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There is an interval of nearly two days
between the events related at the close of
the last chapter and those which will
form the subject of the present volume.

In this interval, however, brief as it
was, great changes were effected in the
government of the valley of Andalusia,
that deeply interested alike Moor and
Christian. Before proceeding with the
events that followed this change, we will
devote a chapter or two to an account
of it.

When Abdelasis, the false Saracen
Prince, who had so basely requited the
hospitality of Alfonzo by attempting to
deprive him of his liberty, found that pursuit
after him through the labyrinths of
the forest was in vain, he recalled his
troop together and proceeded to return
to Cordova. He had not ridden far, silently
brooding over his defeat in losing

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the possession of the daring mountaineer,
before he called to his side his confidential
officer, Hamet Osmen.

`Well, Osmen,' he said, trying to throw
off his chagrin by assuming a light air,
`we will let this Christian dog go. By
and by he will come into my hands!—
Just at this time to have captured him
would have given me no inconsiderable
power; for the mountaineers are strongly
attached to him; and the possession of
their idol would give me a control over
them. At least none of them would
have consented to join the Emirs against
me, while I held him as hostage!'

`And none of them would join the
Emirs in any manner, noble Prince,' answered
Hamet Osmen; `they love none
of our foes too well to favor eithor of
them.'

`That is true; but still it would have
been to my advantage holding so formidable
a personage. But this was not my
only motive in resolving to arrest him, as
you shall by and bye learn from me;—
but not now. When did you leave Cordova?
'

`An hour before noon, my lord. After
we missed you on the mountain side
we searched for you, and wound our
bugles, and left no efforts untried to find
you. At length we gave you up for lost;
but still I hoped you might have fallen in
with some mountaineer, and by means
of gold been guided into the valley.'

`It was not long after I saw you, and
sent you on one path while I took another,
to head the wolf, that I met him
and gave him battle; but I soon after
fainted and heard no bugle. This Alfonzo
and a monk, it seems, bore me to
a hut, and there dressed my wounds and
gave me a sleeping draught. To this I
owe my recovery.'

`The wonder is, it was not a poison
they administered to you, my prince!'
cried Osmen, with horror at the idea.—
`Allah be praised for your escape! You
did well to arrest this peasant, for no
doubt he would have poisoned you if he
could have done so. But you asked
when I left Cordova:—your highness
shall hear. As I said, after searching
long in vain, and night coming on, I resolved
to return to Cordova—hoping that
possibly you might have got clear from
the mountain, and found your way alone
to the city. On our way through the
forest, a man suddenly appeared to Abul
the pack-mule rider, and told him to say
to me not to trouble myself about you—
that you were safe in a herdsman's hut
in the mountains, and would be in Cordova
well within three days.

Having said this, the peasant disappeared
as suddenly as he had appeared,
and Abul galloped forward and gave me
the information. Resolved at once to
ascertain where you were, I turned back
and searched for the man, scouring the
forest; but at length I was compelled to
give up the hope of finding him, and
with reluctance pursued my way to the
city, trusting that the intelligence given
by the man would prove true.

`This man was none other than Alfonzo,
the herdsman!' said Abdelasis.—
`He said to me that he had met a Moorish
troop in the forest, and given precisely
the information you have repeated. It
would seem that he did not care to have
you come in person to his hamlet, with
so large a party of followers to carry me
away. These mountain Spaniards are
very jealous of the invasion of their
homes by the footstep of the Moor.'

`After reaching Cordova, and not finding
you at the Palace, nor hearing of you
in any other quarter of the city, I gave
up the hope, which so long had cheered
me, that I should yet find that you had
returned before me. And I had now
either to believe the story of the peasant

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to Abul, the pack-rider, or to suspect the
worst.'

`I am grateful, Hamet Osmen, for
your faithful attachment to me.'

`My lord, my life is in your hands!'
answered the Moor, bending his neck till
his forehead rested upon the saddle-bow.

`Thou shalt not be forgotten! Go
on and tell me what affairs thou hast
left behind thee in Cordova!'

`Thou shalt hear, my lord, all in
good time; though by Allah, I have no
special news, save that the Emir's are
ready to draw the scymetar to cut off
each other's heads at any moment.—
This morning I did not feel easy about
your absence, even with the assurance of
the unknown mountaineer that you were
safe; so I resolved to take a select party
and ride to the mountains and once more
search for you, especially in the huts of
the herdsmen. But Allah blessed me
with the sight of my lord, on his way to
meet me.'

`And now for Cordova. The news
thou hast for me! for something must
have transpired since I left. How goes
it with Algezir?'

`He is still in his Seraglio, which has
the air of a castle. There was a rumor
that he had desired the Council of Emirs
to meet him in his Seraglio on some business;
but each had refused to attend,
fearing treachery when once inside of
his walls.'

`They know Algezir is not to be
trusted. But they are cowards all and
weak men. If Allah gives me life for
two days more I will stand upon their
necks and give Algezir's red-bearded
head to the dogs. I know that am strong
and that he cannot withstand my power.
To-morrow I will lift the standard of the
Prophet in the court of my palace, and
from the midst of my steel-clad guard of
faithful Zenetas proclaim myself Caliph
of the kingdom.'

