’Nowweplaythelastroundofthegame，butdonotboast，forGodaloneknowstowhomthevictoryshallbegiven。
Youhaveprosperedlong，butadaymaybeathandwhenyourprosperityshallceasewithyourbreath。
Toyourerrand，JuandeGarcia。’
Foramomenthesatsilent，pullingathispointedbeard，andwatchinghimIthoughtthatIcouldseetheshadowofahalf-
forgottenfearcreepintohiseyes。
Ifso，itwassoongone，forliftinghishead，hespokeboldlyandclearly。
’Thisismymessagetoyou，ThomasWingfield，andtosuchoftheOtomiedogswithwhomyouherdaswehaveleftaliveto-day。
TheCaptainBernalDiazoffersyoutermsonbehalfofhisExcellencytheviceroy。’
’Whatarehisterms？’Iasked。
’Mercifulenoughtosuchpestilentrebelsandheathens，’heansweredsneering。
’Surrenderyourcitywithoutcondition，andtheviceroy，inhisclemency，willacceptthesurrender。
Nevertheless，lestyoushouldsayafterwardsthatfaithhasbeenbrokenwithyou，beitknowntoyou，thatyoushallnotgounpunishedforyourmanycrimes。
Thisisthepunishmentthatshallbeinflictedonyou。
AllthosewhohadpartorparcelinthedevilishmurderofthatholysaintFatherPedro，shallbeburnedatthestake，andtheeyesofallthosewhobehelditshallbeputout。
SuchoftheleadersoftheOtomieasthejudgesmayselectshallbehangedpublicly，amongthemyourself，CousinWingfield，andmoreparticularlythewomanOtomie，daughterofMontezumathelateking。
Fortherest，thedwellersintheCityofPinesmustsurrendertheirwealthintothetreasuryoftheviceroy，andtheythemselves，men，womenandchildren，shallbeledfromthecityandbedistributedaccordingtotheviceroy’spleasureupontheestatesofsuchoftheSpanishsettlersashemayselect，theretolearntheusefulartsofhusbandryandmining。
Thesearetheconditionsofsurrender，andI
amcommandedtosaythatanhourisgivenyouinwhichtodecidewhetheryouacceptorrejectthem。’
’Andifwerejectthem？’
’ThentheCaptainBernalDiazhasorderstosackanddestroythiscity，andhavinggivenitoverfortwelvehourstothemercyoftheTlascalansandotherfaithfulIndianallies，tocollectthosewhomaybeleftlivingwithinit，andbringthemtothecityofMexico，theretobesoldasslaves。’
’Good，’Isaid；’youshallhaveyouranswerinanhour。’
Now，leavingthegateguarded，Ihurriedtothepalace，sendingmessengersasIwenttosummonsuchofthecouncilofthecityasremainedalive。
AtthedoorofthepalaceImetOtomie，whogreetedmefondly，forafterhearingofourdisastershehadhardlylookedtoseemeagain。
’ComewithmetotheHallofAssembly，’Isaid；’thereIwillspeaktoyou。’
Wewenttothehall，wherethemembersofthecouncilwerealreadygathering。
Sosoonasthemostofthemwereassembled，therewerebuteightinall，IrepeatedtothemthewordsofdeGarciawithoutcomment。
ThenOtomiespoke，asbeingthefirstinrankshehadarighttodo。
TwicebeforeIhadheardheraddressthepeopleoftheOtomieuponthesequestionsofdefenceagainsttheSpaniards。
Thefirsttime，itmayberemembered，waswhenwecameasenvoysfromCuitlahua，Montezumaherfather’ssuccessor，topraytheaidofthechildrenofthemountainagainstCortesandtheTeules。
Thesecondtimewaswhen，somefourteenyearsago，wehadreturnedtotheCityofPinesasfugitivesafterthefallofTenoctitlan，andthepopulace，movedtofurybythedestructionofnearlytwentythousandoftheirsoldiers，wouldhavedeliveredusasapeaceofferingintothehandsoftheSpaniards。
OneachoftheseoccasionsOtomiehadtriumphedbyhereloquence，bythegreatnessofhernameandthemajestyofherpresence。
Nowthingswerefarotherwise，andevenhadshenotscornedtousethem，suchartswouldhaveavailedusnothinginthisextremity。
