ng down hundreds in their
path, till they regained the open avenue, that was defended by their own
artillery. It was not without serious loss, however, that this retreat
was achieved. The fierce Aztecs threw themselves upon the horses, in the
crowd, hanging upon their legs, sometimes inflicting serious wounds upon
them, and sometimes grappling with their riders, dragging them from
their saddles, and carrying off to captivity or sacrifice. At the same
time, they were sorely beset by showers of stones and darts that poured
upon their heads from every building as they passed, battering and
breaking their armor, and terribly bruising both the horse and his
rider.

These sorties were several times repeated, but always with the same
doubtful success. The loss of the Spaniards was always much less than
that of their enemy. But the latter could better afford to lose a
thousand, than the former to lose one. Their ranks were instantly
replenished with fresh combatants, who crowded in upon the scene of
conflict, like the countless thousands of the over-peopled North, that
swarmed upon the fair fields of Italy, as if some used-up world had been
suddenly emptied of its inhabitants. Their numbers seemed rather to
increase than to diminish with every new onset. In the same proportion
their fierce resolution increased.

The haughty Spaniard was now convinced that he had wholly mistaken the
character of the people, whom he had thought to trample down at his
pleasure. A spirit was raised which could not be laid, either by
persuasion or by force. He saw and felt his danger, without the power to
avert it. At length, either by threats or entreaties, or both, he
prevailed on the captive Montezuma once more to interpose in his behalf,
by employing what authority remained to him against his own best friends
and faithful subjects.

The Aztecs, forsaken of their monarch, had bold and talented leaders,
who were competent both to devise and to execute the measures deemed
necessary for the public good, and to lead on their marshalled hosts, to
battle and to victory. Cacama, the young Prince of Tezcuco, burning to
retrieve his fatal error in counselling and aiding the friendly
reception of the Spaniards, now joined all his resources with those of
Cuitlahua and Guatimozin, in endeavoring to recover the ground they had
lost. Their first object was, to rescue the Emperor from his inglorious
imprisonment, never doubting that, with his sacred person a