THE NOCHE TRISTE TREE.—A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO.—DEPARTURE OF CORTEZ FROM CUBA.—HE LANDS IN YUCATAN.—FOUNDING THE CITY OF VERA CRUZ.—DEFEATING THE TLASCALANS.—ENTRANCE TO TENOCHTITLAN.—RECEPTION BY MONTEZUMA.—RETURN TO THE COAST.—EXPULSION OF THE SPANIARDS.—BESIEGING THE CITY WITH THE AID OF THE TLASCALANS.—CAPTURE OF THE CITY, AND DEATH OF GUATEMOZIN.—BEGINNING OF THE RULE OF THE VICEROYS.—THE CHURCH OF GUADALUPE.—STORY OF THE MIRACULOUS APPARITION.—RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL HOLIDAY.—PILGRIMAGE TO GUADALUPE.—PENITENTES; THEIR SELF-INFLICTED TORTURES.
 THE NOCHE TRISTE TREE.
The tree of Montezuma and the traditions connected with it called the attention of the youths to another famous tree of Mexico. It was the Arbol de la Noche Triste, or tree of the mournful night.
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When it was mentioned to Doctor Bronson the latter said:
"Before we go there I wish you to inform yourselves about the tree, so that we can talk intelligently concerning its historical associations."
Frank and Fred promised to comply with his request; and in their case a promise was equivalent to its performance.
A day was set for the excursion to Popotlan, where the tree stands. On the morning of that day Frank said they were ready with their story; it was presented to the Doctor at the breakfast-table, and pronounced satisfactory. Here it is as it was read by Fred:
 DEPARTURE OF CORTEZ FROM CUBA.
"Those who have studied history carefully know that Cortez sailed from Cuba to make the conquest of Mexico. He had a fleet of eleven vessels; the largest of them was of one hundred tons, three were of seventy tons each, and the rest were open barks. His whole force consisted of one hundred and ten seamen, five hundred and fifty-three soldiers, two hundred Indians, and a few Indian women for servants. His regular soldiers consisted of sixteen horsemen, thirty musketeers, and thirty-two cross-bowmen; all the rest of the soldiers were armed with swords and spears. In addition to these he had fourteen pieces of artillery, with an abundance of ammunition; and he had sixteen horses, which were the first ever seen in America. This was the force with which he
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 started for the conquest of a people numbering millions, and ruled by a king, with a large army equipped with spears and bows and arrows, and protected by coats of mail of thick wadding.
 THE FIRST MASS IN THE TEMPLES OF YUCATAN.
"He landed first on Cozumel Island, near the coast of Yucatan, where he proceeded to convert the natives to Christianity. He did it in a very summary way: by calling on the natives to destroy their idols and embrace the new religion. When they declined to do so, he set his soldiers to breaking and overturning the idols and throwing them out of the temples. Then he erected an altar, reared a cross and an image of the Virgin, and ordered one of the priests who accompanied him to celebrate mass, which was done in the presence of his kneeling followers.
 BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS.
"From Yucatan he sailed for the coast of Mexico, which he reached at the mouth of the Tabasco River. Here he landed, and after a fight with the Indians, which was won chiefly by the terror inspired by his horses and the sound of the guns, which the natives took for thunder, he occupied Tabasco. Shortly afterwards he had another battle with a force which his historians estimated at 40,000. This army he defeated, and he celebrated mass on the battle-field in thanks for his triumph over the heathen.
"'Then,' writes Diaz, 'after dressing our wounds with the fat of the
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 Indians whom we found dead, and having placed good guards round our post, we ate our supper and went to our repose.'
"Peace was arranged with the Indians on condition that they should submit to the authority of Cortez, and accept the religion he brought them. They had no alternative, and immediately became Christians. When this was accomplished he continued along the coast of Mexico, and laid the foundations of Vera Cruz. There he first heard of the Emperor Montezuma, and the story of his great wealth determined Cortez to make the conquest of Mexico."
"That was where he burned his ships," remarked Frank, as Fred paused for a moment.
"Yes," answered Fred, "he burned his ships partly in order to make retreat impossible, and partly that he might increase his force with the 110 seamen. He left a small garrison at Vera Cruz, and then advanced towards the city. Taking part with the tribes who had been annoyed by the tax-collectors of Montezuma, he secured their friendship. He conquered the Tlascalans in four severe battles, and then induced them to join him in a march upon Montezuma's capital, as they were not on good terms with the Aztecs; but he could not prevail upon them to renounce their religion and adopt Christianity.
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 FIRST VIEW OF THE MEXICAN CAPITAL.
"He reached Tenochtitlan, Montezuma's capital, in November, 1518, with 6000 Indian allies, in addition to his force of Spaniards. Ambassadors from Montezuma met him on the road, and he was welcomed with great courtesy and ceremony. A palace was assigned to him, and he immediately fortified it. While he was laying his plans for taking possession of the country and its immense store of gold, he learned that his garrison at Vera Cruz had been attacked and one of his soldiers killed; and not only was the soldier killed, but his head was sent to Montezuma.
