Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/220

184 that his confinement did not weary him because our gods had given us power to take him prisoner and Huitzilopochtli had agreed to it.

Sometimes Montezuma and Cortes played at a game the Mexicans call totoloc. It is played with smooth small balls, which here were made of gold, pitched at certain slabs. Five throws made up the game and gold and silver trinkets were the stakes. I still remember that once Pedro de Alvarado was scoring for Cortes, and one of his nephews, a noted cacique, for the monarch, and Alvarado always marked one more point than Cortes had gained. Upon this Montezuma observed, courteously and laughingly, that he was not exactly pleased with the way Tonatio (so they called Alvarado) kept the count, because he made so much ixoxol in his score—which in their speech means that he cheated, in that he always marked one score too many.

In those days I was quite a young fellow and whenever I was sentinel in his apartment I behaved with such respect that he inquired who I was and sent me offer of a present. I thanked him for his kindness and hoped God would bless him. When the interpreter gave my answer, Montezuma said, "Bernal Diaz seems to me to have the feelings of a well-bred man," and to his gift he added three plates of gold and two packages of cotton stuffs.

Of a morning it was his habit to say his prayers