University of Virginia Library

11. CHAPTER XI.
How Muley Aben Hassan made a foray into the lands
of Medina Sidonia, and how he was received.

Old Muley Aben Hassan had mustered an army,
and marched to the relief of Loxa; but arrived too
late—the last squadron of Ferdinand had already
passed over the border. “They have come and
gone,” said he, “like a summer cloud, and all their
vaunting has been mere empty thunder.” He turned
to make another attempt upon Alhama, the garrison
of which was in the utmost consternation at the
retreat of Ferdinand, and would have deserted the
place, had it not been for the courage and perseverance
of the alcayde Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero.
That brave and loyal commander cheered up the
spirits of his men, and kept the old Moorish king at
bay, until the approach of Ferdinand, on his second
incursion into the vega, obliged him to make an unwilling
retreat to Malaga.

Muley Aben Hassan felt that it would be in vain,
with his inferior force, to oppose the powerful army
of the christian monarch; but to remain idle and see
his territories laid waste, would ruin him in the estimation
of his people. “If we cannot parry,” said
he, “we can strike; if we cannot keep our own lands
from being ravaged, we can ravage the lands of the
enemy.” He inquired and learnt that most of the

chivalry of Andalusia, in their eagerness for a foray,
had marched off with the king, and left their own
country almost defenceless. The territories of the
duke of Medina Sidonia were particularly unguarded:
here were vast plains of pasturage, covered with
flocks and herds—the very country for a hasty inroad.
The old monarch had a bitter grudge against
the duke, for having foiled him at Alhama. “I'll
give this cavalier a lesson,” said he, exultingly, “that
will cure him of his love of campaigning.” So he
prepared in all haste for a foray into the country
about Medina Sidonia.

Muley Aben Hassan sallied out of Malaga with
fifteen hundred horse and six thousand foot, and took
the way by the sea-coast, marching through Estiponia,
and entering the christian country between Gibraltar
and Castellar. The only person that was likely to
molest him on this route, was one Pedro de Vargas;
a shrewd, hardy, and vigilant soldier, alcayde of
Gibraltar, and who lay ensconced in his old warrior
rock as in a citadel. Muley Aben Hassan knew
the watchful and daring character of the man, but
had ascertained that his garrison was too small to
enable him to make a sally, or at least to insure him
any success. Still he pursued his march, with great
silence and caution; sent parties in advance, to explore
every pass where a foe might lie in ambush;
cast many an anxious eye towards the old rock of
Gibraltar, as its cloud-capped summit was seen towering
in the distance on his left; nor did he feel entirely
at ease, until he had passed through the broken

and mountainous country of Castellar, and descended
into the plains. Here he encamped on the banks of
the Celemin. From hence he sent four hundred
corredors, or fleet horsemen, armed with lances, who
were to station themselves near Algeziras, and to
keep a strict watch across the bay, upon the opposite
fortress of Gibraltar. If the alcayde attempted to
sally forth, they were to waylay and attack him, being
almost four times his supposed force; and were
to send swift tidings to the camp. In the mean time,
two hundred corredors were sent to scour that vast
plain called the Campiña de Tarifa, abounding with
flocks and herds; and two hundred more were to
ravage the lands about Medina Sidonia. Muley
Aben Hassan remained with the main body of the
army, as a rallying point, on the banks of the Celemin.

The foraging parties scoured the country to such
effect, that they came driving vast flocks and herds
before them, enough to supply the place of all that
had been swept from the vega of Granada. The
troops which had kept watch upon the rock of Gibraltar,
returned with word that they had not seen a
christian helmet stirring. The old king congratulated
himself upon the secrecy and promptness with which
he had conducted his foray, and upon having baffled
the vigilance of Pedro de Vargas.

Muley Aben Hassan had not been so secret as he
imagined; the watchful Pedro de Vargas had received
notice of his movements. His garrison was barely
sufficient for the defence of the place, and he feared
to take the field and leave his fortress unguarded.

