rmy 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 Abul 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.*

* Alonzo de Palencia, 1. 28, c. 3, MS.

CHAPTER XII.

FORAY OF SPANISH CAVALIERS AMONG THE MOUNTAINS OF MALAGA.

The foray of old Muley Abul Hassan had touched the pride of the
Andalusian chivalry, and they determined on retaliation. For this
purpose a number of the most distinguished cavaliers assembled at
Antiquera in the month of March, 1483. The leaders of the enterprise
were, the gallant marques of Cadiz; Don Pedro Henriquez, adelantado of
Andalusia; Don Juan de Silva, count of Cifuentes and bearer of the royal
standard, who commanded in Seville; Don Alonso de Cardenas, master of
the religious and military order of Santiago; and Don Alonso de Aguilar.
Several other cavaliers of note hastened to take part in the enterprise,
and in a little while about twenty-seven hundred horse and several
companies of foot were assembled within the old warlike city of
Antiquera, comprising the very flower of Andalusian chivalry.

A council of war was held by the chiefs to determine in what quarter
they should strike a blow. The rival Moorish kings were waging civil war
with each other in the vicinity of Granada, and the whole country lay
open to inroads. Various plans were proposed by the different cavaliers.
The marques of Cadiz was desirous of scaling the walls of Zahara and
regaining possession of that important fortress. The master of Santiago,
however, suggested a wider range and a still more important object. He
had received information from his adalides, who were apostate Moors,
that an incur