To this Cuitlahua, who now that Montezuma
was dead would be emperor, though he was not yet chosen and crowned,
answered that it might well be that the Teules meditated flight, but
that they could never attempt it in the darkness, since in so doing they
must become entangled in the streets and dykes.
I replied that though it was not the Aztec habit to march and fight at
night, such things were common enough among white men as they had seen
already, and that because the Spaniards knew it was not their habit,
they would be the more likely to attempt escape under cover of the
darkness, when they thought their enemies asleep. Therefore I counselled
that sentries should be set at all the entrances to every causeway.
To this Cuitlahua assented, and assigned the causeway of Tlacopan to
Guatemoc and myself, making us the guardians of its safety. That night
Guatemoc and I, with some soldiers, went out towards midnight to visit
the guard that we had placed upon the causeway. It was very dark and a
fine rain fell, so that a man could see no further before his eyes
than he can at evening through a Norfolk roke in autumn. We found and
relieved the guard, which reported that all was quiet, and we were
returning towards the great square when of a sudden I heard a dull sound
as of thousands of men tramping.
'Listen,' I said.
'It is the Teules who escape,' whispered Guatemoc.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339