Luckily, at this juncture, there arrived in the harbor
of Gibraltar a squadron of the armed galleys stationed
in the Strait, and commanded by Carlos de Valera.
The alcayde immediately prevailed upon him to
guard the place during his absence, and sallied forth
at midnight with seventy horse. He made for the
town of Castellar, which is strongly posted on a steep
height, knowing that the Moorish king would have
to return by this place. He ordered alarm-fires to
be lighted upon the mountains, to give notice that
the Moors were on the ravage, that the peasants
might drive their flocks and herds to places of refuge;
and he sent couriers, riding like mad, in every direction,
summoning the fighting men of the neighborhood
to meet him at Castellar.

Muley Aben Hassan saw, by the fires blazing about
the mountains, that the country was rising. He struck
his tents, and pushed forward as rapidly as possible
for the border; but he was incumbered with booty,
and with the vast cavalgada swept from the pastures
of the Campiña de Tarifa. His scouts brought him
word that there were troops in the field, but he made
light of the intelligence, knowing that they could
only be those of the alcayde of Gibraltar, and that
he had not more than a hundred horsemen in his garrison.
He threw in advance two hundred and fifty
of his bravest troops, and with them the alcaydes of
Marabella and Casares. Behind this vanguard was
a great cavalgada of cattle; and in the rear marched
the king, with the main force of his little army.

It was near the middle of a sultry summer day,

that they approached Castellar. De Vargas was on
the watch, and beheld, by an immense cloud of dust,
that they were descending one of the heights of that
wild and broken country. The vanguard and rear
guard were above half a league asunder, with the
cavalgada between them; and a long and close forest
hid them from each other. De Vargas saw that they
could render but little assistance to each other in
case of a sudden attack, and might be easily thrown
in confusion. He chose fifty of his bravest horsemen,
and, making a circuit, took his post secretly in a
narrow glen opening into a defile between two rocky
heights, through which the Moors had to pass. It
was his intention to suffer the vanguard and the
cavalgada to pass, and to fall upon the rear.

While thus lying perdue, six Moorish scouts, well
mounted and well armed, entered the glen, examining
every place that might conceal an enemy. Some
of the christians advised that they should slay these
six men, and retreat to Gibraltar. “No,” said De
Vargas, “I have come out for higher game than
these; and I hope, by the aid of God and Santiago,
to do good work this day. I know these Moors well,
and doubt not but that they may readily be thrown
into confusion.”

By this time, the six horsemen approached so near
that they were on the point of discovering the christian
ambush. De Vargas gave the word, and ten
horsemen rushed forth upon them: in an instant,
four of the Moors rolled in the dust; the other two
put spurs to their steeds, and fled towards their army,

pursued by the ten christians. About eighty of the
Moorish vanguard came galloping to the relief of
their companions; the christians turned, and fled
towards their ambush. De Vargas kept his men
concealed, until the fugitives and their pursuers
came clattering pell-mell into the glen. At a signal
trumpet, his men sallied forth with great heat and
in close array. The Moors almost rushed upon
their weapons, before they perceived them; forty of
the infidels were overthrown, the rest turned their
backs. “Forward!” cried De Vargas; “let us give
the vanguard a brush, before it can be joined by the
rear.” So saying, he pursued the flying Moors down
hill, and came with such force and fury upon the
advance guard as to overturn many of them at the
first encounter. As he wheeled off with his men,
the Moors discharged their lances; upon which he
returned to the charge, and made great slaughter.
The Moors fought valiantly for a short time, until the
alcaydes of Marabella and Casares were slain, when
they gave way and fled for the rear guard. In their
flight, they passed through the cavalgada of cattle,
threw the whole in confusion, and raised such a cloud
of dust that the christians could no longer distinguish
objects. Fearing that the king and the main body
might be at hand, and finding that De Vargas was
badly wounded, they contented themselves with despoiling
the slain and taking above twenty-eight
horses, and then retreated to Castellar.

