where we were pretty secure from the
enemy's attacks, Sandoval, Lugo, Tapia, and Alvarado stood together
relating what had befallen each of the respective divisions, when all in
a moment the large drum of Huitzilopochtli again resounded from the
summit of the temple, accompanied by all the hellish music of shell
trumpets, horns, and other instruments. The sound was truly dismal and
terrifying, but still more agonizing was all this to us when we looked
up and beheld how the Mexicans were mercilessly sacrificing to their
idols our unfortunate companions, who had been captured in Cortes'
flight across the opening.

We could plainly see the platform, with the chapel in which those
cursed idols stood; how the Mexicans had adorned the heads of the
Spaniards with feathers, and compelled their victims to dance round the
god Huitzilopochtli; we saw how they stretched them out at full length
on a large stone, ripped open their breasts with flint knives, tore out
the palpitating heart, and offered it to their idols. Alas! we were
forced to be spectators of all this, and how they then seized hold of
the dead bodies by the legs and threw them headlong down the steps of
the temple, at the bottom of which other executioners stood ready to
receive them, who severed the arms, legs, and heads from the bodies,
drew the skin off the faces, which were tanned with the beards still
adhering to them, and produced as spectacles of mockery and derision at
their feasts; the legs, arms, and other parts of the body being cut up
and devoured!

In this way the Mexicans served all the Spaniards they took prisoners;
and the entrails alone were thrown to the tigers, lions, otters, and
serpents, which were kept in cages. These abominable barbarities we were
forced to witness with our own eyes from our very camp; and the reader
may easily imagine our feelings, how excessively agonizing! the more so
as we were so near our unfortunate companions without being able to
assist them. Every one of us thanked God from the bottom of his soul for
His great mercy in having rescued us from such a horrible death!

While we were thus gazing upon this dismal scene, fresh troops of
Mexicans came storming along in great numbers, and fell upon us from all
sides with the fury of wild beasts; and continually cried, "Only look up
to the temple! such will be the end of you all! This our gods have often
promised us!" but the threats which they threw out against our
Tlascalla