Roger the Bold: A Tale of the Conquest of MexicoBrereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
History
Roger the Bold: A Tale of the Conquest of Mexico
Brereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540 -- Juvenile fiction
He paced round the terrace, and then, satisfied that all was quiet,
stretched himself on the tiles. He was an old campaigner now, for even a
matter of three months roughing it makes a man accept hardships as
trifles. Roger had slept in many strange places since he sailed from
England, and a bed beneath the trees of the forest, or on the deck of
the brigantine, or on these hard tiles, came as welcome to him as would
a feather mattress at home. It was therefore only a few minutes before
his heavy breathing told that he was asleep. Nor did he move till Tamba
came to his side and shook him.
"The dawn is breaking clear and bright, my lord," he said. "It is time
to rise and take a meal."
"But I meant to watch. I said that I would relieve you," exclaimed our
hero, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You were tired too. Why did you
not rouse me earlier?"
"You had done all the fighting and were worn out, master," was the
simple answer. "I am used to watching throughout the night, and the loss
of sleep is nothing to me. You require your strength, and it is better
that you should rest, better for yourself, for you are stronger to
fight, and better also for me, because then you are able to protect me."
The argument silenced Roger, though he did not forget. But it was only
another method by which the native showed his devotion. He was a
faithful fellow, who lived to serve this humble crossbow youth, and he
seemed to anticipate every want. Indeed, when Roger had risen from the
tiles he found a meal of bananas and a bowl of water beside him, and in
spite of the food he had taken during the night, fell upon it hungrily.
Then he went to the edge of the terrace and stared out at the city of
Mexico, tracing its boundaries and marking the viaducts which led to its
heart, and the aqueducts which brought clear water to the townspeople,
for the lake about the walls was salt and unfit for drinking purposes.
We will leave him there for a little while, for this city was
sufficiently beautiful in these days to attract the eye by the hour
together. Indeed, it was a second Venice, rivalling that magnificent
city by the water, and justly laying claim to being the finest and the
most beautiful city the world could produce. Nor has a better ever been
built since old Mexico disappeared.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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