overtures of kicab tanub to the lords of the zutugils and cakchiquels—death of the quiché king—tecum umam his successor—gathers a great army—intrenches himself at zacaha—passage of palahunoh by the spaniards—a skirmish—a bloody engagement—quezaltenango established—the army advances on xelahuh—the city—battle of xelahuh—tecum umam slain—forcible proselyting.

death of kicab tantub.

as we may well imagine, the presence of the conquering army created a profound sensation throughout the whole quiché dominion. they were a warlike people, rulers and subjects, and proud withal. it is stated that while alvarado was yet in soconusco, kicab tanub, king of utatlan, had endeavored to bring the lord of the zutugils and the lord of the cakchiquels into a combination which he was forming for purposes of defence against the approaching army. but they haughtily declined the overtures; one because the quiché king had secretly aided a rebellious vassal of his, and the other because he felt sufficiently powerful to defend his gates against all comers. the ruler of the cakchiquels,[xxiii-1] indeed, declared openly for the spaniards, while the king of the zutugils was so insulting in his rejection of the proposed confederation that king kicab tanub was deeply humiliated. his chagrin, added to the anxieties 633 attending preparations for defence, brought on a fever, from which he died in a few days. he was succeeded by his son, tecum umam.

meanwhile all the forces of the kingdom were placed under arms, and a general muster of allies and tributaries was appointed to be held at totonicapan. thither marched tecum umam at the head of sixty thousand warriors, and he was soon joined by a still larger force. with this army he occupied the table-land on which stood the strong city of xelahuh,[xxiii-2] and which overlooked the ravines of the tziha and the olintepec. ten lords governed this city, and with all their armies brilliantly equipped they went to the assistance of the quiché monarch. never since the days of the great kicab[xxiii-3] had there been seen on the central american plateau a military display so imposing. redoubtable warriors were there, made fierce of aspect by the skins of wild beasts, the lion, the jaguar, and the bear, and a vast array of fighting men, two hundred thousand and more,[xxiii-4] while conspicuous above them all in military splendor was the quiché king and the royal retinue. on one side of the elevated plain was zacaha, a line of fortifications commanding the defile through the mountains by which the invading army had to enter. the place was now strengthened by throwing up round many of the hills stone walls, along the sides of which a ditch was carried, set with poisonous stakes. a number 634 of military machines were constructed, such as towers on wheels, and catapults for hurling missiles, which would have done honor to the man-killing profession of any european nation of that day. there king tecum umam intrenched himself and awaited the incoming army.

palahunoh pass.

and to this inland plateau, in the very heart of the quiché country, alvarado was now with difficulty making his way through a narrow gorge of the sierra, leaving the people of zapotitlan quite subdued. after crossing two rapid rivers a steep ascent six leagues in length was begun, leading to palahunoh, as the pass was called. it was indeed a rugged way, more in the nature of a height to be scaled than an opening in a chain of mountains. so severe were the struggles with nature and satan, to whom these stubborn soldiers ascribed most ills, that their former troubles seemed to them as pastime now. the place was so steep and rough that it was with the utmost difficulty the horses, plunging and struggling, could make their way up. it was impossible to accomplish the whole distance in one day, and the panting and foot-sore army, too exhausted to proceed farther,[xxiii-5] was ordered to encamp when half the ascent had been made. the next day through similar efforts they reached the summit, where a woman and a dog were found sacrificed, in token of defiance and challenge to war, as the interpreters explained.

during the descent to the plain, at no great distance, in a narrow part of the pass, a strong breastwork 635 of undefended palisades was discovered, quite incomprehensible to the spaniards, as a few men properly disposed could have held the place against any invading army.

