CHAPTER XXIV.

The continued good fortune of the prince in evading capture was a source of great annoyance and aggravation to the evil disposed Maxtla.

He was daily becoming more violent and overt in his conduct, ruling with an arbitrary hand. He had terrorized his household, and the sound of his voice was sufficient to cause a flurry of trepidation to agitate its members. His subjects regarded him with fear and trembling, and his comportment toward his weaker neighbors was a growing menace. His soldiers seemed to partake largely of his evil tendencies, for, in their search after Hualcoyotl, they became a dread to the inhabitants of the valley and surrounding country in consequence of their flagrant and atrocious acts.

After weeks of determined but unsuccessful efforts to secure the person of the prince, Maxtla decided on a council with his advisers over the matter, and they were accordingly ordered to a.s.semble in the council chamber. The subject was duly considered, but without any definite conclusion. As was customary, when a question of so much importance proved unsolvable by the council, the oracles (high priests) were called upon for a solution of the matter, which resulted in their declaring that the G.o.ds were favoring the fugitive prince as against the king, and must be propitiated. Agreeably to this decision, an early day was fixed for the sacrificial ceremony which was to mollify the wrath of the particularly offended deities, and the priests were instructed to have ready the necessary number of victims for the occasion.

The temples (_teocallis_) of the ancient Mexicans, which were numerous, were peculiar structures, usually rising in pyramidal form to various heights, depending, doubtless, on the importance attached to the presiding deities which they represented and to whom they were dedicated. They were constructed solidly of earth, incased around with stone, or blocks of clay, which were hardened by some peculiar process of their own. The structure usually consisted of several stories--as many as four or five--each of which rose twenty or more feet, terminating at a terrace of accommodating width, which extended clear around the temple. Four or five of these terraces carried the structure up as much as a hundred feet, culminating in a broad, flat, paved area, on which were situated the sanctuaries of the G.o.ds, and in which a great sculptured image of each was placed. In front of each sanctuary was an altar, whereon the sacred fire was kept constantly burning, and which, not infrequently, was stained with human blood.

Near the altars stood the sacrificial block on which the victim was immolated in the horrible and sickening act of tearing the heart from the breast and laying it on the altar as a conciliatory offering to the offended deity, while the organ was still pulsating.

The terraces were gained by steps on the outside, leaning at an angle with the wall, which inclined toward the center.

The ceremonies were always public, and from the situation at the summit were to be viewed from any part of the city.

The processions engaged in by the priests--a mult.i.tude in themselves, winding their way as many times as there were terraces around the great _teocalli_, from base to summit--were impressive spectacles, at which the people were expected to be present as witnesses; and, as one author has said, since a ceremony of some sort occurred almost every day, it is difficult to understand how the ordinary business of life could, under such conditions, go on.

The day appointed by Maxtla for the propitiating of the G.o.ds was ushered in by the sound of the doleful drum. The people, who were a.s.sembled by thousands, arrayed in their most gorgeous attire--when arrayed at all--filled the city's public places. A religious chant, accompanied with dancing and contortions of the body, and a representation of minstrelsy, in a multiplication of weird noises, was begun and continued throughout the procession and ceremony.

One by one the victims were led or borne to the sacrificial block, and if, perchance, they paused upon the area of the temple's summit, their anointed bodies, which were shielded only by a girdle about the loins, glistened in the sun's intense light--a mollifying spectacle for Aztec G.o.ds.

When the ceremony had progressed to that point when all the bloodthirstiness which such sights must surely beget in the savage mind had taken possession of the witnesses, a thought seemed to occur suddenly to Maxtla, who was a delighted spectator of the b.l.o.o.d.y carnival, and he exclaimed:

"Bring hither Itzalmo, the traitorous friend and counselor of Hualcoyotl, and prepare him for the sacrifice. Let him die for the appeasing of the G.o.ds."

