University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXXIV.

While these events were taking place
on the northern frontier of the kingdom
of Granada, the important fortress of
Alhama was neglected, and its commander,
Don Gutiere de Padilla, clavero
of Calatrava,[49] reduced to great perplexity.
The remnant of the foraging
party which had been surprised and massacred
by the fierce El Zagal, when on his
way to Granada to receive the crown,
had returned in confusion and dismay to
the fortress. They could only speak of
their own disgrace, being obliged to
abandon their cavalgada, and to fly,
pursued by a superior force. Of the
flower of their party, the gallant knights
of Calatrava, who had remained behind
in the valley, they knew nothing. A
few days cleared up the mystery, and
brought tidings of their steeds, led in
triumph into the gates of Granada; and
their bleeding heads borne at the saddlebows
of the warriors of El Zagal. Their
fellow-knights, who formed a part of the
garrison, were struck with horror at the
dismal story, and panted to revenge their
death. Their number, however, was too
much reduced by the loss to take the
field; for the vega swarmed with the
troops of El Zagal. They could not
even venture forth to forage for provisions;
and the defeat of the Count de
Cabra having interrupted their customary
supplies, they were reduced to such extremity,
that they had to kill several of
their horses for food.

Don Gutiere de Padilla, clavero of
Calatrava, the commander of the fortress,
was pondering one day over the

gloomy state of affairs, when a Moor was
brought before him, who had applied at
the gate for an audience. He bore a
budget, and appeared to be one of those
itinerant merchants who wandered about
the country in those days, hanging on
the skirts of armies, to purchase the
spoils of the soldiery, and who would
pretend to sell amulets, trinkets, and
perfumes, but would often draw forth
from their wallets articles of great rarity
and value: rich shawls, chains of gold,
necklaces of pearls and diamonds, and
costly gems, the plunder of camps and
cities. The Moor approached the clavero
with a mysterious look. "Senior,"
said he, "I would speak with you alone;
I have a precious jewel to dispose of."
"I need no jewels," said the clavero, abruptly;
"take thy wares to the soldiery."
"By the blood of him who died on the
cross," exclaimed the Moor, with earnest
solemnity, "do not turn a deaf ear to my
offer: the jewel I have to sell would be
to you of inestimable value, and you
alone can be the purchaser."

The clavero was moved by the earnestness
of the Moor, and perceived, that,
under the figurative language common to
his countrymen, he concealed some meaning
of importance. He made a sign,
therefore, to his attendants to withdraw.
The Moor looked after them, until the
door closed; then advancing cautiously,
"What will you give me," said he, "if
I deliver the fortress of Zalea into your
hands?"

Zalea was a strong town about two
leagues distant, which had been a hostile
and dangerous neighbour to Alhama; its
warriors laying ambuscades to surprise
the knights of Calatrava, when out upon
a forage, and to intercept and cut off
their supplies and cavalgadas.

The clavero looked with mingled surprise
and distrust at this itinerant pedler,
who thus offered to traffic for a warlike
town. "Thou talkest," said he, "of selling
me Zalea; what means hast thou of
making good the sale?" "I have a
brother in the garrison," replied the
Moor, "who for a proper sum paid down,
will admit a body of troops by night into
the citadel."

"And for a sum of gold, then," said
the clavero, regarding him with stern
scrutiny, "thou art prepared to betray
thy people and thy faith?"

"I abjure them and their faith," replied
the Moor: "my mother was a Castilian
captive; her people shall be my people,
and her religion my religion."

The cautious clavero still distrusted
the sincerity of this mongrel Moor and
piebald Christian. "What assurance,"
continued he, "have I, that thou wilt
deal more truely with me, than with the
alcayde of the fortress thou wouldst
betray? To me thou hast no tie of
fealty, to him thou owest thy allegiance."

"I owe him no allegiance!" cried the
Moor, fire flashing from his eyes: "the
alcayde is a tyrant, a dog! he has robbed
me of my merchandise, stripped me of
my lawful booty, and ordered me the
bastinado, because I dared to complain.
May the curse of God light upon me, if
I rest contented, until I have ample vengeance!"

"Enough," said the clavero; "I will
trust to thy vengeance, even more than
to thy Christianity."

Don Gutiere now summoned a council
of his principal knights. They were all
eager for the enterprise, as a mode of
revenging the death of their companions,
and wiping off the stigma cast upon the
order by the late defeat. Spies were
sent to reconnoitre Zalea, and to communicate
with the brother of the Moor; the
sum to be paid as a recompense was
adjusted, and every arrangement made
for the enterprise.

On the appointed night, a party of
cavaliers set out under the guidance of
the Moor. When they came near to
Zalea, their leader bound the hands of
the guide behind his back, and pledged
his knightly word to strike him dead on
the least sign of treachery; he then bade
him lead the way. It was midnight,
when they arrived in silence under the
walls of the citadel. At a low signal, a
ladder of ropes was let down: Gutiere
Muñoz and Pedro de Alvardo were the
first to ascend, followed by half a dozen
others. They surprised the guards, cut
them down, threw them over the wall,
and gained possession of a tower. The
alarm was given, the whole citadel was
in confusion, but already the knights of
Calatrava were in every part. They

called to each other to remember their
brethren massacred in the valley of the
vega, and their bloody heads borne in
triumph to Granada. They fought with
sanguinary fury; most of the half-armed
and bewildered garrison were put to the
sword; the rest were taken prisoners; in
an hour they were masters of the citadel,
and the town submitted of course.

They found the magazines stored with
all kinds of provisions, with which they
loaded an immense train of beasts of
burden, for the relief of the famishing
garrison of Alhama.

Thus did the gallant knights of Calatrava
gain the strong town of Zalea, with
scarcely any loss, and atone for the
inglorious defeat sustained by their companions.
Large reinforcements and supplies
from the sovereigns arriving soon
after, strengthened them in their own
fortress, and enabled them to keep possession
of their new conquest. This
gallant affair took place about the same
time as the capture of Cambil and Albahar;
and these two achievements gave a
prosperous termination to the chequered
events of this important year. Ferdinand
and Isabella retired for the winter to
Alcala de Henares, where the queen, on
the 16th of December, gave birth to the
infanta Catherine, afterwards spouse to
Henry VIII. of England.