A fresh breeze played on the waters, and the
vessel soon left behind it the swarms of light pirogues which darkened
their surface. She seemed like a thing of life in the eyes of the
astonished natives, who saw her, as if disdaining human agency,
sweeping by with snowy pinions as if on the wings of the wind, while
the thunders from her sides now for the first time breaking on the
silence of this "inland sea," showed that the beautiful phantom was
clothed in terror.
The royal chase was well stocked with game; some of which the
emperor shot with arrows, and others were driven by the numerous
attendants into nets. In these woodland exercises, while he ranged
over his wild domain, Montezuma seemed to enjoy again the sweets of
liberty. It was but the shadow of liberty, however; as in his
quarters, at home, he enjoyed but the shadow of royalty. At home or
abroad, the eye of the Spaniard was always upon him.
But while he resigned himself without a struggle to his inglorious
fate, there were others who looked on it with very different emotions.
Among them was his nephew Cacama, lord of Tezcuco, a young man not
more than twenty-five years of age, but who enjoyed great
consideration from his high personal qualities, especially his
intrepidity of character. He was the same prince who had been sent
by Montezuma to welcome the Spaniards on their entrance into the
valley; and, when the question of their reception was first debated in
the council, he had advised to admit them honourably as ambassadors of
a foreign prince, and, if they should prove different from what they
pretended, it would be time enough then to take up arms against
them.
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