cease to have a country and a name."

Finding the Christian King forbore to make an attack, Musa 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."

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 to it containing some taunting defiance. These bravadoes caused
great irritation, but still the Spanish warriors were restrained by the
prohibition of the King.

Among the Moorish cavaliers was one named Yarfe, renowned for his great
strength and daring spirit; but whose courage partook of fierce audacity
rather than chivalric heroism. In one of these sallies, when they
were skirting the Christian camp, this arrogant Moor outstripped his
companions, overleaped the barriers, and, galloping close to the royal
quarters, launched his lance so far within that it remained quivering
in the earth close by the pavilions of the sovereigns. The royal guards
rushed forth in pursuit, but the Moorish horsemen were already beyond the
camp, and scouring in a cloud of dust for the city. Upon wresting the
lance from the earth, a