A Prince of Anahuac Part 36

It was late in the afternoon when the Tepanec army commenced its retrograde movement. The victorious allies followed up their advantage so long as it was possible, fighting and harra.s.sing their retreating foe. Darkness finally came on, which put a stop to the strife.

It was not so much an object to kill, with the Anahuacans, ordinarily, as it was to capture.

Prisoners of war were reserved for sacrifice to the G.o.ds; and in order that greater numbers might be secured, incentives were held out to the soldiers to encourage the taking of them. They did not engage in the barbarous practice of scalping a fallen foe, but made a warrior's standing and promotion depend on the number of prisoners taken by him in battle, and any violation of his rights, by depriving him of his due as a captor, was severely punished--in extreme cases by death. For this reason their battles were attended with comparatively little loss of life.

The losses of the allies were mostly in prisoners, the number of their killed being quite small. Maxtla's losses, on the contrary, were chiefly in killed, for the reason that the Tezcucans, on this occasion, fought a fight of extermination. At least one fifth of the defeated army was left in the hands of the victors.

The victorious allies bivouacked for the night on the field of battle.

The wounded were cared for and the dead disposed of, while the prisoners were put under a strong guard and sent to the rear.

When order was brought out of confusion, and the missing warriors reported, Euetzin was found to be among them. This was a heavy blow to the prince and Ixtlilchoatl; for, of all the army, he was the man whom they would have had join them in rejoicing over their victory. His ominous absence robbed it of much of the joy their triumph would otherwise have brought them. They knew only too well the doom that awaited him if in Maxtla's hands; if not liberated, his fate was sealed.

A council of war was held; and, as the tzin stood high in the esteem of all the princes, it was decided to push Maxtla to the wall, and, if possible, save the young cacique from the terrible fate of a prisoner of war. Ixtlilchoatl accordingly issued orders for the army to march at dawn the next morning, for the purpose of again engaging the enemy in battle.

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

Tzin Euet was a prisoner, and very severely wounded. Eagerness to engage the enemy, and the impetuosity with which he led his warriors to the support of the allies, brought him, quickly, into the thickest of the fray. He fought as men only fight who realize the importance of a complete victory, which, in this instance, depended on the tenacity of the right wing of the army in holding the foe in check and calling for the engagement of his whole force by pressing him vigorously, which was according to Ixtlilchoatl's plan of defense, and of which Euetzin was fully advised.

When the Tezcucan battle-cry was heard coming from the sixth grand division as it fell upon the enemy's right flank, and was carried from left to right by the sister organizations, a fresh impetus was given to the momentum of the whole repelling army, and the battle, if possible, grew more fierce and sanguinary. In the struggle which ensued the tzin was carried into the very midst of the seething ma.s.s of human tigers, where he became separated from his men. When too late to extricate himself, he discovered, to his dismay, that he was surrounded by Tepanec warriors, who, seeing in him an important capture, struck him down with the javelin, and bore him, a bleeding prisoner, from the field.

In the retreat of the defeated army the prisoners were placed in the van--the severely wounded borne on stretchers. Euetzin was among the latter, feeling very much discouraged in view of his almost helpless condition, though glad of heart for the splendid victory his people had won.

Soon after darkness came on, Maxtla called a halt and his shattered forces went into camp. In the arrangement of the bivouac the wounded were placed apart from the regular organizations, and put in charge of surgeons, with which the armies were well supplied, and of whom the historian has said, in commendation: "Not with a view to prolonging the ill to extend the bill," as might be said of some modern pract.i.tioners, "was their skill directed, but to a speedy restoration of the patient to health."

Such a thing as a night attack was never considered by the Anahuacans in carrying on a war, and, so long as darkness covered the earth, an army of warriors could go to sleep with the a.s.surance that they would not be disturbed by the enemy. A guard, therefore, was not established anywhere in Maxtla's army, except about the prisoners. This left the wounded almost free from surveillance.

Soon after the Tepanec forces went into camp a lad, apparently about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and rather stoutly built, might have been seen moving about among the soldiers. His dress was somewhat odd, indicating no particular connection or occupation. When asked as to who he was and where he lived, he answered, evasively, that he lived over near the lake, which was not a league away. He did not appear to be a person who might be suspected of having a special object in being there, and require watching. He was, therefore, permitted to move about of his own free will.

During the evening the youngster found opportunity to go among the wounded. He appeared to be searching for someone, for he scrutinized each person closely, as he pa.s.sed. When he came to the tzin, and got a good look at him, his countenance quickly brightened--he had discovered the object of his search. Gaining Euetzin's attention, he gave him a sign of caution, and moved carelessly on.

The tzin recognized in the strange visitor a lad he had seen on several occasions, in the last few days before the battle, apparently doing duty as a messenger for someone in the allied army, and wondered greatly at his being in the Tepanec camp. He was sure from the boy's actions that he had something to communicate, and kept on the lookout for his return. He came, sure enough, and unconcernedly approached the tzin, who said:

"Do you wish to speak to me?"

