'But so be it; death
is always to be found.'
Only my son rejoiced, because he knew that God had saved us all from
death by sword or hunger.
'Father,' he said, 'the Spaniards have given us life, but they take our
country and drive us out of it. Where then shall we go?'
'I do not know, my son,' I answered.
'Father,' the lad said again, 'let us leave this land of Anahuac where
there is nothing but Spaniards and sorrow. Let us find a ship and sail
across the seas to England, our own country.'
The boy spoke my very thought and my heart leapt at his words, though I
had no plan to bring the matter about. I pondered a moment, looking at
Otomie.
'The thought is good, Teule,' she said, answering my unspoken question;
'for you and for our son there is no better, but for myself I will
answer in the proverb of my people, "The earth that bears us lies
lightest on our bones."'
Then she turned, making ready to quit the storehouse of the temple where
we had been lodged during the siege, and no more was said about the
matter.
Before the sun set a weary throng of men, with some few women and
children, were marching across the courtyard that surrounded the
pyramid, for a bridge of timbers taken from the temple had been made
over the breach in the roadway that wound about its side.
At the gates the Spaniards were waiting to receive us.
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