d how difficult it was to express in the Nahua tongue
more than rudimentary concepts of the ideas that we sought to convey--we
explained to him how matches were made; and illustrated our words by
showing him how fire was induced by friction, even as the rubbing of two
pieces of wood together produced fire also. This explanation was less
exact than ingenious; but it was one that he could understand, and it
had the effect of allaying his alarm sufficiently to permit him to
resume his seat, when he at once drank off a whole bowlful of the
strong, spicy liquor at a draught. Added to what he already had inside
of him, this draught set his tongue to wagging in the free way that I
have already referred to, and he grew bold enough to take a match in his
hand. But even in his cups he manifested a certain reverence in his
handling of it; and presently, from a little bag that was hung about his
neck, he produced the burnt remnant of a match that he compared with it
critically. "They are the same?" he asked, as he extended the whole
match and the fragment together towards us that we might examine them.

"They are the same," Fray Antonio answered. "Whence comes the one that
you guard so carefully?"

"From the Priest Captain--from Itzacoatl. With such things does he
miraculously set burning the fire of sacrifice; but he does not speak of
them lightly, as you do; he tells us that they are the handiwork of the
Fire God, Chac-Mool; and when the fire of sacrifice is kindled he gives
what remains of them as high rewards to those who have served well the
State by brave acts or honorable deeds. This which I cherish was my
reward for crushing a revolt among the Tlahuicos."

Fray Antonio and I exchanged curious glances, for the conviction was
forced upon us both that the Priest Captain of whom Tizoc spoke must
either have invented friction matches, or that he must have some secret
channel of communication with the outside world. In either case it was
evident that he must be a man of unusual shrewdness; and it also was
evident that his feeling towards us--since we also could perform a
miracle that he obviously made use of as a means of manifesting his
divine right to rule--must be that of strong hostility.

To Rayburn and Young, who had observed wonderingly Tizoc's extraordinary
conduct, I rapidly translated what he had said; and explained how
serious our situation appeared in the light of this new development.

"Well, it certainly _is_ co