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On the following day the two armies remained
regarding each other with wary but menacing
aspect. About noontide King Roderick
sent forth a chosen force of five hundred horse
and two hundred foot, the best armed of his
host, to skirmish with the enemy, that, by gaining
some partial advantage, they might raise the
spirits of the army. They were led on by
Theodomir, the same Gothic noble who had signalized
himself by first opposing the invasion of
the moslems.

The christian squadrons paraded with flying
pennons in the valley which lay between the
armies. The Arabs were not slow in answering
their defiance. A large body of horsemen sallied
forth to the encounter, together with three
hundred of the followers of Count Julian. There
was hot skirmishing about the field and on the

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banks of the river; many gallant feats were displayed
on either side, and many valiant warriors
were slain. As the night closed in, the trumpets
from either camp summoned the troops to retire
from the combat. In this day's action the christians
suffered greatly in the loss of their distinguished
cavaliers; for it is the noblest spirits
who venture most, and lay themselves open to
danger; and the moslem soldiers had instructions
to single out the leaders of the adverse host.
All this is said to have been devised by the perfidious
Bishop Oppas, who had secret communications
with the enemy, while he influenced the
councils of the king; and who trusted that by this
skirmishing warfare the power of the christian
troops would be cut off, and the rest disheartened.

On the following morning a larger force was
ordered out to skirmish, and such of the soldiery
as were unarmed were commanded to stand
ready to seize the horses and strip off the armour
of the killed and wounded. Among the most
illustrious of the warriors who fought that day
was Pelistes, the Gothic noble who had so
sternly checked the tongue of the Bishop Oppas.
He led to the field a large body of his own vassals
and retainers, and of cavaliers trained up in
his house, who had followed him to the wars in
Africa, and who looked up to him more as a

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father than a chieftain. Beside him was his
only son, who now for the first time was fleshing
his sword in battle. The conflict that day was
more general and bloody than the day preceding;
the slaughter of the christian warriors was
immense, from their lack of defensive armour;
and as nothing could prevent the flower of the
Gothic chivalry from spurring to the combat,
the field was strewed with the bodies of the
youthful nobles. None suffered more, however,
than the warriors of Pelistes. Their
leader himself was bold and hardy, and prone
to expose himself to danger; but years and
experience had moderated his early fire; his
son, however, was eager to distinguish himself
in this, his first essay, and rushed with impetuous
ardour into the hottest of the battle. In vain his
father called to caution him; he was ever in the
advance, and seemed unconscious of the perils
that surrounded him. The cavaliers and vassals
of his father followed him with devoted zeal,
and many of them paid for their loyalty with their
lives. When the trumpets sounded in the evening
for retreat, the troops of Pelistes were the
last to reach the camp. They came slowly and
mournfully, and much decreased in number.
Their veteran commander was seated on his
war-horse, but the blood trickled from the greaves
of his armour. His valiant son was borne on

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the shields of his vassals; when they laid him
on the earth near to where the king was standing,
they found that the heroic youth had expired
of his wounds. The cavaliers surrounded the
body and gave utterance to their grief, but the
father restrained his agony, and looked on with
the stern resignation of a soldier.

Don Roderick surveyed the field of battle with
a rueful eye, for it was covered with the mangled
bodies of his most illustrious warriors; he
saw, too, with anxiety, that the common people,
unused to war and unsustained by discipline,
were harassed by incessant toils and dangers,
and were cooling in their zeal and courage.

The crafty Bishop Oppas marked the internal
trouble of the king, and thought a favourable moment
had arrived to sway him to his purpose.
He called to his mind the various portents and
prophecies which had forerun their present danger.
“Let not my lord the king,” said he,
“make light of these mysterious revelations,
which appear to be so disasterously fulfilling.
The hand of heaven appears to be against us.
Destruction is impending over our heads. Our
troops are rude and unskilful; but slightly armed,
and much cast down in spirit. Better is it that
we should make a treaty with the enemy, and,
by granting part of his demands, prevent the
utter ruin of our country. If such counsel be

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acceptable to my lord the king, I stand ready to
depart upon an embassy to the moslem camp.”

Upon hearing these words, Pelistes, who had
stood in mournful silence, regarding the dead
body of his son, burst forth with honest indignation.
“By this good sword,” said he, “the man
who yields such dastard counsel deserves death
from the hand of his countrymen rather than
from the foe; and, were it not for the presence
of the king, may I forfeit salvation if I would
not strike him dead upon the spot.”

The bishop turned an eye of venom upon
Pelistes. “My lord,” said he, “I, too, bear a weapon,
and know how to wield it. Were the
king not present you would not dare to menace,
nor should you advance one step without my
hastening to meet you.”

The king interposed between the jarring nobles,
and rebuked the impetuosity of Pelistes, but at
the same time rejected the counsel of the bishop.
“The event of this conflict,” said he, “is in the
hand of God; but never shall my sword return to
its scabbard while an infidel invader remains
within the land.”

He then held a council with his captains, and it
was determined to offer the enemy general battle
on the following day. A herald was despatched
defying Taric ben Zeyad to the contest, and the
defiance was gladly accepted by the moslem

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chieftain.[20] Don Roderick then formed the plan
of action, and assigned to each commander his
several station, after which he dismissed his officers,
and each one sought his tent, to prepare by
diligence or repose for the next day's eventful
contest.

eaf221v3.n20

[20] Bleda, Cronica.

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