When the routed Moors came flying back upon
the rear guard, Muley Aben Hassan feared that the

people of Xeres were in arms. Several of his followers
advised him to abandon the cavalgada, and
retreat by another road. “No,” said the old king,
“he is no true soldier who gives up his booty without
fighting.” Putting spurs to his horse, he galloped
forward through the centre of the cavalgada,
driving the cattle to the right and left. When he
reached the field of battle, he found it strewed with
the bodies of upwards of one hundred Moors, among
which were those of the two alcaydes. Enraged at
the sight, he summoned all his cross-bow-men and
cavalry, pushed on to the very gates of Castellar, and
set fire to two houses close to the walls. Pedro de
Vargas was too severely wounded to sally forth in
person; but he ordered out his troops, and there was
brisk skirmishing under the walls, until the king drew
off and returned to the scene of the recent encounter.
Here he had the bodies of the principal warriors laid
across mules, to be interred honorably at Malaga;
the rest of the slain were buried on the field of battle.
Then, gathering together the scattered cavalgada, he
paraded it slowly, in an immense line, past the walls
of Castellar, by way of taunting his foe.

With all his fierceness, old Muley Aben Hassan
had a gleam of warlike courtesy, and admired the
hardy and soldierlike character of Pedro de Vargas.
He summoned two christian captives, and demanded
what were the revenues of the alcayde of Gibraltar.
They told him that, among other things, he was entitled
to one out of every drove of cattle that passed
his boundaries. “Allah forbid,” cried the old monarch,

“that so brave a cavalier should be defrauded
of his dues.”

He immediately chose twelve of the finest cattle,
from the twelve droves which formed the cavalgada.
These he gave in charge to an alfaqui, to deliver to
Pedro de Vargas. “Tell him,” said he, “that I
crave his pardon for not having sent these cattle
sooner; but I have this moment learnt the nature of
his rights, and I hasten to satisfy them, with the
punctuality due to so worthy a cavalier. Tell him,
at the same time, that I had no idea the alcayde of
Gibraltar was so active and vigilant in collecting his
tolls.”

The brave alcayde relished the stern soldierlike
pleasantry of the old Moorish monarch. He ordered
a rich silken vest, and a scarlet mantle, to be given
to the alfaqui, and dismissed him with great courtesy.
“Tell his majesty,” said he, “that I kiss his hands
for the honor he has done me, and regret that my
scanty force has not permitted me to give him a more
signal reception, on his coming into these parts. Had
three hundred horsemen, whom I have been promised
from Xeres, arrived in time, I might have served
up an entertainment more befitting such a monarch.
I trust, however, they will arrive in the course of
the night, in which case his majesty may be sure of
a royal regale at the dawning.”

Muley Aben Hassan shook his head, when he received
the reply of De Vargas. “Allah preserve
us,” said he, “from any visitation of these hard riders
of Xeres! a handful of troops, acquainted with the

wild passes of these mountains, may destroy an army
encumbered as ours is with booty.”

It was some relief to the king, however, to learn
that the hardy alcayde of Gibraltar was too severely
wounded to take the field in person. He immediately
beat a retreat, with all speed, before the close of day,
hurrying with such precipitation, that the cavalgada
was frequently broken, and scattered among the
rugged defiles of the mountains; and above five thousand
of the cattle turned back, and were regained by
the christians. Muley Aben Hassan returned triumphantly
with the residue to Malaga, glorying in
the spoils of the duke of Medina Sidonia.

King Ferdinand was mortified at finding his incursion
into the vega of Granada counterbalanced by
this inroad into his dominions, and saw that there
were two sides to the game of war, as to all other
games. The only one who reaped real glory, in this
series of inroads and skirmishings, was Pedro de
Vargas, the stout alcayde of Gibraltar.[1]