fore the chief statue of the god. All this is known
throughout the land; thousands of priests are now offering up prayers
that the sacrifice may be fortunate, and a golden ring has been hung
over the stone of slaughter in such a fashion that the light of the
sun must strike upon the centre of your breast at the very moment of
mid-day. For weeks you have been watched as a jaguar watches its prey,
for it was feared that you would escape to the Teules, and we, your
wives, have been watched also. At this moment there is a triple ring
of guards about the palace, and priests are set without your doors and
beneath the window places. Judge, then, what chance there is of escape,
Teule.'

'Little indeed,' I said, 'and yet I know a road. If I kill myself, they
cannot kill me.'

'Nay,' she answered hastily, 'what shall that avail you? While you live
you may hope, but once dead, you are dead for ever. Also if you must
die, it is best that you should die by the hand of the priest. Believe
me, though the end is horrible,' and she shuddered, 'it is almost
painless, so they say, and very swift. They will not torture you, that
we have saved you, Guatemoc and I, though at first they wished thus to
honour the god more particularly on this great day.'

'O Teule,' Otomie went on, seating herself by me on the bed, and taking
my hand, 'think no more of these brief terrors, but look beyond them.
Is it so hard a thing to die, and swiftly? We all must die, to-day, or
to-night, or the next day, it matters little when--and your faith, like
ours, teaches that beyond the grave is endless blessedness. Think then,
my friend, to-morrow you will have passed far from this strife and
turmoil; the struggle and the sorrows and the daily fears for the future
that make the soul sick will be over for you, you will be taken to your
peace, where no one shall disturb you for ever. There you will find that
mother whom you have told me of, and who loved you, and there perhaps
one will join you who loves you better than your mother, mayhap even
I may meet you there, friend,' and she looked up at me strangely. 'The
road that you are doomed to walk is dark indeed, but surely it must
be well-trodden, and there is light shining beyond it. So be a man, my
friend, and do not grieve; rejoice rather that at so early an age you
have done with woes and doubts, and come to the gates of joy, that you
have passed the thorny, unwatered wilderness and see the smiling lakes
and g