25. CHAPTER XXV.
How the Marques of Cadiz concerted to surprise
Zahara, and the result of his enterprise.
The valiant Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques
of Cadiz, was one of the most vigilant of commanders.
He kept in his pay a number of converted
Moors, to serve as adalides, or armed guides. These
mongrel christians were of great service, in procuring
information. Availing themselves of their Moorish
character and tongue, they penetrated into the enemy's
country, prowled about the castles and fortresses,
noticed the state of the walls, the gates and
towers, the strength of their garrison, and the vigilance
or negligence of their commanders. All this
they reported minutely to the marques, who thus
knew the state of every fortress upon the frontier,
and when it might be attacked with advantage. Beside
the various towns and cities over which he held
a feudal sway, he had always an armed force about
him, ready for the field. A host of retainers fed in
his hall, who were ready to follow him to danger and
death itself, without inquiring who or why they
fought. The armories of his castles were supplied
with helms and cuirasses and weapons of all kinds,
ready burnished for use; and his stables were filled
with hardy steeds, that could stand a mountain
scamper.
The marques was aware that the late defeat of the
Moors on the banks of the Lopera, had weakened
their whole frontier; for many of the castles and
fortresses had lost their alcaydes, and their choicest
troops. He sent out his war-hounds, therefore, upon
the range, to ascertain where a successful blow might
be struck; and they soon returned, with word that
Zahara was weakly garrisoned and short of provisions.
This was the very fortress, which, about two
years before, had been stormed by Muley Aben
Hassan; and its capture had been the first blow of
this eventful war. It had ever since remained a
thorn in the side of Andalusia. All the christians
had been carried away captive, and no civil population
had been introduced in their stead. There were
no women or children in the place. It was kept
up as a mere military post, commanding one of the
most important passes of the mountains, and was a
strong-hold of Moorish marauders. The marques was
animated by the idea of regaining this fortress for his
sovereigns, and wresting from the old Moorish king
this boasted trophy of his prowess. He sent missives
therefore to the brave Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero,
who had distinguished himself in the late victory,
and to Juan Almaraz, captain of the men-at-arms
of the Holy Brotherhood, informing them of
his designs, and inviting them to meet him with their
forces on the banks of the Gaudalete.
It was on the day (says Fray Antonio Agapida) of
the glorious apostles St. Simon and Judas, the twenty-eighth
of October, in the year of grace one thousand
four hundred and eighty three, that this chosen
band of christian soldiers assembled suddenly and
secretly at the appointed place. Their forces, when
united, amounted to six hundred horse and fifteen
hundred foot. Their gathering place was at the entrance
of the defile leading to Zahara. That ancient
town, renowned in Moorish warfare, is situated in
one of the roughest passes of the Serrania de Ronda.
It is built round the craggy cone of a hill, on the lofty
summit of which is a strong castle. The country
around is broken into deep barrancas or ravines,
some of which approach its very walls. The place
had until recently been considered impregnable; but
(as the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida observes) the
walls of impregnable fortresses, like the virtue of
self-confident saints, have their weak points of attack.
The marques of Cadiz advanced with his little
army in the dead of the night, marching silently into
the deep and dark defiles of the mountains, and stealing
up the ravines which extended to the walls of the
town. Their approach was so noiseless, that the
Moorish sentinels upon the walls heard not a voice
or a footfall. The marques was accompanied by his
old escalador, Ortega de Prado, who had distinguished
himself at the scaling of Alhama. This hardy
veteran was stationed, with ten men, furnished with
scaling-ladders, in a cavity among the rocks, close to
the walls. At a little distance, seventy men were
hid in a ravine, to be at hand to second him, when
he should have fixed his ladders. The rest of the
troops were concealed in another ravine, commanding
a fair approach to the gate of the fortress. A
shrewd and wary adalid, well acquainted with the
place, was appointed to give signals; and was so
stationed, that he could be seen by the various parties
in ambush, but was hidden from the garrison.
The remainder of the night passed away in profound
quiet. The Moorish sentinels could be heard
tranquilly patrolling the walls, in perfect security.
The day dawned, and the rising sun began to shine
against the lofty peaks of the Serrania de Ronda.
The sentinels looked from their battlements over a
savage but quiet mountain country, where not a human
being was stirring; they little dreamt of the
mischief that lay lurking in every ravine and chasm
of the rocks around them. Apprehending no danger
of surprise in broad day, the greater part of the soldiers
abandoned the walls and towers, and descended
into the city.
By orders of the marques, a small body of light
cavalry passed along the glen, and, turning round a
point of rock, showed themselves before the town:
they skirred the fields almost to the gates, as if by
way of bravado, and to defy the garrison to a skirmish.
The Moors were not slow in replying to it.
About seventy horse, and a number of foot who had
guarded the walls, sallied forth impetuously, thinking
to make easy prey of these insolent marauders. The
christian horsemen fled for the ravine; the Moors
pursued them down the hill, until they heard a great
shouting and tumult behind them. Looking round,
they beheld their town assailed, and a scaling party
mounting the walls sword in hand. Wheeling about,
they galloped furiously for the gate; the marques of
Cadiz and Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero rushed
forth at the same time with their ambuscade, and endeavored
to cut them off; but the Moors succeeded
in throwing themselves within the walls.
While Puerto Carrero stormed at the gate, the
marques put spurs to his horse and galloped to the
support of Ortega de Prado and his scaling party.
He arrived at a moment of imminent peril, when the
party was assailed by fifty Moors, armed with cuirasses
and lances, who were on the point of thrusting
them from the walls. The marques sprang from his
horse, mounted a ladder, sword in hand, followed by
a number of his troops, and made a vigorous attack
upon the enemy.[1]
They were soon driven from the
walls, and the gates and towers remained in possession
of the christians. The Moors defended themselves
for a short time in the streets, but at length
took refuge in the castle, the walls of which were
strong, and capable of holding out until relief should
arrive. The marques had no desire to carry on a
seige, and he had not provisions sufficient for many
prisoners; he granted them, therefore, favorable terms.
They were permitted, on leaving their arms behind
them, to march out with as much of their effects as
they could carry; and it was stipulated that they
should pass over to Barbary. The marques remained
in the place until both town and castle were put in a
perfect state of defence, and strongly garrisoned.
Thus did Zahara return once more into possession
of the christians, to the great confusion of old Muley
Aben Hassan, who, having paid the penalty of his
ill-timed violence, was now deprived of its vaunted
fruits. The Castilian sovereigns were so gratified by
this achievement of the valiant Ponce de Leon, that
they authorized him thenceforth to entitle himself
duke of Cadiz and marques of Zahara. The warrior,
however, was so proud of the original title, under
which he had so often signalized himself, that he
gave it the precedence, and always signed himself
marques, duke of Cadiz. As the reader may have
acquired the same predilection, we shall continue to
call him by his ancient title.
