“What thou didst intrust to us, Señor, we have done. Here is a full account of all the treasure, our royal master’s included.”
Cortes read the statement, then called his chamberlain, Christobal de Guzman.
“Go thou, Don Christobal, and bring what is here reported into one chamber, where it may be seen of all. And send hither the royal secretaries, and Pedro Hernandez, my own clerk.”
The secretaries came.
“Now, Señores Avila and Mexia, follow my chamberlain, and in his presence and that of these gentlemen, take from the treasure the portion belonging to his Majesty, the emperor. Of our wounded horses, then choose ye eight, and of the Tlascalans, eighty, and load them with the royal dividend, and what more they can carry; and have them always ready to go. And as leaving anything of value where the infidels may be profited is sinful, I direct,—and of this let all bear witness, Hernandez for me, and the secretaries for his Majesty,—I direct, I say, that ye set the remainder apart accessible to the soldiers, with leave to each one of them to take therefrom as much as he may wish. Make note, further, that what is possible to save all this treasure hath been done. Write it, good gentlemen, write it; for if any one thinketh differently, let him say what more I can do. I am waiting to hear. Speak!”
No one spoke.
And while the division of the large plunder went on, and afterwards the men scrambled for the remainder, Montezuma was dying.
In the night a messenger sought Cortes.
“Señor,” he said, “the king hath something to ask of you. He will not die comforted without seeing you.”
“Die, say’st thou?” and Cortes arose hastily. “I had word that his hurts were not deadly.”