"The death of one soldier may not be thought a very serious matter," Fred remarked, by way of explanation, "but it was so for Cortez. Down to that time the Mexicans supposed the Spaniards were supernatural beings; they were the children of the sun, and therefore immortal, but the receipt of the head of the slain soldier undeceived them.
 THE MEETING OF CORTEZ AND MONTEZUMA.
"He at once took Montezuma prisoner, and having captured the men who attacked Vera Cruz, he burned them alive in the public square in front of the palace. Montezuma took the oath of allegiance to the King of Spain, and was set at liberty after paying an enormous amount of gold and precious stones by way of ransom.
"Just as Cortez thought everything was quiet he learned that the Governor of Cuba had sent an army under Narvaez to deprive him of
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 the command of the country. As the army was much larger than his own, the situation was desperate; but Cortez was equal to it.
"He left 200 men in the city under charge of one of his officers, and then hastened to the coast, where he defeated and killed Narvaez, and added his men to his own forces. Thus the army of 900 men, with eighty horses and twelve pieces of artillery, that had been sent to conquer Cortez became really his reinforcement. He returned with them to Mexico, where, meantime, the people had risen against the Spaniards, killed Montezuma, and under their new emperor, Cuitlahua, driven the invaders out of the city. If you want a brilliant account of the evacuation of the city, you will find it in Prescott's History; it is too long to be given here.
"There is a reminiscence of the terrible retreat," continued Fred, "which is shown to every visitor to the city. It is the Salto de Alvarado, or Alvarado's Leap, in the street which bears the name of that warrior. They tell us that where the line of house-fronts is broken, and shut off by an iron railing, was formerly a canal in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan. This is said to be the exact spot where Alvarado leaped across the canal, and saved himself from the death which overtook so many of his comrades. He commanded the rear-guard, and was one of the few who escaped. Bernal Diaz says the opening was so wide, and the sides so high,
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 that no man in the world could have jumped across, no matter how strong might be his limbs."
"Now we are coming to the Noche Triste tree," remarked Frank.
"Yes," answered Fred. "Cortez is said to have sat all night under this tree at the time of the evacuation, lamenting over his misfortunes and laying plans for the future.
"Do you think it is really so?" Fred asked, turning to Doctor Bronson.
"The legend is a romantic one," the Doctor replied, "and I would not care to disturb it; but if I read the character of Cortez correctly, he was not the man to sit down and mourn under any circumstances. Quite likely he stopped under the tree on that eventful night of July 1, 1520; but it is more probable that he was planning what to do next instead of wasting his time in vain lamentations. It is time to go now," said he, glancing at his watch, "and we'll have the rest of the story at the foot of the famous tree."
Fred folded his manuscript and consigned it to his pocket, and then the trio, accompanied by their guide, proceeded to Popotla by the railway. Taking a car at the west side of the Plaza Mayor, they reached Popotla in little more than half an hour from the time of their departure. They passed through Tacuba, which was anciently an important town, but is now a suburb of the great city, with a population of between two and three thousand.
The tree is a species of cedar, called Ahuehuete by the Indians, and Sabino by the Spaniards. Down to a few years ago it was in fine condition, but one night a fire was kindled against it and seriously injured its trunk. Several of its limbs have since died and been removed; and to prevent its utter destruction by relic-hunters, the tree has been surrounded by an iron railing, and is carefully watched by a policeman. Visitors may pick up any twigs lying outside the railing, but they are forbidden to tear anything from the tree, however insignificant.
After inspecting the tree, and commenting upon the fact that it was certainly old enough for Cortez to have sat a whole night beneath it and indulged in any amount of lamentation, our friends resumed the story of the Conquest.
"During the retreat," continued Fred, "the rear-guard of the Spaniards was destroyed; the retreat lasted for six days, and then a battle was fought, on the 7th of July, 1520, on the plains of Otumba. Here Cortez was victorious, but he was not strong enough to attempt to retake the city.
"He went to Tlascala, where he assembled a large force of natives, and
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 again marched upon the capital. Meantime the Mexicans prepared for defence, and the Emperor having died of small-pox, which the Spaniards introduced, the throne was taken by Guatemozin, the son-in-law of Montezuma. Guatemozin assembled a large army and fortified the causeways, so that he believed the place impregnable; but he was not equal to the warlike skill of the Spanish commander.
 THE BATTLE UPON THE CAUSEWAY.
"Cortez had again been 'reinforced' by the Governor of Cuba; the latter had sent two ships to the aid of Narvaez, of whose fate he was ignorant, and when these ships arrived at Vera Cruz they were seized, and the men of the expedition were easily induced to join Cortez.
"Approach by land being so well guarded, Cortez decided to attack the city by water. Timber for............