Page:About Mexico - Past and Present.djvu/220

212 and the water-supply was cut off, in order to starve out the Spaniards. The garrison would have perished but for a little spring of sweet water which was discovered oozing up within the enclosure. Gloomy as was the prospect, Cortez sent a messenger the next day to Villa Rica to tell of his safe arrival; but the man had scarcely started on his journey ere he returned covered with blood and bruises, saying that all the inhabitants were up in arms and the bridges were raised to cut off all hope of retreat from the Spaniards.

The Aztecs now came surging up with wild yells of defiance. The house-roofs could not be seen for the masses of people who covered them and darkened the air with arrows and stones. A volley from the guns checked but a moment the crowd in the street. The infuriated Aztecs tried to scale the walls upon which the guns were mounted, but were beaten back. Firebrands were thrown among the Tlascalan huts, whose thatched roofs burned rapidly; the flames seized on a wooden parapet on the walls, and it was necessary to tear down part of these defences and protect the breach by the guns. Night put a stop to the contest, but the Spaniards were busy till daybreak making what repairs they could.

The Aztecs, who slept on the ground, close to the walls, were up before the sun and with fresh recruits renewed the attack. By a sally from the garrison they were driven back to a barricade they had thrown across the street. The Spaniards cleared this obstacle and the whole length of the street to the dyke, the Indians disputing every inch of the way. Every house was a fortress from whose roof showers of stones and darts were hurled on the Spanish coats of mail in the streets below, where a hand-to-hand struggle constantly went on. It was soon