The news of the revolution in Cordova,
of the overthrow of the government
of the Emirs, of the death of the powerful
Algezir, and of the accession of the
conqueror, Abdolasis, to the Caliphate,
thus consolidating the Moslem power in
Spain, reached the ears of Gaspar and
Alfonzo in their mountain home.

The intelligence spread also far and
wide in the valley and beyond the Sierras;
but the news was received with indifference
both by the Chrlstians and by
the Moors. The former heard it with
apathy, because it mattered little tn them
who ruled in Cordova, so long as it was
the power of the crescent that was wielded
there; and the latter were satisfied
because, if Abdelasis ruled in the place
the Emirs, it was the decree of Allah.
Thus they became submissive through
their fatalism.

`What is to be is to be! God is
great, and Mahomet is his Prophet. Let
Abdelasis live a thousand years. With
these emphatie words the Moslem of
the valley everywhere received the news
of the change of Government.

`There is great news, father,' said Alfenzo,
as he entered the cabin, after having
folded his gazelles at the close of the
day in which Abdelasis sat upon the divan,
giving judgment as Caliph. There
is great news from Cordova. The Emirs
have been defeated, and Abdelasis, our
late guest, sits on the throne of the Caliphate!
'

`I heard it, boy! I was down in the
valley, and there met a Spanish slave,
gathering dry sticks, with which ha was
lading an ass. He told me the news.'

`Who was this slave that prefers life
to liberty, or even to death?'

Sancho, who once dwelt by the sprtng
of the palms, and whose Moorish master
now holds his house, and even his daughters
in his harem—Sancho has since had
his heart broken, or he would not live so
submissive as a slave!'

`There are ten thousand Spaniards,
father, with whole hearts and strong
arms, this day, submissive bondsmen to
the Moor. Would to God it was not so!
What said Sancho that he had heard; for
I only got a thread of the news from Pioso,
the goatherd's boy, who said he had
met, as he was driving his goats towards
the city this morning, some who told him
that Abdelasis was Caliph. Heard you
particulars?'

`I was told by Sancho that yesterday
afternoon the Emirs fought among themselves,
and Algezir, taking advantage of
their confusion, attacked them, when Abdelasis,
who was supposed dead, suddenly
made his appearance with a large
force on the ground, defeated Algezir
and slew him, and then utterly dispersed
the forces of the Emirs, slaying all but
one or two who fled to the mosques, and
then he proclaimed himself Caliph, unfurling
their sacred standard from the portico
of the royal seraglio.'

`This is more news than I got,' answered
Alfonzo, with animated interest.
`So our false Moor has indeed triumphed.
How different now would have been
the state of things in Cordova, had we
detained him here or have let him perished
upon the mountains. Heard you
anything further?'

`That the new Caliph has filled the
strong places of the city with his troops,
taken possession of all the gates and
placed them under a strong guard, and
proclaimed pardon to all who will swear
allegiance to him; and he has also called
back all who fled, promising them

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protection and security to their lives and
property.'

`He means to establish his throne by
clemency, that he may rule by and by
with tyranny. He begins mildly, to end
cruelly. I know the man, father.'

`His gracious manner of proceeding
promises no good, I am sure. His smile
is worse than his frown. Now that he is
Caliph, boy, how is this new government
to affect us? But this is a silly question.
What matters to you and I who rules in
Cordova? We are herdsmen under the
Emirs, and we shall be herdsmen under
Abdelasis. We were poor yesterday,
and we shall be poor to-morrow also.—
Spaniards no longer have any interest in
the government of their native land. We
are slaves, and all the change we have
is change of masters.'

`Yet we may feel the power of the
new Caliph, father. The cup of bitterness
and woe against poor Spain may not
all be emptied! I fear the worst from
the accession of this treacherous Prince.
He is popular with his own people, and
he is now formidable to his enemies. He
will govern in such a manner that he will
become their benefactor and our curse!
He may be to them a mild ruler and an
bonorable man, while only to us Christians
he shows the dark side of his character!
'

`He cannot press us down lower than
we already lie. I fear him not. But as
you say, he may be wicked enough to do
us more mischief than his predecessors
have left to be done. Now I can conceive
that he may command any Christian
to pay a tax of half he possesses into
his coffers; and forbid their coming into
Cordova, except they submit to circumcision,
which they keep up with their father
Abraham, though they are degenerate
sons of Ishmael, and deny the Scriptures,
as father Godfrey says!'

`Have you seen the holy father to-day?
'

`No.'

