Page:Here and there in Yucatan - miscellanies (IA herethereinyucat00lepl 0).djvu/96

 Cortez fire from its back to kill the deer, they supposed that the horse was the cause of the report and flash which reminded them of thunder and lightning.

They decided that the Chaac tzimin should be fed on what they thought the nicest food; and accordingly offered it plenty of well-cooked flesh and fowl; also presenting to it bouquets of flowers as they were accustomed to do with their superiors.

History does not say whether the horse ate the flowers; but the fact is that so much kindness, and such overwhelming honors, resulted in his death; for the poor beast was kept a prisoner on one spot, and thus soon starved.

Those in whose charge it had been left were terrified at the idea of not being able to return it to Cortez. They therefore made an image of stone and mortar, as much like the horse as they possibly could, and of the same size. This they placed in a temple that held a thousand people, and thenceforth treated it with great reverence; so that Cortez, if he returned, might understand that his horse had not died from want of attention or consideration on their part.

About ninety years later, in 1618, two priests went to Peten Itza with the object of trying to convert