But hundreds of warriors still crowded the lofty winding road, and hundreds more held the top, and it was plain that if the Spaniards won through at all, the task would be a hard one.

Still a fierce hope smote me like a blow when I saw what was toward.

If the Spaniards took the temple there would be no sacrifice.

No sacrifice could be offered till midday, so Otomie had told me, and that was not for hard upon two hours.

It came to this then, if the Spaniards were victorious within two hours, there was a chance of life for me, if not I must die.
Now when I was led out of the sanctuary of Tezcat, I wondered because the princess Otomie, or rather the goddess Atla as she was then called, was standing among the chief priests and disputing with them, for I had seen her bow her head at the door of the holy place, and thought that it was in token of farewell, seeing that she was the last of the four women to leave me.