if I can, to make friends among them. The old cazique
of Tabasco stood by me well, and it may be that here I may find
some like him; but it will need a powerful protector, indeed, to
stand against the priests, who, Malinche says, are far more
powerful here than in Tabasco."

Three hours later an attendant came in, and said that the governor
invited his guest to walk with him through the town, and survey the
temples and other edifices.

"Now for it," Roger said, clenching his fist. "Now, Roger Hawkshaw,
you have got to show yourself a true man, whatever comes of it."

He fastened the sword, which was one of the weapons with which he
had been presented, to his girdle; and then went out into the great
hall, from which all the other apartments opened. The governor and
the two nobles from Tezcuco were awaiting him.

Upon sallying out, Roger found that the streets were as crowded as
when he entered. He was received with a long quavering cry of
welcome by the women, and by a deeper hum of applause by the men.
All bent to the ground before him and his companions, before whom a
party of soldiers moved to clear the way.

"Now, we will go first to the Great Temple," the governor said. "It
is but small in comparison with those of the great cities of the
valley, but it is a very holy shrine; and numbers come, from all
the cities round, to pay their devotion there on the days of
festival. There are forty temples in the town, on all of which fire
burns night and day; but this is the largest and holiest of them."

After passing through several streets, Roger saw a great hill
rising in front of him. Whether it was the work of man, or had a
natural hill for its foundation, he knew not. It was four sided and
pyramidal in form. There were terraces rising, one above the other,
supported by stone walls. Steps at the angles led from one terrace
to another, but these were so placed that anyone mounting had to
pass right along the terrace round the pyramid, before he arrived
at the steps leading to that above. The top of the pyramid seemed
to be cut off, leaving an area of, as far as he could judge, some
fifty feet square. Smoke ascended from the summit, where, as
Malinche had told him, fire always burns before the altar in its
center.

Just before reaching the foot of the pyramid, the governor pointed
to a building of considerable size.

"Here you will see," he said, leading Roger towards a great
gateway, "how well the god has been