A Prince of Anahuac Part 33

The victorious girl was conducted before King Macua, who presented to her the prize she had won--a beautiful necklace of gold and gems, which was clasped about her throat by the hand of Euetzin, who was of the king's party. It was a superlatively happy moment to the beautiful mountain girl, and her eyes were effervescing with love's softest light as they rested on him whom, unknown to all save herself, she almost wors.h.i.+ped.

Mitla at once became an object of royal favor, and was escorted onto Macua's platform, and given a place with the king's elect.

A tilt with javelins was the next thing in order. This was in the nature of a challenge contest; a very dangerous one for the partic.i.p.ants, and exciting to the beholders.

A challenge to engage in a tilt, or contest, was always in order, and usually proved to be the most popular and exciting feature of the tourney.

The signal for the bout to commence was hardly sounded before the Tepanec warrior who had been wounded in the bowmen's contest was in the arena. His challenge was directed to the Tezcucan who had inflicted humiliation upon him. His appearance and actions showed that his object was to have revenge for the disgrace which the peculiar wound he had received in the bowmen's contest would fasten upon him.

The challenge was accepted, and the two warriors stood face to face, awaiting the moment of action; hatred depicted on the countenance of one, the other calm and defiant. They were each equipped with javelin and heavy buckler, and clothed about the body and thighs with a thick cotton tunic--the arms and lower limbs being entirely free from covering. They were without the customary headgear--a band only being worn to confine the long, coa.r.s.e, black hair.

The instructions to the opposing warriors were to advance rapidly to a given point, and throw their weapons to kill--injury or death being avoided by dodging or catching the javelin on the buckler.

The great crowd was again hushed. The signals were given, and the rush of the opponents quickly followed. A whiz and crash were heard, and the Tezcucan was almost thrown from his feet by the force of the Tepanec's javelin, which he had succeeded in catching on his buckler. He immediately recovered himself, and faced his opponent, who, having dodged his adversary's weapon, stood fiercely watching the effect of his throw.

The advantage gained by the Tepanec over the Tezcucan, in the tilt, was not hailed with any degree of enthusiasm. There were too many friends of the latter, and others, present, in whose hearts burned the bitterest national hatred--a hatred for grievances inflicted--for which every Tepanec, no matter what his position, high or low, was held responsible.

It was evident that the Tepanec was the superior adversary, and he knew it. He was not satisfied with the result of the bout, and a second trial was demanded. Rather than be branded a coward, the Tezcucan granted it, but, in doing so, realized that he was no match for his enemy, and could hardly expect to come out of the contest with a whole skin, if he did not lose his life.

The lancers took their respective positions for a second trial. The signals were given, and they advanced quickly to the throwing point. A cutting of the air was heard, followed by a crash of javelins and s.h.i.+elds, and the Tezcucan was knocked from his feet to the earth, where he lay powerless to rise, his buckler having been torn from his hand, and the weapon of his opponent buried in his body.

The Tepanec warrior, now insane with rage, rushed upon his fallen foe, with the evident intention of dispatching him.

Savage as they were, the Anahuacans had a profound sense of fair play.

When the purpose of the crazed contestant was fully comprehended, the spectators, as by a single impulse, jumped to their feet, and a shout of derision went up from them for his wicked and unmanly design. The time was brief, but not too brief for an avenging hand to come between the would-be murderer and his fallen adversary. While all eyes were bent upon the insane victor, with no other thought but that he would accomplish his revengeful purpose, a hunter leaped into the arena, and, before the mad deed was consummated, a javelin was sent flying through the air, which struck the warrior in the neck, felling him, a lifeless heap, at the side of the prostrate Tezcucan.

The excitement was now intense. The dead Tepanec and his severely wounded adversary were forgotten for the moment by the excited audience, whose attention became centered on the hunter. This man, whose hand had sent the messenger of death, which so materially affected the aspect of the tragedy, suddenly became an object of speculation and the hero of the hour.

