James A. Porter

“ Such was the morning, and the waking it brought, of the day which followed the arrival of Hualcoyotl at Zelmonco villa.
The summons of a servant awoke the prince to a realization of his surroundings. Sounds of joy and life fell upon his ear from without, and stirred his soul with an emotion of sadness.
"Why should I be so environed," he soliloquized, "while all the rest of the world are happy and free? No, not all; my people are neither," he quickly added, as they rose up before his mind's eye in reproval. ”

“ 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? ”

“ Cacami and myself labored side by side for the freedom of Tezcuco, in times that tried the patriotism of her sons. I know him to be a patriot and true friend, which I have proven, not only once, but many times. He is a brave and valiant warrior, to which our noble Hualcoyotl can bear abundant testimony. He is a true man, in that he has staked his life in an issue which involves those emotions and sentiments of the heart which honor a man above all others—a pure, unsullied love for the woman of his choice. ”

“ War to the death must be met and stubbornly waged ere that desirable end may be reached. In such a test of courage, where, I would ask, will be found the hunter, Cacami?"
"I would not be counted a boaster," replied the hunter; "but, when the test is required of me, the friend of Hualcoyotl may be assured that my arm will be found where maquahuitl and javelin shall find the most to do for Tezcuco's deliverance."
"You say well, O Cacami, and I commend you heartily!" exclaimed the tzin, approvingly. "The same spirit of loyalty which inspires you inspires all the best men of our tribe. ”

“ I have just received startling intelligence from our friends at the palace of Maxtla to the effect, most noble prince, that your life is in imminent peril. The failure of the king's plan to entrap you two days since has so enraged his majesty that he has thrown off all restraint, and publicly proclaims your existence a menace to his authority, and that it must be terminated. He has ordered an officer with a number of soldiers to come here and murder you—yes, murder you in your own palace. Your only safety lies in flight. ”

“ He had saved the prince from the wrath of the old king, and hoped he might be able to save him again, should the emergency arise. He therefore begged him to be discreet and trust to him.
"You are young, O Prince, and with little experience to guide you," he said. "I pray you, be not incautious, but let your actions be governed by wisdom and understanding. Do not forget, O Hualcoyotl, that the destiny of a people rests with you. Listen to him who has counseled and shown you the way in the past. Itzalmo is your proven friend; he will do for you what no other can." ”

“ No, good friend, I'll turn my back upon no man. Let them come—I will remain to receive them."
"You, O Hualcoyotl, prince of Tezcuco, forget your duty to your people, and remember only your pride of honor," remonstrated Itzalmo.
"My dear, good friend, I forget nothing, except that I am Maxtla's slave," returned the prince, with flashing eyes. "If the gods forsake us not," continued he, "Hualcoyotl, prince of Tezcuco, will yet meet this monster king on equal terms, and when he does, the skill at arms which thou hast taught shall serve him well ”

“ The hermit was silent and thoughtful for a moment, and then asked:
"Whence come the signs which speak to Tezcot of an approaching conflict?"
"If Ix would read the signs himself, let him go into the valley where dwell the Tezcucans—the oppressed people of the fugitive prince. The deadly serpent lies motionless in our path, but should our foot perchance fall upon it, our destruction would follow swift and sure; though not more surely than retribution on the man who tramples human rights beneath his heel," replied the hunter, impressively. ”

“ 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." ”

“ Words will not do it, which leaves us poor, indeed, at this moment. An expression of our deep gratitude is all we have to offer you. Inadequate as it is, it is sincere," spoke the prince, feelingly.
"There is nothing to reward, friend, nor is there any call for an expression of gratitude. What I did for you I would do for another, under the same circumstances," replied Cacami, who was disposed to depreciate the service he had rendered the prince.
"And yet you would be justified in pronouncing us ungrateful were we silent and unfeeling in the matter," said Hualcoyotl. ”

“ The acclamation, with which the prince concluded, was taken up by the army, and vociferated with a will, when it again became still.
"For this day I have prayed," spoke Ix. "Not that I might stand where I do at this moment, but that Tezcuco might find friends to help her in a mighty effort to regain her freedom. To you, who are allied with us to-day in the cause of liberty, my heart goes out in gratitude. Our people will remember you in kindness always, no matter what may be their condition. I have faith in the patriotism of this great army, and trust in its might. ”

“ Be calm, good mother; do not make my duties heavier by inflicting greater sadness upon my heart. You would not counsel your boy to shrink from the call which must come, sooner or later, to every true son of Tezcuco? The prince has seen fit to send me as his representative among the people, and has charged me with a great and responsible duty. Shall the son of Euzelmozin cowardly shirk it, or shall he, like his lamented father, be fearless in the face of danger? ”

