thanks be to God, that
they did not carry me off to-day to sacrifice me.' And certainly no
army ever looked on a more deplorable sight.

"There was no time, however, for such contemplation: for, at that
instant, numerous bands of warriors attacked the Spaniards on all
sides, and fully occupied their attention in the preservation of their
own lives.

"Modern warfare has lost one great element of the picturesque in
narrative, namely, in there being no interchange, now, of verbal
threats and menaces between the contending parties; but in those days
it was otherwise, and the Mexicans were able to indulge in the most
fierce and malignant language. 'Look,' they said, 'that is the way in
which all of you have to die, for our Gods have promised this to us
many times.' To the Tlascalans their language was more insulting and
much more minutely descriptive. Throwing to them the roasted flesh of
their companions and of the Spanish soldiers, they shouted, 'Eat of the
flesh of these _teules_, and of your brethren, for we are quite
satiated with it; and, look you, for the houses you have pulled down,
we shall have to make you build in their place much better ones with
stone and plates of metal, likewise with hewn stone and lime; and the
houses will be painted. Wherefore continue to assist these _teules_
all of whom you will see sacrificed.'

"The Mexicans, however, did not succeed in carrying off any more
Spaniards for sacrifice that night. The Spanish camp had some few
hours of repose, and some time to reckon up their losses, which were
very {215} considerable. They lost upward of sixty of their own men,
six horses, two cannon, and a great number of their Indian allies.
Moreover the brigantines had not fared much better on this disastrous
day than the land forces. But the indirect consequences of this defeat
were still more injurious than the actual losses. The allies from the
neighboring cities on the lake deserted the Spaniards, nearly to a man.
The Mexicans regained and strengthened most of their positions; and the
greatest part of the work of the besiegers seemed as if it would have
to be done over again. Even the Tlascalans, hitherto so faithful,
despaired of the fortunes of their allies, and could not but believe,
with renewed terror, in the potency of the Mexican deities, kindred to,
if not identical with, their own."

XIV. The Last Mexican

The courage of the Aztecs was beyond all question. Their heroism