Back to Mexico
"Hist! Silence!" It was Tamba's voice again which came from the top of the wall, and at the sound Roger halted. Already his hands had grasped the cotton rope which had been thrown to him, and he was in the act of clambering up when he heard the warning.
"Come quickly! I hear men about! Climb for your life!"
This time Tamba leaned over till it seemed that he must lose his balance and topple to the ground. He jerked at the rope, and Roger began to clamber up as rapidly as he could, though he found that a soft cotton affair of this description was not the easiest thing to make one's way up. However, at length he arrived, and the faithful native dragged him on to the top of the wall.
"Lie flat, my lord," he whispered. "I still hear voices and men walking, and I am nervous of interference. There! Listen to that! The Spaniards are about."
Roger did as he was told, and squeezed his huge proportions as close to the top of the wall as he could. And as he lay there and listened, rollicking laughter came to his ear. Men were passing down the main street of Tlascala, and they were Spaniards. They were in excellent spirits too, for their laughter filled the air, while one of the band set up some popular refrain, and his comrades joined in whenever he came to the chorus, swelling the sound till the town rang with it.
"Invaders who have been having a merry night," thought Roger. "They have been dining together and drinking success to their coming expedition. Ah! There are others."
He lifted his head and listened to the hoarse voice of some other Spaniard coming from the far end of the street, and soon learned that it was the sentry stationed opposite the quarters of Fernando Cortes.
"To bed!" the man called out. "Stop your noise and get to your quarters, or there will be trouble. The general has retired this three hours and more, and he will not thank you for awaking him when he has to be out so early. Get home and be silent."
The crash of his clumsy arquebus could be heard as he brought the stock to the ground, while Roger noted that the merrymakers still went on with their song, though their voices were now less noisy than before. They passed the sentry, chaffing him as they went, and then, when they had increased their distance from the headquarters, shouted at the top of their voices. But soon the noise died down, and not a sound broke the silence. It was time to move again. Roger turned to Tamba.