The prison-keeper, who had charge of Itzalmo's dungeon, took the necessary a.s.sistance and proceeded to execute the order of the king.

When the dungeon to which Itzalmo had been consigned was reached by the prison-keeper and his a.s.sistants, the door was thrown open, and they entered to secure the prisoner, but a surprise awaited them which they were not antic.i.p.ating--the cell was empty; Itzalmo was not there.

The prison-keeper was speechless with amazement at the discovery, and, on contemplating the consequences to himself of the prisoner's escape, became horrified at the thought of the fate which certainly awaited him. He returned to the presence of the king, fully realizing the awful strait in which the situation put him. Prostrating himself at Maxtla's feet, he cried out, in accents of despair:

"Woe is come to thy servant, O King, and he is undone; for Itzalmo, the prisoner, is gone! He has fled his prison cell."

Maxtla looked for a moment, in menacing silence, on the prostrate man before him, his face becoming, as he did so, livid with rage. When he spoke, his accents were inhuman--demoniacal.

"Miserable dotard!" he exclaimed. "Thy cowardly, cringing body is fit only for sacerdotal hands. A heart for a heart it shall be--not Itzalmo's, but thine, shall fall to-day, to a.s.suage the offended G.o.ds.

Take him hence to the block, and let his blood condone his offense."

Thus did the keeper of Itzalmo's dungeon become, innocently, the victim of Maxtla's ferocity.

The sacrificial ceremony was at last concluded. The sanguinary rites, in compliance with the demands of the offended deities, had been formally observed, and Maxtla, according to the declarations of the oracles, was thereby restored to favor. The a.s.sembled mult.i.tude dispersed, self-satisfied with its part in the b.l.o.o.d.y festival, and quiet once more prevailed in Azcapozalco.

Maxtla was not a man to be thwarted in his designs without a supreme effort to accomplish them. Itzalmo had escaped, but the whole Tepanec empire should be called to the support of the king, that his purposes might be made good. Pursuant to this end an edict was issued, to the effect that Itzalmo was outlawed, and, furthermore, his delivery to the Tepanec authorities, dead or alive, would be amply rewarded.

Unfortunately for Maxtla, in his purpose to not only retake Itzalmo, but to discover his abettors, who, if taken, would suffer equally with the escaped prisoner, he had, in sacrificing his prison-keeper, removed the only person who might have found a clue to the party concerned in the liberation. By his destruction the security of the liberators, if not Itzalmo's, was a.s.sured.

When it was learned by the friends of Itzalmo, who were members of the king's retinue, and who, during his imprisonment, had looked well to his comforts, that a sacrifice to the G.o.ds was contemplated, they became alarmed for his safety, and at once set about arranging for his escape. The necessary preparations were effected, and the night prior to the day on which the sacrifice was to take place was fixed upon as the time to deliver him from his imprisonment.

Agreeably to arrangements, about the hour of midnight two men entered the pa.s.sage which led to the stairway down which they had to go to be on the same ground as was Itzalmo's dungeon. They were not unacquainted with the locality, and quickly gained the avenue leading to the cell.

One of the party carried a lighted taper, which greatly facilitated their movements. When the cell was reached, the fastenings were removed and the door thrown open. As it swung back on its hinges, one of the party inquired:

"Are you ready, Itzalmo?"

"Yes, I am ready. Lead on," he answered, and walked forth a free man once more.

When he was outside of the dungeon the fastenings were replaced, and the party moved silently and cautiously to the stairway, and up. Here the taper was extinguished, making their progress from this point necessarily very slow. They finally emerged upon the narrow court at the rear of the palace, and from there into the great inclosed court, where one of the conductors turned aside, leaving the other to accompany Itzalmo alone.

Leaving the great court, Itzalmo and his conductor came out onto a wide street, feeling somewhat apprehensive as to the outcome of their undertaking. The city was thoroughly policed by the soldiers of the king, who were supposed to be, without exception, his adherents.

