he most
dazzling white--white, also, were his tunic and short mantle; on his
left arm hung a short circular shield, in his right hand was poised
a long and slender lance. As this Moor, mounted on a charger in whose
raven hue not a white hair could be detected, dashed forward against
Pacheco, both Christian and Moor breathed hard, and remained passive.
Either nation felt it as a sacrilege to thwart the encounter of
champions so renowned.

"God save my brave brother!" muttered Villena, anxiously. "Amen," said
those around him; for all who had ever witnessed the wildest valour in
that war, trembled as they recognised the dazzling robe and coal-black
charger of Muza Ben Abil Gazan. Nor was that renowned infidel mated with
an unworthy foe. "Pride of the tournament, and terror of the war," was
the favourite title which the knights and ladies of Castile had bestowed
on Don Alonzo de Pacheco.

When the Spaniard saw the redoubted Moor approach, he halted abruptly
for a moment, and then, wheeling his horse around, took a wider circuit,
to give additional impetus to his charge. The Moor, aware of his
purpose, halted also, and awaited the moment of his rush; when once
more he darted forward, and the combatants met with a skill which called
forth a cry of involuntary applause from the Christians themselves.
Muza received on the small surface of his shield the ponderous spear
of Alonzo, while his own light lance struck upon the helmet of the
Christian, and by the exactness of the aim rather than the weight of the
blow, made Alonzo reel in his saddle.

The lances were thrown aside--the long broad falchion of the Christian,
the curved Damascus cimiter of the Moor, gleamed in the air. They reined
their chargers opposite each other in grave and deliberate silence.

"Yield thee, sir knight!" at length cried the fierce Moor, "for the
motto on my cimiter declares that if thou meetest its stroke, thy
days are numbered. The sword of the believer is the Key of Heaven and
Hell."--[Such, says Sale, is the poetical phrase of the Mohammedan
divines.]

"False Paynim," answered Alonzo, in a voice that rung hollow through his
helmet, "a Christian knight is the equal of a Moorish army!"

Muza made no reply, but left the rein of his charger on his neck; the
noble animal understood the signal, and with a short impatient cry
rushed forward at full speed. Alonzo met the charge with his falchion
upraised, and his whole body covered with his shield;