“ A snap was heard to break the stillness, followed by a sudden shadowy streak, which touched the target and disappeared; but the substance of it, the arrow from Mitla's bow, was left buried directly in the center of the heart. When the splendid feat of archery she had accomplished was realized, it was greeted with the wildest demonstrations of delight, accompanied by a shower of flowers, which fell in profusion about her. She had won the heart of the multitude by her superb, native presence, and unexcelled exhibition of skill. ”

“ As the rescuer of Hualcoyotl, your name will be long and kindly remembered by Tezcucans everywhere, and, as one of them, I would here and now express to you the grateful thanks of my people; and farther, as a pledge of my sincerity, I desire that you will accept from me this little token, a souvenir of the great service you have rendered a deeply stricken nation, and also as a mark of my personal appreciation. ”

“ I am here," he went on, "to arouse you from the lethargy of a hopeless indifference, and to assure you, as I believe, that Tezcuco may yet be free. Though our prince is a fugitive, outlawed, with a price placed upon his life; the land which gave us birth trodden under the heel of a usurping tyrant, and our people made subject to a shameful vassalage; yet there still lives in the hearts of these people a patriotic love of country, which, if stirred, will break asunder the shackles which bind them, and bid defiance to the authors of their degradation." ”

“ When Euetzin's support was no longer required, he conducted her to a place where she could be seated, and waited for her to speak. After a moment's pause she turned her eyes, beaming with gratitude, full upon him, and said:
"It is now Mitla's turn to be grateful. If I have done aught to place a debt upon the prince, or his friends, you have paid it a hundredfold. I shall never cease to regard you as my preserver from a fate against which death would be a welcome deliverance."
"Any true man, in my place, would have done the same for you," he answered. ”

“ Immediately after the trial Cacami and Itlza accompanied Teochma to Zelmonco villa, where the twain remained for a time in the enjoyment of each other's society, made unspeakably felicitous by a love which had been purified and intensified, in the crucible of affliction. The reward of their fidelity was a rich one—the consciousness of having been true to each other through an ordeal little less terrible than death itself. ”

“ The words of commendation which I am compelled to speak in behalf of the warrior Cacami are not spoken out of sympathy for a friend who is passing through an ordeal, but from a feeling of regard for his personal worth. I admire a man who is brave and fearless in the discharge of his duty, be that duty what it may. Such a man is found in the prisoner at the bar—the man whom you are to liberate or condemn to death. ”

“ She could suppress all outward exhibition of her feelings, but could not obscure the passionate light which shone from her dark eyes as they rested on him whom she loved to the verge of idolatry. Euetzin saw the expression of gladness, intense in its fervidness, which greeted him, and, while Cacami occupied the attention of the rest of the family, found opportunity to say:
"I read my welcome in your eyes, Mitla, which are wonderfully bright to-day, and full of gladness. Their language is better than words, for words are sometimes deceptive." ”

“ The latter is the man who wins battles, and, if needs be, dies a hero, while the former far too often proves himself a blustering 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. ”

“ The tzin spoke with remarkable force, and was listened to with the profoundest attention. "Are we men, or are we only slaves," he vociferated, "that we shake not off the spell which binds us hand and foot, and holds the tongue till it speaks not? Awake, ye men of Tezcuco, awake! and let your ears be open; for the voice of your prince cries from the mountain fastnesses for help. ”

“ Itlza continued to address her mother:
"Do you think, mother, that the old king's death will effect the prince in his retirement?" she asked.
"Maxtla will be king; evil is in Maxtla's heart—the prince must beware," replied the mother.
"Why does Hualcoyotl remain so passively a prisoner in his own palace? Is he a slave that he endures his restraint without an effort to obtain his freedom?" questioned Itlza, with much warmth. ”

“ The stranger arose and, saluting, answered:
"The gods be with you and yours, most liberal of hosts. Cacami, a Tezcucan hunter, is he whom the good genii have directed to this excellent mountain home, where the tired applicant for nourishment and rest is ever met by generous impulses and unrestrained hospitality."
Tezcot scanned the stranger with not a little curiosity at hearing his gracious speech. The language bespoke him more than a mere hunter. He was a young man, and, from appearances, one enjoying superior advantages. ”

“ It is too true that rulers are often disposed to hold the lives of their subjects lightly. Should it be my good fortune to regain my heritage, Kan and his words, so aptly spoken, shall not be forgotten."
"I pray, O Prince, that you will believe me. The words were not spoken out of disrespect, but to mislead the soldier that his search might not be too close." Spoken humbly and out of fear that he had given offense. "Kan is only one of many," he continued, "who would delight in serving and honoring Hualcoyotl as their king." ”

“ And now, since we are pledged, let us, every man, be up and doing. Let no loyal Tezcucan be overlooked. Move silently and quickly, ceasing not the work until the fire of patriotism, which has been enkindled in our hearts to-night, shall have spread to the farthest borders of Anahuac, and every true friend of Tezcuco has espoused her cause, and enrolled himself under the banner of Hualcoyotl and liberty. ”