ugh his jealous courtiers did not hesitate to
murmur they could have done as well! The monarch also granted
permission to Donna Ximena and her daughters to join the Cid, and the
three ladies set out with their escorts for Valencia. Nine miles
outside this city, the Cid met them, mounted on his steed Bavieca,
which he had won from the Moors, and, joyfully embracing wife and
daughters, welcomed them to Valencia, where from the top of the
Alcazar he bade them view the fertile country which paid tribute to
him.

But, three months after the ladies' arrival, fifty thousand Moors
crossed over from Africa to recover their lost territory. Hearing
this, the Cid immediately laid in a stock of provisions, renewed his
supplies of ammunition, and inspected the walls and engines of his
towns to make sure they could resist. These preparations concluded, he
told his wife and daughters they should now see with their own eyes
how well he could fight! Soon after the Moors began besieging the city
(1102), the Cid arranged that some of his troops should slip out and
attack them from behind while he faced them. By this stratagem the
Moors were caught between opposing forces, and overestimating their
numbers fled in terror, allowing the Cid to triumph once more,
although he had only four thousand men to oppose to their fifty
thousand! Thanks to this panic of the Moors the Cid collected such
huge quantities of booty, that he was able to send a hundred fully
equipped horses to King Alfonso, as well as the tent which he had
captured from the Moorish monarch. These gifts not only pleased
Alfonso, but awed and silenced the courtiers, among whom were the
Infantes of Carrion, who deemed it might be well to sue for the Cid's
daughters, since the father was able to bestow such rich gifts. Having
reached this decision, these scheming youths approached the king, who,
counting upon his vassals' implicit obedience to his commands,
promised they should marry as they wished.

When the bearers of the Cid's present, therefore, returned to
Valencia, they bore a letter wherein Alfonso bade the Cid give his
daughters in marriage to the Infantes of Carrion. Although this
marriage suited neither the old hero nor his wife, both were far too
loyal to oppose the king's wishes, and humbly sent word they would
obey.

Then the Cid graciously went to meet his future sons-in-law. They were
escorted to the banks of the Tagus by Alfonso himself, who there
expressed surp