However, Itzalmo was a stranger to all of them, whether friends or foes, which was greatly in his favor.

The old Tezcucan's friends had taken the precaution to furnish him with a suit of priestly attire, making it an easy matter to offer a pretense for being on the street at so unseasonable an hour. Under such conditions the liability of detection was greatly lessened.

The avenues of the royal city being broad and extensive, Itzalmo and his conductor could hardly expect to travel them, even at the late hour of midnight, without being discovered, and, in all probability, stopped. So the bold plan of moving nonchalantly through the streets was adopted.

An exhibition of nonchalance does not always indicate unflinching bravery, and is never a.s.sumed by a brave man, except as a means to an end.

Though men of the dare-devil stamp, who are nonchalant, and appear to be careless of consequences, may not, under such circ.u.mstances as surrounded the old Tezcucan and his escort, feel in any degree apprehensive, it is not always the result of true courage, but more often lack of consideration. Such men are not to be cla.s.sed in any sense with the conscientious, considerate man, who, anxious and expectant, steps into the unexplored and doubtful breach, uncertain as to what awaits him there--the man who, realizing that danger, and perhaps death, may be just ahead, sets hard his teeth, and, with paling cheek, goes bravely forward to meet it. The latter is the man who wins battles, and, if needs be, dies a hero, while the former far too often proves himself a bl.u.s.tering braggart, who, when death stalks forth, forgets all else save his own safety, and ignominiously becomes a turn-tail.

We have seen Itzalmo, with dauntless courage, face the tyrant Maxtla, the most cruel and heartless man in all the Anahuac; still, he was not a dare-devil, but a conscientious, unswerving friend, who could die in the performance of a duty, as only such men can. His courage, however, was not a feelingless one. His heart, no doubt, beat quicker, while his face grew less florid; yet, in the consciousness of well-doing, and the strength of an unyielding faithfulness, he was capable of heroic action.

When the distance of about two squares had been gone over, they were challenged by the demand:

"Who goes there at this late hour?"

"A priest and escort, on their way to visit the sick," was the quick reply.

"Ah, Melca, is that you?" questioned the guard, who recognized an acquaintance in the voice of Itzalmo's companion.

"Yes, it is me," he answered. "I am seldom out at this hour,"

apologetically, "but the call of a friend in distress must needs be answered, even though it be at midnight."

The escort was not a little disturbed at his sudden recognition by the guard, though, on second thought, saw security in Itzalmo's perfect disguise. The old man made a venerable representative of the character he had a.s.sumed, which the soldier could easily discern in the semi-darkness; and as great reverence for that cla.s.s of citizens was generally entertained, there was hardly a possibility of detection.

After a brief scrutiny of the priestly appearing Itzalmo, the guard said:

"It is well, Melca. Pa.s.s on; and may your friend find consolation from your visit."

Since he had succeeded without difficulty in deceiving an acquaintance, Melca was a.s.sured that they would have no trouble in pa.s.sing out of the city, and so it proved. They met with several guards, who readily pa.s.sed them along when informed of the mission they were on. Thus they got safely beyond the city's limits and out into the country, where a consultation was held as to where they should go.

It was wisely concluded to keep away from Tezcuco, as it would undoubtedly be the first place visited by the emissaries of Maxtla in their search for the condemned Itzalmo. They decided, accordingly, to get out of the tyrannical king's dominions as quickly as possible, and seek concealment in some secluded locality. A road leading to the south, along the western border of the lake, was taken and followed until Tlacopan was reached, where a stop of one day was made to give Itzalmo a resting spell; after which they went on around the lake until they came to a small, isolated hamlet, situated on the lake's border, among the trees which grew there, and by which it was almost hidden, where the old man found refuge with some loyal countrymen, with whom we leave him for the present, in company with Melca, his escort, who decided, after being recognized by the guard, that it might not be safe for him to return to Azcapozalco.

CHAPTER XXV.