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178 spare. It is plain that from first to last the European idea of conquest never entered their minds; they supposed that Cortez persisted in coming because he was not satisfied with the amount of tribute they offered. It was not strange, therefore, that the representatives of these poverty-stricken tribes should come laden with more gifts for the conquerors. They had already poured enough of their treasure at the feet of the invaders to lure the most homesick man in the camp across the mountains, and every time they came the army were fired with new courage to seek a place where gold and gems were so plentiful. Besides their protest, the council sent an explanation of the part they had taken in the Cholula affair. They professed sincerely to deplore the treacherous conduct of their allies in that city, and said that their army had been sent to that neighborhood to quell some disturbances in two tributary tribes whose lands joined those of the Cholulans.

Cortez wisely forbore to express his doubts of Aztec sincerity; his face was now turned toward Mexico, and it was politic to show himself as friendly as possible toward the authorities there. He soothed the evident fears of his visitors, at the same time assuring them that he was certainly coming to visit their country.

And yet again the terror-stricken chiefs sent messengers over the gradually shortened way between their city and the Spanish camp. The burden of their story now was that Montezuma was anxious that Cortez should take a safe road on his inevitable journey.

This message reached the general on his way to Mexico. The army had come to a place where the road forked. One well-worn footpath was choked with trunks of prostrate trees and other rubbish which had