Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/349

Rh thought we should be. "Are we then to perish through your selfishness?" he cried. "For heaven's, dear brothers, do fall back." The words were hardly out of his mouth before he and his horse were again wounded.

With excessive toil we at last gained our quarters, and Sandoval and Lugo stood telling Alvarado what had happened to the divisions, when the dismal drum of Huitzilopochtli, accompanied by the hellish music of shells, horns and things like trumpets, again sounded from the top of the temple. We all turned towards the lofty platform and there we saw the Mexicans carrying our companions by force up the steps. When they got them to the space in front of the chapel where the cursed idols stood, we saw them put plumes on their heads and mercilessly force them to dance before the idol, and after they had danced we saw them stretch them on their backs on stones and with stone knives cut open their breasts, tear out the palpitating heart and offer it to the idols. Alas! we saw all this! And then we saw how they seized the dead body by the legs, and threw it down the step, and Indian butchers waiting below severed arms, legs and heads from the bodies and drew the skin off the faces to tan with the beards on and keep for mockery and derision at their festivals.

While we were gazing at these abominable barbarities, and each saying to the other, "Thank God