'Look!' she cried in a piercing voice, and pointing to the scars and
unhealed wounds upon my face and leg; 'look on the work of the Teule
and the Tlascalan, see how the foe is dealt with who surrenders to them.
Yield if you will, desert us if you will, but I say that then your own
bodies shall be marked in a like fashion, till not an ounce of gold is
left that can minister to the greed of the Teule, or a man or a maiden
who can labour to satisfy his indolence.'
Then she ceased, and letting me sink gently to the ground, for I could
not stand alone, she stood over me, the spear in her hand, as though
waiting to plunge it to my heart should the people still demand our
surrender to the messengers of Cortes.
For one instant there was silence, then of a sudden the clamour and the
tumult broke out again ten times more furiously than at first. But it
was no longer aimed at us. Otomie had conquered. Her noble words, her
beauty, the tale of our sorrows and the sight of my torments, had done
their work, and the heart of the people was filled with fury against the
Teules who had destroyed their army, and the Tlascalans that had aided
them. Never did the wit and eloquence of a woman cause a swifter change.
They screamed and tore their robes and shook their weapons in the air.
Maxtla strove to speak, but they pulled him down and presently he was
flying for his life.
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