Pioneer Spaniards in North America . d of the forceas whose prisoner he was expected to arrive inCuba. But when he reached the city on his 177 PIONEER SPANIARDS return, he found a state of things that made himtell Alvarado that he was a fool. As to what hadhappened on this occasion very diverse opinionshave been expressed. Some have said that itwas the season of the great May festival of theMexicans; that they obtained permission from Alvarado to hold it; andthat when the gayetywas at its height, sud-denly and withoutprovocation thistreacherous Har-ry Hotspur fellupon the gaycrowd and slaugh-t
Pioneer Spaniards in North America . d of the forceas whose prisoner he was expected to arrive inCuba. But when he reached the city on his 177 PIONEER SPANIARDS return, he found a state of things that made himtell Alvarado that he was a fool. As to what hadhappened on this occasion very diverse opinionshave been expressed. Some have said that itwas the season of the great May festival of theMexicans; that they obtained permission from Alvarado to hold it; andthat when the gayetywas at its height, sud-denly and withoutprovocation thistreacherous Har-ry Hotspur fellupon the gaycrowd and slaugh-tered the merry-makers without ruth. DON PEDRO DE ALVARADO AcCOrding tO OthcrS, Indians never dancefor fun; the May festival was merely a cloak fortheir deep designs ; the dance was really like theghost-dances of some of our Western tribes, aprelude to war ; Alvarado recognized the signs ofan approaching storm ; and he showed himself aprudent soldier by striking the first blow. How-ever this may have been, it clearly was too late 178. CORTES TAKES THE CITY for Cortes diplomatic methods. His hot-headedlieutenant — Sun-face the Aztecs called him,on account of his fair face and blond beard — hadkindled a flame that came near to consuming thefoundations of Spanish rule. After the massacrethe Indians had driven the little Spanish garrisonwithin its fortress and laid siege to it. Alvaradohad compelled Montezuma to appear and quellthe disorder. Then came Cortes on the scenewith his augmented force. He found the cityfull of the signs of war, and they did not abate,but rather grew worse. A profoundly importantchange had taken place of which he knew tribal council, seeing Montezuma still a pris-oner, had deposed him and elected his brother tofill his place ; for Montezuma was no emperor,as Cortes thought, but only the war-chief andhigh-priest. At once the smouldering fires ofAztec resentment burst into a furious flame, fornow the people had a leader. The next day theyswarm
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