It was Itlza's voice, low and sorrowful, addressing her lover, who had improved the first favorable moment, after the army became settled in Tezcuco, to visit the villa, where he found Teochma prostrated with grief, and Itlza very sad, though supported by the expectation of an early visit from him.

"Despair not, O Laughing-eyes; Euetzin may yet find favor with the G.o.ds. He is not dead, or his body would have been found upon the battle field."

"It were better, Cacami, if he were dead; for, oh, what a fate awaits him, if he is a prisoner!" she replied, sorrowfully.

"Let us not think of that, but rather hope against such a fate, and for a little while rejoice that we are once more brought together."

"I do rejoice, Cacami, in your preservation, and that I have you with me again; but how can I forget, for one moment, my poor, unfortunate brother?"

"Do not forget him, Laughing-eyes, but be cheered by the hope that he is not lost."

"I will try, and you will help me by recounting of yourself. How do you rank in this hour of our people's triumph?" she questioned, with a supreme effort at rallying from her dejection.

"I have no particular rank as yet, Laughing-eyes, more than that of one of the prince's chief attendants. I stood with him through both battles, and we have come to be very good friends."

"I see that you have been decorated, but do not know the significance of the badges you wear. Tell me about them, Cacami."

"This decoration," he said, directing her attention to a beautifully constructed and highly ornamental badge, "was awarded me by Hualcoyotl for doing my duty--he called it valorous conduct in battle. I prize it above all else, for it tells me I am no longer unworthy of your love."

Looking up at her fondly.

"Who but yourself ever thought you unworthy?" she quickly answered.

"It was enough that I should think so, Laughing-eyes, without consulting the thoughts of others."

"Well, I'm glad you have changed your mind, at any rate," she rejoined, in quite a happy vein. "But this other one, Cacami, what deed of bravery brought you that?" she continued, lifting from his breast a superbly finished medal.

"No deed of bravery brought me that, Itlza. It was won by skill; and is the price of a man's life."

"O, why did you tell me that?" interrupted she, dropping the blood bought bauble.

"Wait, Laughing-eyes, until you have heard the story; then you will not think so badly of it," he replied, in answer to her repellantly e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed question. "It was given me by Macua, king of Tlacopan, at the great tourney in token of his appreciation of my skill in throwing the javelin. I was not a contestant, but, notwithstanding, had occasion to use my weapon. It happened in this wise: In a bout between lancers a Tepanec warrior was bent on murdering his opponent after he had struck him down. When I saw his purpose I sprang to the defense of the fallen man, killing the would-be a.s.sa.s.sin with my javelin before he accomplished the foul deed. And know, O Laughing-eyes, the defeated lancer was a Tezcucan. Can you blame me for doing what the people applauded, and Macua rewarded?"

"No, Cacami, I can not blame you. I should have judged you better. The badge becomes you; wear it where Macua placed it, but only as his gift, forgetting it was won at such a cost."

"I felt sure you would not blame me for defending a fallen countryman, even at the cost of a foeman's life. He was a foeman, Laughing-eyes, a foeman of Tezcuco's, or why his bitter hatred for the warrior whom he had fairly defeated?"

"Yes, it must have been hatred that lead him on to his death; but, Cacami, such scenes are best forgotten; let us talk of something else."

"Shall we talk of love, then, Laughing-eyes?"

"Better that than of scenes of blood. Yes, let us talk of love. What of the troth, O Cacami, which was left unpledged until you, with your sword, should win honor and fame? Are you not a decorated warrior now?"

"Yes, Laughing-eyes, I am; but is it well to talk of pledges now? Had we not better wait? I am not less desirous than yourself to seal our love with the sacred kiss of troth; but, Itlza, your brother, the best friend I ever had, may yet be saved; and, should he be, I want him to know, and Teochma, your mother, too, before our pledge is sealed. Our love will keep, as it has in the past. Who knows, but ourselves, that we are lovers? And, since this is so, who may come between us?"

Ah, Cacami! if you had only known what lay beyond, we think you would hardly have plead for delay, though in doing so you showed an honorable disposition.

"Who, indeed, may come between us?" returned Itlza, in a spirit of concession. "It were honorable in you, Cacami, to be considerate of my mother and brother's pleasure in the matter of our troth. I should not be the one to urge it against your reason, nor will I. No; as you say, our love will keep."

While Cacami and Itlza, secure in their own minds as to a final and happy consummation of their dreams, were felicitous--though sad--in each other's society, Hualcoyotl sat alone in his palace apartments laying plans, which, if successfully carried out, would bring about their separation, and the frustration of their cherished hopes. And yet, he was ignorant of the fact that two lives were to be made unspeakably wretched by the course he was planning to pursue. He loved Itlza, but never stopped to think that she might love another; and, possibly, did not consider such a contingency of sufficient importance to require a serious thought; for was he not soon to be made a king, whose will would be law, even in the choice of a wife? His affection for his lost friend, and the sympathy he felt for the bereaved mother and sister awakened in his already predisposed mind thoughts of an immediate union with the latter, and he planned accordingly.