`The time is ripe, my lord. If you
do not strike soon Algezir will do so. It
is impossible Cordova can longer remain
torn so many factions.'

`Within two days Algezir or Abede
lasis reigns Caliph of Spain!' cried the
young Emir. `Thank the Prophet, we
are now well out of that black forest.—
How proudly rise the domes and mina
rets of the capital above the Guadal
quivir; and the crescents that surmount
them seem to smile welcome to the new
Caliph.'

`Long live the Caliph Abdelasis !'
shouted Hamet Osmen in his enthusiasm
and tossing his spear in the air, he galloped
forward again shouting, while the
troop, catching up the words, made the
air ring again.

`That will do, my faithful friends
answered Abdelasis. `It is well we are
in so lonely a part of the valley, so that
that the cry could not reach our foes;
for, if it touched their ears, we should
hardly be admitted into the gates of the
the city. Let it pass now, Osmen; but
do not be so rash again. When you see
the standard of the Prophet unfolded and
tossed upon the winds by my hand, then
you may make the name of Abdelasis
your battle-cry. But now keep silent.—
Let us enter the city in close order and
peacefully.

The party of horsemen now trotted
rapidly forward, passing gardens and
las and vineyards, and groves of date
and figs, and orchards of oranges, the
trees glittering with their golden fruit
and by and by reached the shady bank
of the beautiful Guadalquivir. Here the
road turned to the right and followed the
shore, which was a scene of gardens and
palaces. Gilded barks were floating upon
the tide, and music and laughter came
from the snow-white pavilions nestled
amid the green foliage on the banks.—
All around them was a scene of beauty

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and life and enjoyment. They met turbaned
travellers on ambling horses, followed
by laden mules; parties of merchants
met them, or were passed, reposing
under the trees; slaves were bearing
water in jars upon their heads from
the river, to irrigate the terraced gardens
that adorned the shore; and now and
then a wealthy Moorish citizen of Cordova
would prance by, followed by a Sedan-chair,
borne by Christian slaves, in
which, closely shut up from view by
silken curtains, rode his wives or daughters.
As they approached the gates,
there suddenly came to their ears loud
cries from the walls. Shouts were borne
to them from the streets, with the clang
of armor, and far and wide along the
battlements rose upon the air the uproar
of battle. The gates were all at once
filled with terrified citizens, pouring out
on foot, old and young, male and female.
The travellers and merchants who were
approaching the town turned and fled,
and repassed the cavalcade in wild terror,
crying,

`The Emirs are at war! Cordova is
in revolution! Algezir aims at the
throne! Fly all peaceable men!' and
so they rode on to widen as far as possible
their distance from the city.

The commotion was not witnessed unmoved
by Abdelasis. He had no sooner
caught the sound of battle raging within
than he raised himself in his stirrups and
calling upon his followers, he cried,

`Now is my time! Forward!'

Like a thunderbolt, the Moorish horsemen
rolled forward along the dusty road,
which each moment became more densely
thronged with those who fled from the
confusion and warfare within the walls.
As they came near the portals, Abdelasis
met a young Moor, who dashed up to him
with looks of joy, and yet with alarm
visible on his face.

`Ho, Ibrahim! Whither so fast?—
What uproar is this?' cried the Prince.

`Allah be praised!' cried the youth.
`Is it possible that I find my lord alive?'

`Yes, and ready to take advantage of
this hour. What is going on in Cordova?
'

`You shall hear, my lord,' answered
the young man, who seemed hardly to
realize that the Prince was alive. `You
see that your absence was bruited about,
and at length this morning flew from lip
to lip, that you had been slain by a wolf
in the Sierras, while hunting. This report
no sooner reached the ears of Algezir,
the Emir, an hour ago, than he sent a
confidential messenger to ascertain its
foundation. The messenger, it seems,
returned and confirmed the truth of the
report. Thereupon, Algezir has suddenly
raised the banner of the Caliphate
before the Great Mosque, and proclaimed
himself Caliph. He is at this moment
at the head of a thousand of his
followers, attacking the council of Caliphs,
which were assembled in the council
chamber of the Seraglio, to endeavor
to effect a combination to overthrow
the formidable Algezir. At this moment
he is assailing the gates of the Palace,
and at every corner the followers of the
Emir are doing battle with those of Algezir.
'

`And where are my people? Has
any attack been made upon my Palace?'

`Not yet, my lord,' answered the
young Moor, as he galloped at the side
of the Prince, who was all the while pressing
forward at the head of his troop.—
`Algezir will first overthrow the Emirs,
and then invest the palace. But your
friends are resolved to defend themselves
to the last. They have only need to
know that their Prince lives, and to have
you place yourself at their head to sally
forth, and attack the force of Algezir
with success. I was riding to find Osmen
and bring him back to the city, to aid us

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with his skill and courage, when Allah
gave me instead, my Prinee.