uncommon
size, set in gold, profusely ornamented other parts of his dress.
His feet were shod with the golden sandals, and his brows covered
with the Mexican diadem, resembling in form the pontifical tiara.
Thus attired and surrounded by a guard of Spaniards, and several
Aztec nobles, and preceded by the golden wand, the symbol of
sovereignty, the Indian monarch ascended the central turret of the
palace.

At the sight of Montezuma all the Mexican army became silent, partly, no
doubt, from curiosity. He assured them that he was no prisoner; that the
strangers were his friends, and would leave Mexico of their own accord
as soon as a way was opened.

To call himself a friend of the hateful Spaniards was a fatal argument.
Instead of respecting their monarch, though in his official robes, the
populace howled angry curses at him as a degenerate Aztec, a coward, no
longer a warrior or even a man!

A cloud of missiles was hurled at Montezuma, and he was struck to the
ground by the blow of a stone on his head. The unfortunate monarch only
survived his wounds for a few days, disdaining to take any nourishment,
or to receive advice from the Spanish priests.

Meanwhile, Cortes and his army met with an unexpected danger. A large
body of the Indian warriors had taken possession of the great temple, at
a short distance from the Spanish quarters. From this commanding
position they kept shooting a deadly flight of arrows on the Spaniards.
Cortes sent his chamberlain, Escobar, with a body of men to storm the
temple, but, after three efforts, the party had to relinquish the
attempt. Cortes himself then led a storming party, and after some
determined fighting reached the platform at the top of the temple where
the two sanctuaries of the Aztec deities stood. This large area was now
the scene of a desperate battle, fought in sight of the whole capital as
well as of the Spanish troops still remaining in the courtyard.

This struggle between such deadly enemies caused dreadful carnage on
both sides:

The edge of the area was unprotected by parapet or battlement; and
the combatants, as they struggled in mortal agony, were sometimes
seen to roll over the sheer sides of the precipice together.
Cortes himself had a narrow escape from this dreadful fate.... The
number of the enemy was double that of the Christians; but the
invulnerable armor of the Spaniard, his sword of match