the nature of the ground was still so unfavorable for cavalry that alvarado sent forward the infantry, and presently the enemy was encountered. a body of three or four thousand fell upon the allies and threw them into confusion. the cross-bowmen, however, came to their support, and soon the entire infantry were engaged in the contest, which was carried on along the hill-tops and down the slopes until the ravine of olintepec river was reached. there the spaniards were drawn into an ambuscade, formed by over six thousand warriors from utatlan, from whom they received some wounds.[xxiii-6] the troops were soon collected on the other side of the ravine, however; but none too soon, for presently was seen advancing with bold front a detachment of the grand army, thirty thousand strong, as if to annihilate them at one blow. fortunately the ground here was level and favorable for the cavalry. the horses being greatly fatigued, alvarado determined to wait till the last moment before charging. after permitting the enemy to amuse themselves with the allies during a brief breathing space, their confidence momentarily increasing, the commander at length gave the order to the impatient horsemen, who swept forward instantly like an avalanche, and as if the hills indeed had fallen on them the affrighted quichés scattered. mad ajax among the defenceless sheep took not more lives than did each spaniard on that day. like sheep the poor natives scattered, and like sheep they were pursued and slaughtered.[xxiii-7]

a league farther brought the thirsty troops to some 636 springs, but the period of refreshment was short. at hand was a yet more formidable native force, led by prince ahzumanche, one of the highest among the relatives and officers of the king.

the engagement which followed was exceptionably bloody. the quichés approached over the extensive plains, and when they had arrived at a position favorable for the spaniards to make the attack the horsemen charged upon them. but the quichés were better on their guard than before. recovered from their panic, and animated by the example of their leader, they displayed greater bravery this time, standing the shock unflinchingly,[xxiii-8] fighting foot to foot, or banded two and three together, endeavoring by their own strength to overthrow the horses, seizing them by mane and tail, and trying to pull them down, and laying hold of the riders to unhorse them. the spaniards were indeed closely beset, and for a time it seemed by no means certain that victory would finally declare for them. but what naked power could long withstand the steady fire of arquebuse and cross-bow, the steady fall of sword-blow and lance-thrust!

relaxing their efforts for a moment, the natives were charged by the cavalry with deadly result, and were trampled under foot by hundreds, and speedily routed. for a league they were followed with great havoc, till they took refuge in a stronghold of the sierra. by pretending flight, however, alvarado drew them from their position to the open plain, and then wheeled and fell upon them. the carnage for a time was dreadful; the ground was covered with the mangled bodies of the dead and dying, and the waters of the olintepec ran crimson with blood. and henceforth the stream was called xequiqel, that is to say, river of blood.[xxiii-9] 637

among the fallen was prince ahzumanche, and a number of the nobility and chiefs. the contest being over, the army encamped for the night at the springs before mentioned. the loss to the spaniards, as usual, was insignificant.[xxiii-10]

a magnificent prize.

let us pause for a moment to review the position of the invaders. they had surmounted with irresistible progress the coast range, had crossed the summit, fought their way down the corresponding slopes, and were within a league of xelahuh, the great stronghold of the quichés, on their western confines. all the defences to it had been won, the zacaha fortifications had been carried, passive nature's majestic guardianship had been overcome, and human opposition had proved futile. far behind them stood the deadly forest through which they had struggled; over the golden-edged hills, the rugged steep by which they had made their way hither. around them now were open pine woods,[xxiii-11] and at their feet the wide cultivated plains of the table-lands on which the sun shed its uninterrupted rays. dotted with towns and parti-colored with maize-fields and orchards, silver-threaded by streams, the landscape displayed before the spaniards the picture of a paradise. and this beautiful realm now lay helpless in the conqueror's grasp, its very air[xxiii-12] becoming traitorous by refreshing and invigorating 638 the invaders, bracing their nerves and inspiring their hearts to new enterprise.

at dawn the spanish camp was astir; and while the voices of christian priests chanting praises to god for past victories floated over the hideous battle-field, christian soldiers were buckling on their armor for the further butchering of helpless human beings who had done them no harm. a hermitage and a town were established at zacaha, the former under the charge of friar francisco martinez de pontaza,[xxiii-13] whose memory was ever after fragrant in those parts, the latter under the direction of juan de leon cardona.[xxiii-14] the natives of the subjugated neighborhood finally came in and helped to swell the numbers of the town, which was called quezaltenango.[xxiii-15]

these measures taken,[xxiii-16] the army advanced on xelahuh,[xxiii-17] only to find it abandoned. the inhabitants, terror-stricken at the success of the invaders, had fled to the mountains. alvarado took up his quarters in the deserted city, where for six days he remained, resting and reconnoitring.[xxiii-18] 639

the grand army.

