CHAPTER XII. THE SARACEN CAVALRY.
The cloud of moving dust now suddenly
resolved itself, as they entered the
road in which Alfonzo travelled, into a
brilliant corps of cavalry, crossing the
valley at full speed. Their number was
not less than eighty. Upon entering the
road they wheeled to the left and advanced
at the same pace towards Cordova,
as Athir thought, without seeing him
or his master, as he chose to term Alfonzo.
`This is a good oversight for us, my
lord. They might have been too inquisitive
had they discovered you and chose
to wait for us to join them.'
`See! Three of them in the rear
have suddenly turned their horses'
heads and gallop back. They have seen
us. They wave their scymetars as they
spur on.'
`Now, my lord, may Allah keep thee,'
said Athir, with much alarm.
`Fear not, Athir. I will manage them.
They come in hostile attitudes; but they
know not whether I am foe or friend.—
Even the Moors fear each other since
this revolution, which has broken up so
many factions. Now keep thee quiet, and
let us move gently on and meet them.'
The three horsemen, glittering in silks
and polished steel harness, with gleaming
scymetars, came up like the wind,
abreast; but as they came nigh Alfonzo,
seeing that he betrayed neither fear nor
hostility, they reined up, and trotting
gently along, met him and saluted him.
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`Allah be with thee, brother,' said
the foremost.
`Allah be thy guide also, brother,' answered
Alfonzo, in spite of the appealing
glance of the faithful Athir, who would
have replied in his stead.
`Comest thou far on this road?' asked
the Saracen cavalier.
`Not many miles, brother. What
band is this before me?'
`It is a party of the Caliph's guard, as
thou seest I am by my apparel and turban.
We have been to the mountains on
the east of the valley to attack a party of
Algezir's men, who had thrown themselves
into a castle there.'
`I thought all the true followers had
submitted to Abdelasis,' said Alfonzo.
`All but these men. They hoped, by
fortifying themselves there, to defy the
Caliph, and by and by getting the disaffected,
the robbers and renegades to
their standard, avenge one day their
chief's death.'
`What leader had they?'
`Who but El Zegris, the Eblis of all
mischief in Andalusia,' answered the officer
with a frown.
`El Zegris!' exclaimed Alfonzo and
Athir in the same breath.
`Yes. Your slave seems to speak as
if he knew him.'
`He was once his prisoner,' answered
Alfonzo. `And did you attack the castle?
'
`Yes; but without success. The one-handed
chief was everywhere inspiring
his men, and we had to retire; but we
are only returning to Cordova for a reinforcement.
If that brave Christian, Alfonzo
the mountaineer, had slain this
great robber instead of only cutting off
his hand, he would have done us and all
Spain good service.'
`He spared him, because he thought
it would be a greater punishment to such
a man—so men say,' answered Alfonzo.
`Punishment, indeed! It has been
but little to him; for he lashes his sword
to his club-wrist as if with bonds of iron,
and thus wields it with a power that no
man can withstand. It is a terrible steel
arm and fatal to all that come within its
sweep.'
`It is to be regretted, since this is so,
that he was not killed out-right.
`Allah be praised! we shall not want
a force to send against him; now Abdelasis
reigns. He hates El Zegris, for some
early encounter they have had: and he
will give us troops enough to destroy
him.'
`Who is chief of this party to which
you belong?' asked Alfonzo.
`It is Aben Haphel, a nephew, thou
knowest, of Taric. Wilt thou ride on?'
`I ride slow to accommodate my slave,'
answed Anfonzo; for while they had
been conversing they had been riding
along, the horseman being on Alfonzo's
right, while his two companions, who
were inferior in rank, rode in the rear.
`There are three empty saddles in the
party, their riders having been slain. Thy
slave shall ride one, and so make it
easier for him and the soldiers who are
leading them. Go forward, Hammel,
and bring hither from the troop one of
the led horses.'
The soldier gallopped on ahead after
the body of cavalry, and soon coming up
with them, took a richly caparisoned
steed by the bridle, with which a Moor
was leading him, and returning, met the
officer and Alfonzo. Athir leapt lightly
into the saddle, and falling back in the
rear of all, as he knew it became him to
do, as a `slave,' he saw, not without
alarm, Alfonzo and the officer prepare
to gallop on and overtake the troop.
`You had better,' said the officer, `enter
the gates with us, for they will without
doubt be closed when we get to them;
and to you alone they would not be opened.
'
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`You are very courteous, Effendi,'
answered Alfonzo. `I will avail myself
of the privilege.'
`Come you from the north, brother?'
asked the officer.
`As I said, not far. But a few miles.'
`How do the Christians, if thou hast
spoken with any, like the accession of
Abdelasis?'
`They little heed the changes in our
government, brother. It is the same to
them who rules: a slave, you know has
no choice in masters.'
`True. But they should see in this
new government of Abdelasis that the
power of our people is to increase and
become greater than before; and with
our greatness they must see that they will
fall lower still.'
`They see it. But they have been
broken down by a score of years of slavery
to the—to us, and have little heed
how things now go. May I ask who
thou art brother?'
`I am Ali Ben Sarac, brother to Ibrahim,
who is the Reis Effendi under the
new Caliph,' answered the youthful officer;
and I am second in command of
the troops to which we are now so near.
Thy name and rank?'
`Ali Ahmet, a captain, but not in service
now.'
