Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/208

 

How, in setting up an altar, we found a secret treasure; and why we visited Montezuma and took him to our quarters as prisoner; how he spent his time; and how we built two sloops and sailed them on the lake; adding the story of a hawk.

that our captain and Fray Bartolome de Olmedo knew that Montezuma was not willing we should set a cross on the chief temple, or build a chapel there, we asked the house-stewards for masons to build us a church in our quarters. The stewards referred our request to Montezuma, who generously ordered that we be given what we wished. Our church was soon done, a cross set up, and mass said every day as long as the wine lasted. Then we went there every day and prayed in front of the altar and images, not only because we were obliged by our faith to follow this holy habit, but also that Montezuma and his caciques might notice our devotion and see us on our knees before the cross, particularly when we said the Ave Maria.

Wherever we went it was our custom carefully to examine everything. So it happened that as we were searching for a best place to set up our altar, one of