ing was heard from
morning until night but shouts and acclamations and bursts of martial
music; so that it appeared to the Moors as if a continual festival and
triumph reigned in the Christian camp.

The arrival of the queen, however and the menaced obstinacy of the
siege, had no effect in damping the fire of the Moorish chivalry. Muza
inspired the youthful warriors with the most devoted heroism. "We have
nothing left to fight for," said he, "but the ground we stand on; when
this is lost we cease to have a country and a name."

Finding the Christian king forbore to make an attack, Muza incited his
cavaliers to challenge the youthful chivalry of the Christian army to
single combat or partial skirmishes. Scarce a day passed without gallant
conflicts of the kind in sight of the city and the camp. The combatants
rivalled each other in the splendor of their armor and array, as well as
in the prowess of their deeds. Their contests were more like the stately
ceremonials of tilts and tournaments than the rude conflicts of the
field. Ferdinand soon perceived that they animated the fiery Moors with
fresh zeal and courage, while they cost the lives of many of his bravest
cavaliers: he again, therefore, forbade the acceptance of any individual
challenges, and ordered that all partial encounters should be avoided.
The cool and stern policy of the Catholic sovereign bore hard upon the
generous spirits of either army, but roused the indignation of the Moors
when they found that they were to be subdued in this inglorious manner:
"Of what avail," said they, "are chivalry and heroic valor? The crafty
monarch of the Christians has no magnanimity in warfare; he seeks to
subdue us through the weakness of our bodies, but shuns to encounter the
courage of our souls."

CHAPTER XCII.

OF THE INSOLENT DEFIANCE OF TARFE THE MOOR, AND THE DARING EXPLOIT OF
HERNAN PEREZ DEL PULGAR.

When the Moorish knights beheld that all courteous challenges were
unavailing, they sought various means to provoke the Christian warriors
to the field. Sometimes a body of them, fleetly mounted, would gallop
up to the skirts of the camp and try who should hurl his lance farthest
within the barriers, having his name inscribed upon it or a label
affixed containing some taunting defiance. These bravadoes caused
great irritation; still, the Spanish warriors were restrained by the
prohibition of the king.

Among the Moorish cavaliers was one named Tarfe, renown