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But for the friendship of Cacama he would himself, assuredly, have been a victim to these sanguinary gods. He and his father had like the Beggs, and many other of his friends at Plymouth been secretly followers of Wycliffe, but they were still Catholics. They believed that there were many and deep abuses in the Church, but had no thought of abandoning it altogether.
"They must be frightful!" the young queen exclaimed. "They are very ugly," Roger said, "with very wide mouths and very thick lips, and flat noses; and instead of having long soft hair, they have only a short, curly sort of black wool on the top of their heads." "Have you seen them yourself?" asked Cacama, rather gravely. "I have seen some of them, Sire," Roger replied.
The young king and Roger took their seats, and the canoe dashed off at once. "It has been a hard fight in the council," Cacama said. "No two men were of the same opinion. Even the priests were divided among themselves; and Montezuma was as undecided, at the end, as he was at the beginning; so that the decision is postponed.
This Cacama is, next to Montezuma, the most powerful and important of the Aztec chiefs. He is young and energetic, and although he has been so badly treated by Montezuma, he resents our treatment of him.
More than that I cannot say, for I kept close to Cacama, hoping that in some way I might find an opportunity to aid his escape; and had he not been struck, just when he was, I might have done so; for after the news came that the bridge could not be removed, all was confusion, and each man thought only of saving his own life."
When therefore Roger heard of the misfortune that had befallen Cacama, he was filled alike with surprise and consternation, and hurrying to Malinche, begged her to use her influence with Cortez to spare the young prince's life. "I have already done so," she said; "and he has promised that no blood shall be shed, though the chiefs who have leagued themselves with Cacama must all be imprisoned.
I will tell Cacama where you are, and he will come or send down to you, to say what had best be done, and where you are to go. Do not delay an instant. The orders were urgent, and they will be here in a minute or two to seize you. "Not a word, now. Go! I must not be found here. I will see you again," and she was gone. "Come, my friend," Cuitcatl said; "there is evidently not a moment to be lost."
Unprotected by any defensive armor, most of them had fallen very early in the conflict. Roger was supporting Cacama, and another prisoner lay dead at their feet. Roger stooped and snatched off his mantle; then, lifting Cacama in his arms, forced his way through the press to the edge of the causeway, just as a canoe ran up alongside, and a number of Aztecs sprang ashore. "Cuitcatl!"
It seems to me, now, that I could be content to settle down for life here, with so charming a wife; but I cannot say that I might always be of that mind. The love of country is strong in every man, and the time might come when, if opportunity offered, I might long to return home to England." "That I have talked over with the queen, and with Amenche, herself," Cacama said.
Three of us have tried together to string it, but in vain." "It is a good bow," Roger said, examining it. "Do they shoot with weapons like that, over there?" Cacama asked, nodding in the direction of Mexico. "No," Roger said, "for the most part they use crossbows, and their bows are much smaller than this. The English are the only people who use bows like this.
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