`Dost thou go to Cordova to seek service
with Abdelasis?'
`I may see the Prince; but I fear he
would not grant me a place, such as
would please me!'
`Fear not. He means to call around
his person all the bravest men in Spain.
Ibrahim told me that he would not hesitate
to make an officer of rank even of
the valiant Christian Alfonzo, if he could
induce him to take service with him. But
they say this Chief is as proud as he is
poor; and there is little hope that Abdelasis
will ever get his services otherwise
than by making him his slave.'
`The Christians have little reason to
love their conquerors.'
`That is true, brother. But we shall
have them all good Mussulmen soon.
Thou hast heard of the great Decree of
the new Caliph? which calls on Christians
to register their names before him
ere thirty days expire.'
`Yes, I have heard it.'
`Those who, after registering their
names, shall refuse to worship in the
Mosque Omar, are to have their left ear
clipped, the forefinger of the right hand
cut off, and to be sold in the bazanrs to
the highest bidder. By Allah, these
Christians are so stubborn that I see we
shall be overrun with slaves; every artisan
will be as rich as an Emir.'
`Think you the Christians will come
in to undergo this degradation?' asked
Alfonzo, with an effort repressing the
exhibition of the emotions to which this
conversation gave rise.
`What help have they? Abdelasis has
all the power in the land. He has consolidated
the empire. He has no rivals—
no factions to contend with—when this
El Zegris is slain or taken, as he will
soon be. The Caliph can, therefore, fill
the mountains and valleys of Spain with
his soldiers. With sword and fire they
can kill and destroy all who resist. Unless
the Christians wish to be exterminated,
they will not resist the decree!'
`You believe, then, that they will come
in to be registered?'
`To a man.'
`Think you Alfonzo the mountaineer
will come too?'
`No, he will stay away! If he comes,
he is not the man that I suppose him to
be. He will no doubt fly to the fortresses
of the mountains with others as
bold as himself, and there defy the soldiers
of the Caliph. I would give the
richest diamond on the crescent of the
Caliph, were it mine, to see this Alfonzo!'
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`Possibly he may come into Cordova
and be registered!'
`Should he do so, he will hardly leave
it again. Abdelasis would give much to
hold him in his hands.'
`Think you he will go so far as to
slit the ears and cut off the fingers of all
who, after having registered their names,
shall refuse to offer sacrifice in the
Mosque?'
`There is no doubt of it. He means
to make Spain a Moslem Empire. There
shall not, he says, exist in Spain two
nations, and one of these Christians. The
only distinction shall be master and slave;
and the Christian, if he refuses to become
a follower of the Prophet, shall be made
a bondman. But here we are up with
my troop!'
`It is a gallant company. Some of
your people, I see, are wounded, by the
blood-stained bandages they wear?'
`Yes; we lost four killed, and have
seven wounded, but not badly. The Zegris
defended his castle bravely. To-morrow,
ere the sun-set, we shall once
more storm his defences. It will take
four hundred men to do it. I shall ask
Abdelasis to give me command of the
division; and if thou choosest to give
thy scymetar something to do, thou
shalt have an honorable place in my
troop!'
`Thanks, Effendi. I go to Cordova
only on matter of business, and for the
present care not to engage in any expeditions
of warfare. I thank thee, nevertheless,
for thy courteous offer. You
said right that I should hardly get to the
gate before sun-set. The sun is now
close to the horizon, and we are yet full
two miles distant from the walls. To go
in with thy company will be a privilege;
for, not having any friends in the valley,
I should not care to lodge in the caravansera
outside the gate, when, at such a
stirring time as this, many lawless bands
must be strolling about the suburbs!'
The Moorish cavalry to which Alfonzo
had now attached himself, and very
gladly too, as affording him a way of entering
the city unquestioned, had now got
within full view of the city, which stood
in all its oriental splendor upon the banks
of the Guadalquivir—a pile of palaces,
mosques, domes and crowning minarets,
which reflected back with the brilliancy
of needles of polished gold, the setting
sun. The groves of palm that grew near
the walls, the lofty walls themselves, with
their bastions and towers, the noble river
flowing around and half-embracing them,
with the soft, mellow, roseate tint of the
atmosphere, hanging like a veil over all,
presented to the eye of the young gazelle-keeper,
as he rode along the road by the
side of the Moorish lieutenant, a scene
that delighted and enchanted him.
As they drew nearer, their road lay
amid a vale of gardens, the fragrance
from which loaded the air, and almost
oppressed the senses, Birds sang in the
orange groves, and flew from spray to
spray above the heads of the prancing
horsemen, like brilliant flowers on the
wing.
They passed the open gates of Moorish
villas, where, upon rich mats, sat the
master of the house, surrounded by his
family, listening to music, or being entertained
with the graceful motions of
the Xeri, or Arabian dancing-girls.—
They passed horsemen and mulattoes,
and labourers, hurrying homeward, ere
night should set in, and were passed by
riders at full speed, who feared they
should not reach the city in time, before
the closing of the gates: but the commander
of the troop neither mended his
pace, nor betrayed anxiety; as he knew
that the gates, though shut, would be
thrown open to him, as soon as he should
appear before them.
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Ingraham, J. H. (Joseph Holt), 1809-1860 [1846], The slave king, or, The triumph of liberty volume 2 (United States Publishing Company, Boston) [word count] [eaf202v2].
