om
a hand dead for much more than three centuries, and that yet brought to
us two a vital message that wholly was to shape our destinies.

IV.

MONTEZUMA'S MESSENGER.

The letter was without date, but, being addressed to the Bishop
Zumarraga, the phrase that occurred in it--"this New Spain, wherein,
Very Reverend Father, you have labored in God's service this year and
more past"--showed that 1530 was the year in which it was written. As to
place, there practically was no clew at all. The writer referred
repeatedly to "this mission of Santa Marta, in the Chichimeca
country"--but the mission had perished utterly but a little while after
it was founded; and at that period the term Chichimeca country was used
by the Spaniards in speaking of any part of Mexico where wild Indians
were.

Being shorn of a portion of its pious verbiage, and somewhat modernized
in style, the ancient Spanish of this letter contained in effect these
English words:

[Illustration: THE LETTER FROM THE DEAD.]

"VERY REVEREND FATHER,--This present letter will be sent
forward to you by the first hand by which it may be hence
transmitted; and in your wisdom, with God's grace also guiding you,
I doubt not that you will take measures for sending missionaries of
our Order to the great company of the heathen whose whereabouts I am
to disclose to you. And also, no doubt--keeping the matter secret
from the pestilent Oidores of the Audiencia--you will communicate
this strange matter through safe channels to our lord the King: that
with our missionaries an army may go forth, and that so the great
treasure of which I give tidings may be wrested from the heathen to
be used for God's glory and the enriching of our lord the King.

"Know, Very Reverend Father, that a month since, I being then
abroad from this mission of Santa Marta, preaching God's word in a
certain village of the Chichimecas that is five leagues to the
northward, was so strengthened by God's grace that many of the
heathen professed our holy faith and were baptized. And of these
was one who among that tribe was held a captive. Which captive, as
I found, was of the nation that dwelt in Tenochtitlan before our
great captain, Don Fernando Cortes, reduced that city to
submission. But little of earthly life remained to this poor
captive when I, unworthily but happily, opened to him the