Afterwards Otomie, Guatemoc, and I went into the garden of the palace and sat upon the crest of a small pyramid, a teocalli in miniature that Montezuma had built for a place of outlook on the market and the courts of the temple.  From this spot we saw the dancing of the Aztec nobles, and heard the song of the musicians.  It was a gay sight, for in the bright sunlight their feather dresses flashed like coats of gems, and none would have guessed how it was to end.  Mingling with the dancers were groups of Spaniards clad in mail and armed with swords and matchlocks, but I noted that, as the time went on, these men separated themselves from the Indians and began to cluster like bees about the gates and at various points under the shadow of the Wall of Serpents.

‘Now what may this mean?’ I said to Guatemoc, and as I spoke, I saw a Spaniard wave a white cloth in the air.  Then, in an instant, before the cloth had ceased to flutter, a smoke arose from every side, and with it came the sound of the firing of matchlocks.  Everywhere among the dancers men fell dead or wounded, but the mass of them, unharmed as yet, huddled themselves together like frightened sheep, and stood silent and terror-stricken.  Then the Spaniards, shouting the name of their patron saint, as it is their custom to do when they have some such wickedness in hand, drew their swords, and rushing on the unarmed Aztec nobles began to kill them.  Now some shrieked and fled, and some stood still till they were cut down, but whether they stayed or ran the end was the same, for the gates were guarded and the wall was too high to climb.  There they were slaughtered every man of them, and may God, who sees all, reward their murderers!  It was soon over; within ten minutes of the waving of the cloth, those six hundred men were stretched upon the pavement dead or dying, and with shouts of victory the Spaniards were despoiling their corpses of the rich ornaments they had worn.

Then I turned to Guatemoc and said, ’It seems that you did well not to join in yonder revel.’

But Guatemoc made no answer.  He stared at the dead and those who had murdered them, and said nothing.  Only Otomie spoke:  ’You Christians are a gentle people,’ she said with a bitter laugh; ’it is thus that you repay our hospitality.  Now I trust that Montezuma, my father, is pleased with his guests.  Ah! were I he, every man of them should lie on the stone of sacrifice.  If our gods are devils as you say, what are those who worship yours?’

Then at length Guatemoc said, ’Only one thing remains to us, and that is vengeance.  Montezuma has become a woman, and I heed him no more, nay, if it were needful, I would kill him with my own hand.  But two men are still left in the land, Cuitlahua, my uncle, and myself.  Now I go to summon our armies.’  And he went.