The king commanded that the slayer of the insane warrior be brought into his presence. When he appeared, in obedience to the command, great was the surprise and pleasure of Macua, and those with him, to see in the expert lancer the tzin's companion, Cacami.

The king said:

"We would honor the man who can throw a javelin so true, and at such a time; especially do we take pleasure in honoring Cacami. Wear this," he continued, placing upon Cacami's breast a decoration which carried with it honorable preferment, "as a mark of distinction, and also as a memorial of the valorous deed you have this day performed in behalf of a fallen man."

A shout of approbation ascended from the a.s.sembled throng, while the tzin warmly embraced his comrade and friend.

Cacami was a spectator only, not having determined to take part in the tournament, because of his engagements, especially on account of his recent journey to the mountains to a.s.sist in bringing the prince to the city. He was greatly interested in the tourney, however; particularly so in the tilt with javelins, and excitement might have led him to enter the contest had the first bout not ended as it did. No eye in that immense throng took in the situation as promptly as did his; and, instantly comprehending the purpose of the maddened warrior, he did not stop to think twice, but sprang to the defense of his fellow Tezcucan, which resulted, as we have seen, in his killing the vicious Tepanec.

When quiet was restored and the arena cleared, the tourney was conducted to a finish, and the great throng gradually melted away, most of it, however, to rea.s.semble in a different capacity and place outside of Tlacopan.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

While the exciting scenes of the tourney were being witnessed on Tlacopan's _tianguez_, events of an entirely different nature were transpiring in the palace of Maxtla, at Azcapozalco. The emba.s.sy, consisting of three prominent persons and their attendants, which had been sent to him with the ultimatum of the allied princ.i.p.alities, arrived at his capital in great pomp the day preceding the one on which they were instructed to present it.

The envoys were royally entertained, as was the custom, by fete and feast, and made to feel that they were guests of a great monarch.

The nature of their mission was not known beyond the three representatives, nor was it expected to be until officially announced.

Maxtla had not the slightest idea as to the significance of it.

In the forenoon of the day following their arrival at the palace, and about the time of the opening of the tourney at Tlacopan, an audience was granted the envoys; and, in the presence of the king and his counselors, the emba.s.sy's mission was made known, and the conditions of the ultimatum presented.

Maxtla was astounded and exasperated by what seemed to him the audacity of his petty neighbors. He, however, held his feelings partially under subjection. With all his fierceness and cruelty of disposition he was politic and cunning. He saw, as he thought, in the action of Tlacopan and her allies, a pretense for advancing his interests in that direction--the very thing he had been scheming to bring about, and shaped his course accordingly.

His reply to the envoys was to the effect that the action of the governments they represented was an insult, not only to his own dignity as a monarch, but that of his great empire. Tezcuco, he said, was his by conquest, and would not be relinquished except by force of arms. The enthronement of the despised Hualcoyotl, he further said, would be resisted to the last extremity.

"Go back to your masters," said he, "and say to them that we scorn their implied threats, and will resent the insult they have offered us with the whole force of our empire."

Maxtla's reply to the conditions of the ultimatum was equivalent to a declaration of war, and as such the emba.s.sy interpreted it.

Every respect was shown the envoys and their suit; and, when they departed from the Tepanec capital, they were escorted with due courtesy beyond the city's confines.

In a very short time after their departure the word went abroad throughout Maxtla's dominions that a war was imminent. His scattered forces began immediately to concentrate, and orders were issued for new levies to be made on Tezcuco and his other dependencies for additional troops.

In due time the couriers returned from Tezcuco with the startling intelligence that all the Tezcucans proper, who were subject to military duty, had gone to attend the tourney at Tlacopan, leaving only his own adherents available for immediate service.

