time abated, and Alonso de Aguilar,
auguring favorably of men who had withstood, undaunted, such an
accumulation of terrors, had pushed forward, and was now midway on the
mountain. The rebels beheld his progress with conscious alarm, for
though his numbers were considerably reduced and weakened by fatigue,
yet Don Alonso was about to reach a space of even ground, in which
should he succeed, it would render more doubtful the victory which they
had till now considered as certain. Still they continued to roll down
their destructive missiles, but these had lost their former power; for
though some visited the enemy, yet the greater part stopt in their
career, impeded by the trunks of trees torn up by the tempest, or stuck
in the spots of marshy ground caused by the descending torrents. The
Moors, therefore, abandoned this system of aggression, and perceiving
that the gallant band of Don Alonso de Aguilar was extremely small, and
that it could not receive assistance from the Spanish forces below, they
collected a great body, and determined to oppose the further progress of
Aguilar, before he could succeed in reaching the little plain. A
desperate contest ensued, in which every Christian exerted his remaining
strength, and their present position was so far favorable, that the
Moors were not able to overwhelm them with numbers. Thus Aguilar,
encouraging his men with the better aspect of their fortune, continued
fighting desperately, and gaining ground, whilst the affrighted Moors
retreated before his amazing efforts.

But the most exalted courage cannot support the body under the
accumulated sufferings of wounds and exhaustion, and Don Alonso at
length beheld with a look of melancholy resignation, blended with manly
fortitude, the diminution of his numbers, and the state of depression
under which they laboured. He could no longer hope to accomplish his
daring enterprise, nor effect an honorable retreat. The day, which had
now shed its first glimmering light, revealed the forlorn condition of
his men: he beheld his once gallant army stretched along the path, which
was so completely covered with the dead, that it seemed to be paved with
human victims. The Spaniards fought still, but their foes were
continually supplied with fresh men, and Aguilar foresaw with a pang of
distress that the Moors would ultimately triumph. In this emergency he
cast a desponding look on his troops below, who would in vain have
attempted to assist him,