The Slave Sculptor — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

f- DEATA OF MONTEZUMA. 83 earth became Indians—their numbers were so many. They swarmed every ayenue of approach to the Spanish quarters, and though the cannon and musket balls mowed them down like grain, ten seemed to arise out of the bloody corpse of one. Against such odds no force could stand, and Cortez planned a retreat — the most _ memorabl¢ that burdens the page of human history with its story of human prowess and courage. The captive emperor, Montezuma, was, as a last hope prior to the retreat, brought to the battlements by order of Cortez, to exert his authority to compel his people to cease hos as the Spaniards had all promised to leave the country. That act was his last. His countrymen, maddened by his weakness and submission in such an hour, pierced him with arrows and he was borne away to die —an omen of. the fortunes which awaited his people after the very waters of the lake were crimsoned with their life-blood. In the midst of these scenes Lord Ahuitzol moved —a very spirit of the fight. His hate of his sovoreign impelled him to vio- lence; and when Montezuma appeared upon the battlements, to reason with his people, it was Cruzilli’s arrow, sped by the old lord’s order, which gave the monarch his death wound. But there was vengeance in store for those two men of blood. An Aztec, of slender, lithe form sprung up the battlements — made a sign of the eross to the Spaniards — seized a musket, and sent a ball with un- erring aim into the old lord’s heart Cruzilli was not spared — that priest of the mask saw his act of murder, sprang to his side and with wonderful celerity toppled the brute over the azofea walls to the ground. With this prelule to the events of this chapter, let us resume the narrative. Tonatiuh and Mazina, made good their escape to the secret cham- bers after having parted with the priest on the western beach of the lake, after their escape and flight from Lord Ahuitzol’s palace. Here they lived in comparative peace for seven months, and up to the time Cortez returned from his expedition against. General Narvaez on the coast, to encounter perils in the capital, which es cotta ys even his bold heart. . ing this interval, Mazina had not ventured even into the outer cave; while Tonatiuh, having assumed the disguise of a basket-maker, occupied the little cavern. In this position she had often detected Toluca, lurking around, watghing the premises; yet he failed to recognize, in the coarse habited basket-maker, either Tonatiuh, the prophetess, or the old palsied attendant at the palace The friendly priest had not visited the secret chambers during this entire time, thouzh Tonatiuh had often seen him in the capital, to which place she went to dispose of her merchandise. Let us now look in u Mazina, as she sat there in her comfortable prison, and see how apse of time has affected her. She was pale, her checks were wasted, her cyes sunken, while there was an unnat iral uncasiness in her movements. Her long tresses conniclbookks.con 4 4 : 7 , ; ]