ded by his grim African guard and all the
stern array of military power, and they beheld the bloody traces of the
recent massacre.

* Cura de los Palacios, c. 82.

Hamet rolled a dark and searching eye upon the assembly. "Who," said
he, "is loyal and devoted to Muley Abdallah el Zagal?" Every one present
asserted his loyalty. "Good!" said Hamet; "and who is ready to prove his
devotion to his sovereign by defending this his important city to the
last extremity?" Every one present declared his readiness. "Enough!"
observed Hamet. "The alcayde Aben Comixa has proved himself a traitor to
his sovereign and to you all, for he has conspired to deliver the
place to the Christians. It behooves you to choose some other commander
capable of defending your city against the approaching enemy." The
assembly declared unanimously that no one was so worthy of the command
as himself. So Hamet was appointed alcayde of Malaga, and immediately
proceeded to man the forts and towers with his partisans and to make
every preparation for a desperate resistance.

Intelligence of these occurrences put an end to the negotiations between
King Ferdinand and the superseded alcayde Aben Comixa, and it was
supposed there was no alternative but to lay siege to the place. The
marques of Cadiz, however, found at Velez a Moorish cavalier of some
note, a native of Malaga, who offered to tamper with Hamet el Zegri for
the surrender of the city, or at least of the castle of Gibralfaro. The
marques communicated this to the king. "I put this business and the key
of my treasury into your hands," said Ferdinand; "act, stipulate, and
disburse in my name as you think proper."

The marques armed the Moor with his own lance, cuirass, and target and
mounted him on one of his own horses. He equipped in similar style also
another Moor, his companion and relative. They bore secret letters
to Hamet from the marques offering him the town of Coin in perpetual
inheritance and four thousand doblas in gold if he would deliver
up Gibralfaro, together with a farm and two thousand doblas for his
lieutenant, Ibrahim Zenete, and large sums to be distributed among
his officers and soldiers; and he offered unlimited rewards for the
surrender of the city.

Hamet had a warrior's admiration of the marques of Cadiz, and received
his messengers with courtesy in his fortress of Gibralfaro. He even
listened to their propositions with patience, and dismissed them in
safety, tho