her, their faces buried in their hands, I thought that
Otomie had never seemed more beautiful, and that her words, simple as
they were, had never been more eloquent.

'Friends,' she said, 'you know the disaster that has overtaken us. My
husband has given you the message of the Teules. Our case is desperate.
We have but a thousand men at most to defend this city, the home of our
forefathers, and we alone of all the peoples of Anahuac still dare to
stand in arms against the white men. Years ago I said to you, Choose
between death with honour and life with shame! To-day again I say to
you, Choose! For me and mine there is no choice left, since whatever you
decide, death must be our portion. But with you it is otherwise. Will
you die fighting, or will you and your children serve your remaining
years as slaves?'

For a while the seven consulted together, then their spokesman answered.

'Otomie, and you, Teule, we have followed your counsels for many years
and they have brought us but little luck. We do not blame you, for the
gods of Anahuac have deserted us as we have deserted them, and the gods
alone stand between men and their evil destiny. Whatever misfortunes we
may have borne, you have shared in them, and so it is now at the end.
Nor will we go back upon our words in this the last hour of the people
of the Otomie. We have chosen; we have lived free with you, and still
free, we will die with you. For like you we hold that it is better for
us and ours to perish as free men than to drag out our days beneath the
yoke of the Teule.'

'It is well,' said Otomie; 'now nothing remains for us except to seek a
death so glorious that it shall be sung of in after days. Husband, you
have heard the answer of the council. Let the Spaniards hear it also.'

So I went back to the wall, a white flag in my hand, and presently an
envoy advanced from the Spanish camp to speak with me--not de Garcia,
but another. I told him in few words that those who remained alive of
the people of the Otomie would die beneath the ruins of their city like
the children of Tenoctitlan before them, but that while they had a spear
to throw and an arm to throw it, they would never yield to the tender
mercies of the Spaniard.

The envoy returned to the camp, and within an hour the attack began.
Bringing up their pieces of ordnance, the Spaniards set them within
little more than an hundred paces of the gates, and began to batter
us with iron shot at their le