Then the doomed man fell upon his knees crying for mercy, and his
wailing sounded so awful in that deep and lonely place that in my horror
I went near to letting the torch fall.

'To a foe I can give mercy--to a traitor, none,' answered Guatemoc, and
whirling the club aloft, he rushed upon the noble and killed him with a
blow. Then, seizing the body in his strong embrace, he cast it into the
chamber with the treasure, and there it lay still and dreadful among
the gems and gold, the arms, as it chanced, being wound about two of the
great jars as though the dead man would clasp them to his heart.

Now I looked at Guatemoc who had slain him, wondering if my hour was at
hand also, for I knew well that when princes bury their wealth they hold
that few should share the secret.

'Fear not, my brother,' said Guatemoc. 'Listen: this man was a thief, a
dastard, and a traitor. As we know now, he strove twice to betray us to
the Teules. More, it was his plan to show this nest of wealth to them,
should they return again, and to share the spoil. All this we learned
from a woman whom he thought his love, but who was in truth a spy set to
worm herself into the secrets of his wicked heart. Now let him take his
fill of gold; look how he grips it even in death, a white man could not
hug the stuff more closely to his breast. Ah! Teule, would that the soil
of Anahuac bore naught but corn for bread and flint and copper for
the points of spears and arrows, then had her sons been free for ever.
Curses on yonder dross, for it is the bait that sets these sea sharks
tearing at our throats. Curses on it, I say; may it never glitter more
in the sunshine, may it be lost for ever!' And he fell fiercely to the
work of building up the wall.