Maxtla was thunderstruck at this information, for he saw in it the secret of Tlacopan's temerity. His eyes were opened to the fact that he had been outwitted by somebody, and that Tezcuco was about to slip away from him. His antic.i.p.ations of an easy conquest of the little states opposed to him a.s.sumed a somewhat doubtful aspect, and instead of an extended empire he saw before him a struggle to maintain his supremacy over his already acquired territory. Realizing that celerity of action was imperative, if he would succeed, no time was lost in getting ready for the strife.

The circ.u.mstances attending the situation pointed to Tezcuco as the probable field of contention, and troops were therefore sent forward to that locality as rapidly as organization was effected.

While Maxtla was marshaling his hosts for war, Macua and his confederates were not idle at Tlacopan.

When the concourse of people, which had a.s.sembled to witness the tourney, quietly melted away at its close, preparations were at once begun to get the allied armies into a condition of mobility. It was not expected that Maxtla would accede to the demands made in the ultimatum, so the work of organization went on.

In the evening of the same day on which the emba.s.sy had audience with Maxtla, advance couriers reached Tlacopan with his reply. Its import was antic.i.p.ated, but definite action could not be taken before it arrived.

Orders were immediately issued for the armies to be ready to move for concentration the next morning. It was no longer a secret that war was to be waged with the Tepanec king, and great excitement and bustle prevailed on the heels of the tournament. The excitement was of the profound and solemn sort which is peculiar to preparations preceding a sanguinary strife for supremacy between opposing armies, especially with a semi-civilized people. The priests were actively engaged in their incitations to self-immolation by ceremonies accompanied with dolefully tuned cantations, causing a weirdness to pervade the very heart of the mult.i.tude, which brought a hush of awe upon the scene, giving it an aspect at once ominous and funereal.

All through the fore part of the night following the tournament the secret councils of Tezcuco were moving in a disorganized but orderly procession away from Tlacopan, going to the place of armament. When the morning dawned, an army of them might have been seen ma.s.sed on the border of lake Tezcuco, east of the city. Some of them were already armed, while others were arming, preparatory to marching for concentration.

The armies of the nations of Anahuac were, to say the least, picturesque, and, from a historical standpoint, worthy of a brief description.

The higher grades of warriors--caciques, chiefs, etc.--wore, as a protection to the body, a heavy, quilted, cotton tunic, over which was usually thrown and fastened their superbly elegant _tilmatli_--mantle of featherwork. Their legs, in most cases, were protected by leggings made from various kinds of material, and elaborately fringed with tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of gold and silver, or other bright substance. Short boots, made from animal skin, or close fitting moccasins encased their feet.

Their headgear was varied in character, often representing the head of some animal, a fish or other object. The more grotesque and hideous it was made to appear, the nearer was its purpose attained. However, the indispensable feather decorations generally prevailed.

It is quite safe to venture the a.s.sertion that the dress of the lords of Anahuac was not only gorgeously grotesque, but truly magnificent; while, on the other hand, the uniform of the common soldiers was strikingly undress, consisting, as it did, for the most part, of a plain gird about the loins, and a band of some kind to confine the hair--nothing more. There may have been exceptions to this airiness of apparel, but, as a rule, not enough to place the very convenient costume in danger of being superseded by a more elaborate and less airy one.

The princ.i.p.al arms used by them in battle were the bow and arrow and javelin. They were also provided with sling and dart. These instruments of warfare were pointed with either copper, bone, or obsidian (_itztli_, a transparent mineral substance, very hard, and capable of being reduced to the sharpness of a razor).

The Indian sword (_maquahuitl_) was a heavy staff, on which were inserted, at regular intervals, short, sharp blades of obsidian. This weapon was used by the princ.i.p.al warriors.

The ensemble of an army consisted of battalions, divisions and grand divisions. The first named numbered four or five hundred warriors; the second, six or eight thousand; and the last, proportionately larger; each division and subdivision being under the command of a proper official--cacique, or chief. At the head of each organization was borne an appropriate banner, on which was usually to be seen the insignia of the commandant; while the national standard--the armorial ensign of the ruling house--usually indicated the position of the person in command--great chief.