Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/214

178 Indian men and women for sacrifice! Nor is this all. They have killed one of my brothers [Cortes prudently did not wish to speak of Escalante and six soldiers who died as soon as they got back to the coast encampment, for Montezuma did not then know of this] and a horse. How differently we for our part have done! As your friend I told my officers to do all they could to meet your wishes. You have ordered the very opposite. A little time ago you sent many warriors to Cholula to destroy us. From the friendship I bore you I did not then tell you I knew the fact. But now again your warriors audaciously plot to kill us. For this treachery I will not make war on you, nor destroy this city. But that we may keep peace between us, you must quietly come to our quarters and stay with us there. You shall be well served, as well as if you were in your own palace. If you now make any alarm, or cry out, these officers of mine here will kill you at once, for that purpose only I brought them with me."

At these words a sudden terror struck Montezuma and he was for a time speechless. At length, however, he answered that he had never ordered his people to take up arms against us, and he would at once send for his chief warriors and find out the truth. Saying this he loosened the seal of Huitzilopochtli which he wore round his wrist and only took from his arm when he issued orders of importance