midday
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 . Of what she disputed I could not hear because of the din of battle , but the argument was keen and it seemed to me that the priests were somewhat dismayed at her words , and yet had a fierce joy in them .