In response to the inquiry the lad came quite close, and whispered:

"When the fires have burned out, and darkness hides you, come to a tree just beyond the camp--almost to the west--where you will find help to escape. Do not hesitate." Without waiting for a reply the strange youth turned slowly away, and disappeared.

Euetzin was greatly astonished. "What interest can the boy have in me, that he is here to aid in my escape?" he questioned. "And yet," he pursued, "he may be the agent of another. If I only might," he concluded, realizing his seemingly helpless condition. He had quite a little while in which to think over the matter before the fires would burn sufficiently low to enable him to withdraw from the camp unseen.

He doubted his ability to succeed, for he was feeling very sore. His wound was a serious one, and that he might try to get away was not thought of by the doctors. He knew that it would be endangering his life to make the attempt, but when he considered that death was ahead of him if he remained a prisoner, he concluded that it had better be met in an effort to escape than at the hands of the Tepanec priests, later. Thus persuaded, he decided to take the risk.

When the time arrived at which he thought he might safely attempt to go he raised himself to a sitting posture, and looked about him to be a.s.sured that everything was favorable. Nothing could be seen or heard to deter him from starting at once, and quietly rolling from the stretcher onto his hands and knees, he crawled slowly and noiselessly from among the wounded warriors, careless as to whether they were sleeping or not, so long as his movements were not discovered. He almost forgot his suffering in the excitement he experienced from the hope of a possible escape, which grew stronger as, by degrees, he approached the limits of the camp. After getting safely beyond he attempted to rise to his feet, but found the exertion too painful to be endured, and sank back upon the ground, where he lay until the pain subsided, when he again started off, crawling. He had pursued, as nearly as he could estimate, a westerly course from the camp, and when he had gone a short distance farther from it, stopped to look for the tree alluded to by the boy. He discovered one off to his right, which he concluded must be the right one, and again resumed his slow and painful movement in its direction. It proved to be the tree referred to, for, on coming close to it, he was discovered by the lad, who was on the watch for him, and seemed highly delighted at his appearance.

"I am so glad!" he exclaimed, "for I feared you would not come."

"What is it to you, boy, whether I come or stay?" asked the tzin, abruptly.

"It is much to me, which I hope you will live to learn. But now, tzin Euet, let it be enough for you to know that I am here to help you,"

returned the lad in some confusion, caused by tzin's abruptness.

"But I would like to know who you are, that takes so much interest in my welfare."

"My name is Hualla, tzin--just Hualla, but you must not question me.

Time is precious to us, and we must hasten. In yonder woods, toward the lake, we may find security. When we are there you shall know where I came from."

"I already know where you came from, for I have seen you in our army; but I would know more: I would know why you are interested in me,"

persisted the tzin.

"We are losing time; let us be off," returned the youth, evasively, and with increasing anxiety.

"Is there no one with you?" questioned the tzin.

"No one; I am alone."

"My young friend, I can not walk; how then, do you imagine, am I going to reach those woods without a.s.sistance?" Spoken in a tone of disappointment.

"I will a.s.sist you. I am strong, if not very large," was the confident reply.

"You are very good, Hualla, in being so willing and anxious to help me, but I fear you will not be equal to the demands which my crippled condition will require in an effort to gain the cover of yon woods."

"You will let me try, tzin; I may be stronger than you think," said the lad, taking hold of Euetzin's arm to a.s.sist him to rise.

"Yes, you may try. Until you have done so, we will not despair; our combined efforts may prove successful," said Euetzin, getting onto his feet, with the a.s.sistance of the youth.

"Now lean on me," said Hualla, putting his arm around the tzin's body.

"In this way I think we can get on."

A heroic effort was now made by both to get away from the vicinity of Maxtla's camp. The tzin suffered intensely at every step, and his face, could it have been seen, would have shown a deathly pallor. While the effort continued he found it necessary to gradually lean more heavily upon his support, until the youth, from sheer inability to proceed farther, allowed his burden to sink to the ground.

They had covered in the effort quite a little distance, and the lad, though considerably exhausted, was encouraged. But just here a new complication entered into the situation: the bandages which confined the tzin's wound had become disarranged by his exertions, and hemorrhage ensued. There was no alternative in the matter: they must stop and rearrange the disordered bandages.

Stretching himself on the ground, the tzin gave directions to Hualla as to how he should proceed, and the bleeding was checked. In performing the operation, no woman's fingers ever worked more gently than did Hualla's.

The tzin once more endeavored to rise to his feet, but failed in the attempt because of the extreme pain it caused him.

"I can go no farther, Hualla," he said, in deep distress.

The lad appeared to be greatly affected by the failure, as Euetzin could discern, even in the darkness. He walked away a few steps, as if to hide his emotion. Returning presently, he said, in an excited tone of voice:

"Tzin Euet, you must escape. Macua, my master, and Hualcoyotl--yes, Ixtlilchoatl, too, would have it so. I will carry you."

Euetzin was astonished at the vehemence in the youth's actions, and also at his allusion to Ix and the two princes. He quickly inquired:

"Are you a servant to Macua, and here at his bidding?"