Gold and glory; or, Wild ways of other days, a tale of early American discoveryStebbing, Grace
History
Gold and glory; or, Wild ways of other days, a tale of early American discovery
Stebbing, Grace
Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540 -- Fiction
Friends passed her, and with smiles and nods tossed to her great
bunches of roses and sweet honeysuckle. From many a broad,
flat-terraced roof sweet-toned, merry laughter floated down, as a
well-aimed garland fell over Montoro de Diego's handsome head and
rested round his neck, or a brilliant chaplet of bright blossoms
stopped its flight on the footway before his feet.
Thither marched along a band of warriors in glittering array, and
singing as they marched to the wild music of the instruments. And here
Xicotencatl's granddaughter paused a few moments, with the impatient
small feet curbed to stillness, and the bright eyes bent to the ground
with meek deference. A company of the white-robed, long-haired priests
was passing, swinging burning censers as they went, and the clouds
of aromatic incense floated like a purple veil through the dazzling,
sunlit air of that October day.
The priests passed on, and once more the Indian maiden led her
companions on again, showing her rows of little white teeth in
gratified smiles as her Spanish companion lingered now and again to
admire the beautiful pottery, elegant in design and fine in make as
that of Florence, or to gaze in surprise at the fine public baths, or
the busy barbers' shops and sweetmeat stalls.
At the entrance of one especially narrow street she came to a second
standstill. Montoro very quickly read the cause. About half-way down
the street there was a disturbance of some sort going on,--a fight over
a bad market bargain,--and the partisans on both sides effectually
blocked up the way from every one else.
"Let us take another route," said Montoro.
But his guide shook her head.
"No need," she said confidently.
And even as she spoke two or three of the efficient, well-disciplined
Tlascalan police put in an appearance on the scene, and the tumult was
quelled almost instantaneously. A half-unconscious wish passed through
the Spaniard's mind that the Spanish guardians of the peace were
anything like as effective.
But they were nearing the temple now for which they were bound, and
all other thoughts were lost sight of for the present in wondering
speculations as to what new sights he had been brought to witness. It
was thanks to the rank and good-will of his guide, and to the fame of
her late deed, which had already spread through the city, that he thus
easily gained admission to them.
The temple-in-chief of Tlascala did not, indeed, cover forty acres of
ground, with an acre of platform for its colossal summit, like its
bewildering giant of a sister at Cholula, but it was of sufficient size
and proportions to embrace various ecclesiastical institutions within
its limits, under the jurisdiction of the priests--seminaries for the
education of children, girls and boys, colleges for the priests, and
training-schools for the young knights before their entry into the
world and its many strifes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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