tecum umam was an ambitious prince and a brave commander. with no small concern he had seen defeated one after another the forces sent against the foe, and he now resolved to take the field in person. about noon on the seventh day of their sojourn at xelahuh the spaniards saw converging to that point from every quarter dense masses of warriors.[xxiii-19] well aware that his great strength lay in the cavalry, alvarado with a large part of his force[xxiii-20] hastened to occupy an open plain, three leagues in length, at no great distance from the city. tecum umam was shrewd enough to comprehend the man?uvre, and before the last spaniard was a bow-shot from camp the quiché army in two principal divisions was upon them. alvarado had divided his cavalry into two bodies, commanded respectively by pedro puertocarrero and hernando de chaves, who were directed to assail at different points one of the opposing bodies when well in position, while the infantry, commanded by himself, were to engage with the other. the onset was terrible. through and through the dense columns rush the horsemen, heedless alike of the flint-tipped arrow, the javelin with fire-hardened point, and the slung pebble. resistance was not possible. plunged through and hurled to earth, crushed beneath the horses' hoofs, the broken ranks of this division sought the protection of the other. thus half of tecum's last hope was lost, while the other half was fast dwindling. early in the combat the quiché king had recognized 640 the conspicuous figure of the mounted spanish commander, and as tecum now saw his forces broken by the cavalry, he determined upon one last desperate effort. gathering around him a few chosen warriors, he threw himself in person upon alvarado, and with his own hand so wounded his horse that the spaniard was obliged to fall back and mount another. a second and a third time the undaunted warrior assailed his superior foe, till pierced by alvarado's lance he fell, staining with his life-blood the ground he had fought so bravely to defend.

it was not often that the heavenly powers deigned to help the poor natives in their dire struggle with the steel-clad europeans, as was so frequently the case with the spaniards. the gods usually prefer fighting on the strongest side; but here we find an exception. it is my duty to relate, as a truthful historian, that during the mortal combat between these two leaders an eagle with great pinions was observed by the quiché army circling round and round the spanish commander, ever and anon swooping down upon him, and with beak and claw attacking him about the head. it was the nagual, the guardian spirit of tecum umam. but less strong than alvarado's lance, it was discomfited at the moment of the monarch's death, and disappeared from the sight of the vanquished quichés.[xxiii-21]

contrary to the usual course pursued by natives in warfare, the fall of their commander did not immediately disperse the quiché warriors, but seemed rather to enrage them; for the moment after there fell upon the spaniards such a blinding tempest of javelins as would have delighted the spartan dieneces. it was but for a moment, however; it was their last expiring effort, for soon the cavalry came thundering on their flanks, dispersing and slaying after the usual fashion. for two leagues along the plain they were pursued by 641 the horsemen, who then turned and rode back, repeating the carnage over the same field. the slaughter was particularly bloody at a stream on one side of the plain, and the commander proudly refers to it in his despatch.[xxiii-22] the infantry captured a vast multitude which had taken refuge from the insatiate horsemen on a hill near by.

thus ended another day in the annals of the grand extermination, a day dark indeed for the noble quiché nation, but of which european progress and propagandizing might well be proud.[xxiii-23]

persuasive proselyting.

by this crushing defeat the quichés were humbled and their confidence in their deities, not to say themselves, was weakened. though in great grief at the loss of their chief and the triumph of the spaniards, an opportunity was given them through the preaching of the priests torres and pontaza to embrace the religion of their conquerors. four captive chieftains[xxiii-24] of xelahuh were baptized and received their liberty. christian raiment with swords was then given them and they were entertained at the table of alvarado.[xxiii-25] after this they were sent out as missionaries to their affrighted brethren, bringing quite a number to a knowledge of the savior. they also aided in erecting a more suitable hermitage at zacaha, and in building houses for the donatís.[xxiii-26] nay 642 more; in their growing enthusiasm they suggested that the place where tonatiuh had gained his crowning victory, and over which still hung the odor of corruption and blood, the blood of their slain countrymen, should be called by the name of espíritu santo.