Here they attacked us again. The great drum on the teocalli beat for the
last time, and for the last time the wild scream of the Aztec warriors
went up to heaven. We fought our best; I killed four men that day with
my arrows which Otomie, who was at my side, handed me as I shot. But the
most of us had not the strength of a child, and what could we do? They
came among us like seamen among a flock of seals, and slaughtered us by
hundreds. They drove us into the canals and trod us to death there, till
bridges were made of our bodies. How we escaped I do not know.
At length a party of us, among whom was Guatemoc with his wife
Tecuichpo, were driven to the shores of the lake where lay canoes, and
into these we entered, scarcely knowing what we did, but thinking that
we might escape, for now all the city was taken. The brigantines saw us
and sailed after us with a favouring wind--the wind always favoured the
foe in that war--and row as we would, one of them came up with us and
began to fire into us. Then Guatemoc stood up and spoke, saying:
'I am Guatemoc. Bring me to Malinche. But spare those of my people who
remain alive.'
'Now,' I said to Otomie at my side, 'my hour has come, for the Spaniards
will surely hang me, and it is in my mind, wife, that I should do well
to kill myself, so that I may be saved from a death of shame.
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