hought that I came as an enemy; but coming alone,
and without arms, it could not be suspected that my intentions were
other than friendly."

Montezuma appeared impressed with this answer. The audience lasted
for upwards of half an hour, Montezuma asking many questions about
the ships, the arms, the mode of government, and other matters
among the white people, He then bowed his head.

The official signified that the audience was over, and that Roger
was to retire. As he had been instructed by Cacama he withdrew,
keeping his face to the emperor.

He was conducted to a different apartment. Here a table was laid,
and he was served by attendants of the court; who, however, made no
reply to any questions he asked them, and had evidently received
orders to hold no verbal communication with him.

Chapter 10: News From The Coast.

It was with a feeling of pleasure and relief that, after some
hours, Roger saw the hangings drawn aside, and Cacama enter.

"Come, my friend, the council is over, and you may return with me."

Cacama was evidently anxious to be off at once, and Roger followed
him without a question. One of the pages of the palace led the way
through a long series of passages, and at last Roger found himself
outside the palace, where a door opened into a canal. Here Cacama's
boat was lying. The young king and Roger took their seats, and the
canoe dashed off at once.

"It has been a hard fight in the council," Cacama said. "No two men
were of the same opinion. Even the priests were divided among
themselves; and Montezuma was as undecided, at the end, as he was
at the beginning; so that the decision is postponed. Then the
question arose, were you to be treated as a guest or as a prisoner?
And this I settled by saying that I would take you back with me to
Tezcuco, and produce you whenever required. So in order to avoid
excitement among the people, I sent word for the boat to be brought
round to that quiet entrance to the palace, by which means we
avoided passing through the streets, altogether.

"At one time it seemed to me that the decision would go against
you, on the ground that, had you been a supernatural being, you
would have had new arts to teach the people. Fortunately, I had
brought with me the pictures you made for my wife and sister, and
these I showed them. I pointed out that they were altogether
different from the work of our own scribes; that these drew stiff
images that looked like represen