Nowhergreatnamewasbutashadow，oneofmanywaningshadowscastbyanempirewhosegloryhadgoneforever；nowsheusednopassionateappealtotheprideandtraditionsofadoomedrace，nowshewasnolongeryoungandthefirstsplendourofherwomanhoodhaddepartedfromher。
Andyet，aswithhersonandmineatherside，sherosetoaddressthosesevencouncillors，who，haggardwithfearandhopelessinthegraspoffate，crouchedinsilencebeforeher，theirfacesburiedintheirhands，IthoughtthatOtomiehadneverseemedmorebeautiful，andthatherwords，simpleastheywere，hadneverbeenmoreeloquent。
’Friends，’shesaid，’youknowthedisasterthathasovertakenus。
MyhusbandhasgivenyouthemessageoftheTeules。
Ourcaseisdesperate。
Wehavebutathousandmenatmosttodefendthiscity，thehomeofourforefathers，andwealoneofallthepeoplesofAnahuacstilldaretostandinarmsagainstthewhitemen。
YearsagoIsaidtoyou，Choosebetweendeathwithhonourandlifewithshame！
To-dayagainIsaytoyou，Choose！
Formeandminethereisnochoiceleft，sincewhateveryoudecide，deathmustbeourportion。
Butwithyouitisotherwise。
Willyoudiefighting，orwillyouandyourchildrenserveyourremainingyearsasslaves？’
Forawhilethesevenconsultedtogether，thentheirspokesmananswered。
’Otomie，andyou，Teule，wehavefollowedyourcounselsformanyyearsandtheyhavebroughtusbutlittleluck。
Wedonotblameyou，forthegodsofAnahuachavedesertedusaswehavedesertedthem，andthegodsalonestandbetweenmenandtheirevildestiny。
Whatevermisfortuneswemayhaveborne，youhavesharedinthem，andsoitisnowattheend。
NorwillwegobackuponourwordsinthisthelasthourofthepeopleoftheOtomie。
Wehavechosen；wehavelivedfreewithyou，andstillfree，wewilldiewithyou。
ForlikeyouweholdthatitisbetterforusandourstoperishasfreementhantodragoutourdaysbeneaththeyokeoftheTeule。’
’Itiswell，’saidOtomie；’nownothingremainsforusexcepttoseekadeathsogloriousthatitshallbesungofinafterdays。
Husband，youhaveheardtheanswerofthecouncil。
LettheSpaniardshearitalso。’
SoIwentbacktothewall，awhiteflaginmyhand，andpresentlyanenvoyadvancedfromtheSpanishcamptospeakwithme——notdeGarcia，butanother。
ItoldhiminfewwordsthatthosewhoremainedaliveofthepeopleoftheOtomiewoulddiebeneaththeruinsoftheircitylikethechildrenofTenoctitlanbeforethem，butthatwhiletheyhadaspeartothrowandanarmtothrowit，theywouldneveryieldtothetendermerciesoftheSpaniard。
Theenvoyreturnedtothecamp，andwithinanhourtheattackbegan。
Bringinguptheirpiecesofordnance，theSpaniardssetthemwithinlittlemorethananhundredpacesofthegates，andbegantobatteruswithironshotattheirleisure，forourspearsandarrowscouldscarcelyharmthematsuchadistance。
Stillwewerenotidle，forseeingthatthewoodengatesmustsoonbedown，wedemolishedhousesoneithersideofthemandfilleduptheroadwaywithstonesandrubbish。
AttherearoftheheapthusformedIcausedagreattrenchtobedug，whichcouldnotbepassedbyhorsemenandordnancetillitwasfilledinagain。
AllalongthemainstreetleadingtothegreatsquareoftheteocalliIthrewupotherbarricades，protectedinthefrontandrearbydykescutthroughtheroadway，andincasetheSpaniardsshouldtrytoturnourflankandforceapassagethroughthenarrowandtortuouslanestotherightandleft，Ialsobarricadedthefourentrancestothegreatsquareormarketplace。
TillnightfalltheSpaniardsbombardedtheshatteredremainsofthegatesandtheearthworksbehindthem，doingnogreatdamagebeyondthekillingofaboutascoreofpeoplebycannonshotandarquebussballs。
Buttheyattemptednoassaultthatday。