It was the custom of the ruling princes of the Anahuac, when a queen was to be chosen, to have the intended royal consort brought to the palace of the prospective royal groom, to receive such instructions as would fit her for the high position she would be called to fill. With this end in view, the prince decided that Itlza, with her mother as a chaperon, should be transferred to his palace at once. He was not yet a king, and had no authority to issue a command. What he did at this time was necessarily done by courtesy. When the power to command should be placed in his hands he would be less persuasive; before, however, his ends would have to be reached by the milder methods. The mother was accordingly apprised of his wishes, and asked to give them her immediate and favorable consideration.

Teochma was not aware, as the reader knows, that matters had gone so far with Itlza and Cacami as to reach an avowal of their attachment for each other; although she felt they were more devoted than they should be, since in her mother-heart had been fostered a hope that Itlza might yet fill the exalted position of Queen of Tezcuco. Attributing the prince's proposal to the right motive, she saw in it the possible consummation of her aspirations, and would not have been human had she not experienced a certain degree of elation at the prospect. She acceded to the proposition, and looked forward to her temporary establishment in the palace as but the entrance to her future exalted position of mother to the queen.

The ready acquiescence of Teochma to his wishes was very gratifying to the prince, and preparations for receiving his intended at the palace immediately followed.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

After reaching the woods, and fixing himself as comfortably as he could, the tzin tried to get some sleep, but could not succeed in wooing to himself the coveted forgetfulness. The signs in his condition were not at all favorable; he was feverish, and his wound quite painful. Hualla showed much concern, and, when it grew light enough to see, insisted on being permitted to redress his wound. The tzin was not disposed to allow him to undertake it, fearing he would do him more harm than good, but, growing rapidly more distressed and restless, finally yielded, and the lad proceeded with the dressing. Euetzin was agreeably surprised at the handy manner in which it was done. The relief to him, which followed, was so marked, and the result so soothing, that he quickly dropped off to sleep. When Hualla saw that he slept, he laid himself on the ground near by, and was soon sleeping soundly, from a head to foot weariness.

The sun was well up toward the zenith when the lad awoke. He arose and approached the sleeping tzin, who appeared to be suffering even while slumbering. His breathing was heavy, and accompanied by a sound very much like a moan. After looking at him searchingly for a moment, the youth turned away with an anxious expression on his face, and went to the border of the woods to ascertain if the Tepanec army was still on the plain. Discovering that it was not, he returned to find Euetzin just waking. On attempting to rise to a sitting posture, the tzin found that he could not, and fell back with a groan. Seeing his failure to get up, and the evident suffering the effort caused him, Hualla went quickly to his side and said:

"Let me help you, tzin."

"No, Hualla, it is not for want of strength, but in consequence of pain, that I can not rise. I fear your a.s.sistance will no longer avail, since I am so sore and stiff."

"I am willing to do anything to serve you, tzin Euet. Can't you advise me?" questioned the lad, anxiously.

The voice in which these words were spoken was so like something he had heard before, that Euetzin looked sharply at the speaker. He could discover nothing, however, in his appearance, which would justify the thought inspired by the seemingly familiar sound, and allowed it to pa.s.s as a possible similarity, or, perhaps, only a freak of the imagination.

"Will you learn if Maxtla's army is still on the plain, Hualla?" he said.

"It has gone, tzin Euet. I have only just come from looking."

"Then, Hualla, you must go, at once, to Hualcoyotl for help. I will remain where I am until you return. Please to hasten."

The lad started immediately on his fruitless errand, from which he returned soon after noon, with the discouraging intelligence that the allies had also gone. Euetzin groaned under the weight of a helpless discouragement at the announcement.

"What am I to do, my lad, now that I am helpless?" he said, showing much mental distress.

Hualla tried to comfort him, and proposed to go still farther in search of help. It was the only course left them, under the circ.u.mstances.

After eating some of the food which he had procured at the deserted camp, the lad started off in the direction of the lake, hoping to find someone there, a fisherman or boatman, who might be induced to come to their a.s.sistance. He was most fortunate, and correspondingly elated, in finding a party of boatmen who had just landed at the beach, with whom he succeeded in making arrangements for the tzin's conveyance to a small town, which was situated on the lake, a league or so away.

Having succeeded so well, Hualla was now greatly encouraged at the prospect of soon getting his charge to a place where he could have the immediate attention of a doctor. One thought, however, gave him considerable anxiety; it was of the suffering the wounded tzin would be compelled to undergo while being transferred to the beach. The distance was more than a mile, and the trip, he feared, would prove very distressing to him, should it be necessary for the men to carry him on their arms. This difficulty was quickly overcome by the boatmen, whose native cleverness soon put them in possession of a roughly constructed litter, on which he was borne to the beach with but little trouble, and only a slight addition of discomfort.

When Euetzin learned that Hualla had found a.s.sistance to relieve him from his discouraging situation, he could hardly find words strong enough to express his grat.i.tude. His appreciation of the lad's services was hourly growing more and more heartfelt, and he could not but marvel at the exhibition of interest manifested by him for his comfort and safety. It was, apparently, a phenomenal manifestation of disinterested kindness.

The tzin bore his distress bravely, and helped, by an occasional cheerful expression, to relieve the transit of some of its wearisomeness.

When the beach was reached he was carefully borne to a boat, on which he was placed, and in due time safely landed at the little Tezcucan town, where suitable quarters were secured for him, and the attention of a physician obtained, who soon had him feeling quite comfortable.

So soon as it became known that a wounded Tezcucan cacique had escaped from Maxtla's army, and found his way to the little town, everybody became interested, and nothing was too good with which to provide him.