`I was at his cell twice and he is not
there. I fear he may have gone to Cordova!
'

`What should take him there?'

This question Alfonzo could not answer;
yet he believed that he had gone
there in order to see Ben Osmin, who
had already been gone since the morning
before; and he was led to this belief
from the fact that the hermit had been
seen going down into the valley the evening
before, but had not been known to
return; and that he had gone to Cordova
was, he thought, more than likely, as he
had sent Ben Osmin there before him.

That Ben Osmin had really gone, Alfonzo
ascertained that very morning, by
paying a stolen visit to the Emir's tower.
He found the gates closed and fast, and
all quiet about. The only guard was
Lopo, the dog, who seemed indisposed in
his jealousy of all comers, to recognise
even the lover of his fair mistress.

Satisfied that they had departed at the
time Genilla had said she should go, that
is early the morning before, he slowly
left the place and hastened to the mountain
to his herd. But he carried with
him a sad heart, and a mind filled with
apprehensions for the safety of Genilla in
the city. He was prompted more than
once to hasten to Cordova to ascertain her
safety and urge her to return without
longer delay in so dangerous a place,
where power and might were right. But
he could not desert his charge, nor could
he with safety go into Cordova; for besides
being known to Abdelasis, he was
known to many Moors who had been
with El Zegris and who were now in
Cordova.

But when, ie the course of the afternoon,
he got the news from the boy Pioso
of the revolution in the city, his anxiety

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for the safety of Genilla in such a scene
rendered him inattentive to further particulars
of the intelligence brought by the
lad. He hastened with his flock down
from the mountain, and folding it, resolved
that he would commit its charge to
Pablo, until he should learn how it went
with Genilla in the warlike city.

He now was half resolved to go at
once under some safe disguise to see
what had become of Ben Osmin and his
fair daughter, amid all the tumult of battle
in which she had been environed.—
The idea that the hermit had gone into
the city confirmed him in his half-formed
determination to visit Cordova; for he
feared that danger would menace the
holy man as well as threaten Genilla.
Love will seek excuses innumerable to
defend any course it decides upon. So
Alfonzo, nearly persuaded himself that
his presence in Cordova was necessary
for the safety of father Godfrey, although
he was by no means certain that he had
in reality gone there. That he was not in
the mountain, he was well assured. He,
therefore, when he recalled to mind his
mysterious visit to Ben Osmin, and the
subsequent departure of the latter, conceived
that the same events which led
the Moor to go to Cordova might have
rendered it necessary also for father Godfrey
to meet him there.

It was these reflections, assisting his
wishes, that led him to ask Gaspar the
question he did. The interrogation with
which it was answered, he could not reply
to, or rather, he did not care to. If
he had answered it, he would have to unfold
more circumstances touching his
knowledge of Father Godfrey's late movements
than he wished to betray to Gaspar.

`He could not go to the city, boy,'
added Gaspar, without tossing his grey
head. No, no, he is not in Cordova. Is
it so rare a thing for the holy father to
be absent, that you think he is gone to
Cordova, if he be gone a day.'

`But just at this time, father, it is dangerous
for him to be in the valley. The
Moors, elated with their new government,
may be insolent and commit excesses.
I am half of a mind to go to Cordova and
see how things look there. I would like
to have been there yesterday, during the
fighting. It must have been a stirring
scene. I shall, be able, father, to get into
the city and out again, if I disguise
myself as a Moor, which I will do. We
have plenty of turbans, kaftans, and
other of their Infidel apparel, taken from
those whom we have conquered from
time to time.'

`I see no need of you going to the city,
boy, unless you are tired of life. And I
should disown you, to see your face under
a Moslem's turban. Stay at home,
and let the Moors and their city alone.'

`I would see this Abdelasis on his
throne; you know I have a quarrel with
him.'

`And I also,' answered the wolf-slayer,
in a low fierce tone.

`I would find occasion to punish him,
Caliph though he be, and surrounded by
his guards though he were.'

`It would be needless. If thou goest,
I go also. We both have quarrels with
him. But it will not do for the mole to
war with the eagle. We must be content
to let things be. Come, boy, let
Cordova and her Saracens alone. It
grows late, and we should eat our suppers
and go to bed. Where is Xariffa?'

`Here, father,' answered the beautiful
girl, entering at the moment, holding in
her hand the beautiful net which she had
heen at work upon when Abdelasis was
in her apartment.

`What is that, sister?' asked Alfonzo,
looking upon her lovely face and figure,
with the admiring eyes of fraternal affection
and brotherly pride.

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