When everything in his past life had been swept away at one stroke, his
faith alone was left him in the wrecked and distorted world. He had
never dreamed that Taxmar was learning to respect that faith.

The neighboring cacique now joined Taxmar's enemies with all his army,
and the councilors took alarm and repeated the suggestion that Aguilar
should be sacrificed to make sure of the help of the gods. Taxmar again
spoke plainly.

"Our gods," he said, "have helped us when we were strong and powerful
and sacrificed many captives in their honor. This man's gods help him
when he is a slave, alone, far from his people, with nothing to offer in
sacrifice. We will see now what they will do for my army."

In the battle which followed, the cacique adopted a plan which Aguilar
suggested. That loyal follower was placed in command of a force hidden
in the woods near the route by which the enemy would arrive. The hostile
forces marched past it, and charged upon the front of Taxmar's army. It
gave way, and they rushed in with triumphant yells. When they were well
past, Aguilar's division came out of the bushes and took them in the
rear. At the same instant Taxmar and his warriors faced about and sprang
at them like a host of panthers. There was a great slaughter, many
prisoners were taken, among them the cacique himself and many men of
importance; and Taxmar made a little speech to them upon the wisdom of
the white man's gods.

In the years that passed the captive's hope of escape faded. Once he had
thought he might slip away and reach the coast, but he was too carefully
watched. Even if he could get to the sea from so far inland, without the
help of the natives, he could not reach any Spanish colony without a
boat. There were rumors of strange ships filled with bearded men, whose
weapons were the thunder and the lightning. Old people wagged their
heads and recalled a prophecy of the priest Chilam Cambal many years
ago, that a white people, bearded, would come from the east, to overturn
the images of the gods, and conquer the land.

Hernando de Cordova's squadron came and went; Grijalva's came and went;
Aguilar heard of them but never saw them. At last, seven long years
after he came to Jamacana, three coast Indians from the island of
Cozumel came timidly to the cacique with gifts and a letter. The gifts
were for Taxmar, to buy his Christian slaves, if he had any, and the
letter was for them.

Hernando Cortes, coming from Cuba w