ed great confusion. The
golden treasure with which many had loaded themselves proved a
frightful incumbrance. Those who could do so, flung it away; those too
bitterly occupied in fighting for their lives could do little but
drive, thrust, hew, hack and struggle in the dark and slippery way.

But the army did advance. Arriving at the brink of the first opening,
the bridge was brought up and the division began its passage. It had
scarcely crossed the gap when under the pressure of tremendous fear,
the second division, in spite of all that could be done to refrain and
control them by Cortes and his officers--and there were no braver men
on earth--crowded on the frail bridge. The structure which was
sufficiently strong for ordinary and orderly passage, gave way,
precipitating a great mass of Spaniards and Indians into the causeway.
Cortes with his own hands, assisted by a few of the cooler veterans,
tried to lift up the shattered remains of the bridge but was unable to
do anything with it. It was ruined beyond repair, and sank into a
splintered mass of timber under the terrific pressure to which it had
been subjected. A passage at that gap was afforded to those who came
{186} after because it was filled level with dead bodies of Spaniards,
Indians and horses, to say nothing of guns, baggage and equipment.

By this time the advance guard was again heavily engaged. The
Spaniards and their allies staggered along the dyke, fighting
desperately all the time. Velasquez, leading the advance division was
killed at the brink of the second opening. The wretched fugitives were
driven headlong into the second opening which was soon choked with
horses and men as the first had been. Over this living, dying bridge
the survivors madly ploughed. Some of them led by Cortes himself found
a ford on the side. Although they were cut down by the hundreds, there
seemed to be no end to the Aztecs. The rain still fell. The drum of
the war-god mingled with frightful peals of thunder, and the shrill
cries of the Mexicans rose higher and higher. The Spaniards were sick,
wounded, beaten and terrified. Only Cortes and his captains and a few
of his veterans preserved the slightest semblance of organization.

The third gap was passed by the same awful expedient as the other two
had been. There was not a great distance from the third opening to the
mainland. The few who had passed over rushed desperately for the
shore. Way back in the