Instantly he dropped his weapon
and fled, and the other man fled also, for there was no fight in them,
nor would any flogging bring them to face me again.
Seeing that they could not make them brave, the priests determined to
have done with them. Amidst a great noise of music and chanting, he whom
I had smitten was seized and dragged to the hog-backed block of marble,
which in truth was a stone of sacrifice. On this he was cast down,
breast upwards, and held so by five priests, two gripping his hands,
two his legs, and one his head. Then, having donned a scarlet cloak,
the head priest, that same who had felt my heart, uttered some kind of
prayer, and, raising a curved knife of the flint-like glass or itztli,
struck open the poor wretch's breast at a single blow, and made the
ancient offering to the sun.
As he did this all the multitude in the place below, in full view of
whom this bloody game was played, prostrated themselves, remaining on
their knees till the offering had been thrown into the golden censer
before the statue of the god Huitzel. Thereon the horrible priests,
casting themselves on the body, carried it with shouts to the edge of
the pyramid or teocalli, and rolled it down the steep sides. At the
foot of the slope it was lifted and borne away by certain men who were
waiting, for what purpose I did not know at that time.
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