Atlengththedarknessfellandtheirfireceased，butnotsoourlabours。
Mostofthemenmustguardthegatesandtheweakspotsinthewalls，andthereforethebuildingofthebarricadeswasleftchieflytothewomen，workingundermycommandandthatofmycaptains。
Otomieherselftookashareinthetoil，anexamplethatwasfollowedbyeveryladyandindeedbyeverywomaninthecity，andthereweremanyofthem，forthewomenoutnumberedthemenamongtheOtomie，andmoreovernotafewofthemhadbeenmadewidowsonthatsameday。
Itwasastrangesighttoseethemintheglareofhundredsoftorchessplitfromtheresinpinethatgaveitsnametothecity，asallnightlongtheymovedtoandfroinlines，eachofthemstaggeringbeneaththeweightofabasketofearthoraheavystone，ordugwithwoodenspadesatthehardsoil，orlabouredatthepullingdownofhouses。
Theynevercomplained，butworkedonsullenlyanddespairingly；nogroanortearbrokefromthem，no，notevenfromthosewhosehusbandsandsonshadbeenhurledthatmorningfromtheprecipicesofthepass。
Theyknewthatresistancewouldbeuselessandthattheirdoomwasathand，butnocryaroseamongthemofsurrendertotheSpaniards。
ThoseofthemwhospokeofthematteratallsaidwithOtomie，thatitwasbettertodiefreethantoliveasslaves，butthemostdidnotspeak；theoldandtheyoung，mother，wife，widow，andmaid，theylabouredinsilenceandthechildrenlabouredattheirsides。
Lookingatthemitcameintomymindthatthesesilentpatientwomenwereinspiredbysomecommonanddesperatepurpose，thatallknewof，butwhichnoneofthemchosetotell。
’WillyouworksohardforyourmasterstheTeules？’criedamaninbittermockery，asafileofthemtoiledpastbeneaththeirloadsofstone。
’Fool！’answeredtheirleader，ayoungandlovelyladyofrank；’dothedeadlabour？’
’Nay，’saidthisilljester，’butsuchasyouaretoofairfortheTeulestokill，andyouryearsofslaverywillbemany。
Say，howshallyouescapethem？’
’Fool！’answeredtheladyagain，’doesfirediefromlackoffuelonly，andmusteverymanlivetillagetakeshim？
Weshallescapethemthus，’andcastingdownthetorchshecarried，shetroditintotheearthwithhersandal，andwentonwithherload。
ThenI
wassurethattheyhadsomepurpose，thoughIdidnotguesshowdesperateitwas，andOtomiewouldtellmenothingofthiswoman’ssecret。
’Otomie，’Isaidtoherthatnight，whenwemetbychance，’Ihaveillnewsforyou。’
’Itmustbebadindeed，husband，tobesonamedinsuchanhour，’
sheanswered。
’DeGarciaisamongourfoes。’
’Iknewit，husband。’
’Howdidyouknowit？’
’Bythehatewritteninyoureyes，’sheanswered。
’Itseemsthathishouroftriumphisathand，’Isaid。
’Nay，beloved，notHISbutYOURS。
YoushalltriumphoverdeGarcia，butvictorywillcostyoudear。
Iknowitinmyheart；askmenothoworwhy。
See，theQueenputsonhercrown，’andshepointedtothevolcanXaca，whosesnowsgrewrosywiththedawn，’andyoumustgotothegate，fortheSpaniardswillsoonbestirring。’
AsOtomiespokeIheardatrumpetblarewithoutthewalls。
Hurryingtothegatesbythefirstlightofday，IcouldseethattheSpaniardsweremusteringtheirforcesforattack。
Theydidnotcomeatonce，however，butdelayedtillthesunwaswellup。
Thentheybegantopourafuriousfireuponourdefences，thatreducedtheshatteredbeamsofthegatestopowder，andevenshookdownthecrestoftheearthworkbeyondthem。
Suddenlythefiringceasedandagainatrumpetcalled。
Nowtheychargedusincolumn，athousandormoreTlascalansleadingthevan，followedbytheSpanishforce。
IntwominutesI，whoawaitedthembeyondittogetherwithsomethreehundredwarriorsoftheOtomie，sawtheirheadsappearoverthecrestoftheearthwork，andthefightbegan。