And as the Romish priest, Father Olmedo, thought of the Indian idol sacrifices, and murmured, "Verily this is the devil's work, uniting sublime truths with the blackest iniquity," Montoro thought of the Autos da Fé, and murmured to himself—
"If the one be the devil's work, is not the other likewise?"
At a future day the same question was asked by an Indian captive in Spain, asked with indignant scorn, and answered by himself—
"Ay, verily. Either both are of the gods—our sacrifices of blood and yours of fire—or both are of the devil. And ye, proud Spaniards, had done well to purge your own land, before ye laid waste our countries, and destroyed our nations, to remove the mote that lay in our eyes."
But we must return to Cempoalla, and pass by dreams and dreamers for the present, for there is once more a sudden sound and stir borne along upon the air. The Cacique and his army raise their heads, grasp their arrows more firmly, and look expectant.
The Spaniards close up together again, lay their hands on their sword-hilts, and wait.
[CHAPTER XXXI.]
ONCE FOR ALL—THEY SHALL CEASE.
The number of priests in the capital of the empire of Mexico itself amounted, at the time of the conquest, to very many thousands—five thousand for the immense chief teocalli, or house of God, alone.