Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/238

218 mayor, in place of Paz, and the subservient council was made to issue permission to the new governors to take an inventory of the property of Cortés.

The search for treasures proved comparatively barren, though every corner was examined and the ground dug up beneath and around the palace. They were fully convinced, however, that treasures existed somewhere, for a belief in the wealth of Cortés was too wide-spread not to be true, and it seemed incredible that he should have neglected his opportunities to enrich himself. The only question was about the hiding-place. Paz must know, and must be made to speak. Regardless of their oath they submitted him to torture, applying among other means boiling oil to his feet, which were then slowly roasted before a fire. In his agony he declared that Cortés had taken his treasures with him: he knew of none. This answer was not accepted, and the torturing continued till the toes fell off, and the feet. were charred to the ankles.

Regarding it as unsafe to leave alive an enemy so terribly outraged, to bear convicting evidence against them, the governors concocted fresh charges against him, notably that he intended to excite an insurrection, and condemned him to death. The popular feeling was strongly in favor of the prisoner, and efforts were made to enforce the appeals against the sentence; but the safety of his persecutors demanded its execution, and effective precautions had been taken to cloak the proceedings in the royal name, and support them with a considerable force, while stringent orders existed against armed gatherings on the part of ordinary citizens. Still hoping to extort a confession, Salazar held out to Paz the delusive promise of pardon if he would reveal the treasures. "I have none," replied the outraged victim, "and I implore Cortés to