusion. D: sprang to their feet, ragoons et, artillerymen to their guns; while yaez, awakened from a quiet 9 comlicloolks.coOnn a