CHAPTER IV.
Le desordre partout redoublant les alarmes,
* * * *
Les cris que les rochers renvoyaient plus affreux, Enfin toute l'horreur d'un combat tenebreux; Que pouvait la valeur en ce trouble funeste? Les uns sont morts, la fuite a sauve tout le reste.
_Racine._
Morir famosos o vencer valientes Pompa triunfal o decorosa pira Solo os aguarda.
_Ercilla._
Great was the confusion into which the Moors were thrown by this suddenalarm: the appearance of El Feri, however, partially succeeded inrestoring order amongst the panic-stricken inhabitants, and revived thefainting courage of the soldiers. In a short time, all the Moors capableof bearing arms were ready for defence, whilst the old and infirm, thewomen and children, busied themselves in collecting their scanty goods,and placing them securely on their beasts of burthen, as theyanticipated the probability of a speedy retreat from their habitations.They evinced no signs of sorrow or reluctance at the prospect ofabandoning their homes, for they had been too well enured to theuncertainties of a wandering and predatory life, to betray marks ofimpatience or anger at an event which necessity had taught them to lookupon with indifference.
El Feri, having placed himself at the head of a brave and chosen party,boldly sallied from the town to meet the Christians, hoping that by acourageous effort, he might check their course, and afford time to hisassociate in command, the better to organise his means of resistance.The Christians advanced gallantly to the attack, shouting their war cryof _Santiago y cierra Espana_, which was answered by the Moors with thesound of Allah! illah! allah!
Twice the Christians rushed onwards with impetuosity, and twice theywere repulsed with equal fierceness and courage. Again they closed inthe conflict, collecting new energies, and exerting their utmoststrength. Don Alonso de Aguilar now appeared conspicuous amongst hiscompanions, directing every movement with cool intrepidity, andanimating his followers with the example of valorous achievement; hisponderous sword, reeking with blood, gleamed on high, a beacon ofvictory; and death marked his progress as he waded through the field ofstrife. The numbers and better discipline of the Spaniards, at lengthbegan to prevail: the rebels wavered, and terror soon spread throughtheir ranks. In vain did El Feri exert his utmost powers to rally thediscomfited Moors; in vain did his flashing eye kindle; in vain did helabour to animate their sinking hearts; fruitless was the strength ofhis arm in stemming the torrent that overwhelmed them: his animatingvoice, as he called to them the remembrance of their country, was lostin the wild confusion which prevailed, and the few that adhered faithfulto him, sealed their devotion with their blood. The rest fled forsafety, and El Feri was at length compelled to retreat precipitatelyinto the town.
The Christians paused for a moment in their victorious career. They wereabout to enter the lion's den; as, from the covert to which the rebelshad betaken themselves, they could spread destruction through the ranksof their advancing enemies in comparative security. The Christians werelikewise aware that the Moors, although defeated, were not subdued; andthey had more to fear from their treacherous ambuscade, than from theircourage in open fight.
In the mean time, El Feri succeeded in rallying his scattered forces,and in conjunction with those of Caneri, prepared for a secondencounter: he had, however, taken care to distribute the most expert ofhis adherents in concealed situations, whence they could moreeffectually annoy the Christians with their missiles. These hidden foesproved extremely fatal to the Spaniards; blows dealt with security, andfrom invisible hands, laying prostrate many of their gallant soldiers.Don Antonio de Leyva had penetrated into the town, with the unrestrainedimpetuosity of youth, reckless of all danger; but El Feri and Caneridisputed their ground inch by inch, whilst the renegade, in anotherquarter, was making dreadful havoc amongst his former fellow-countrymen.
Night had now began to lour, but the fury of the combatants, instead ofabating, seemed to acquire additional power, in proportion as deathreduced their numbers. The Moor and the Christian fell, but immediatelytheir places were supplied by others, equally ready to lay down theirlives at the shrine of victory or revenge. The town of Alhacen was nowbecome the scene of indiscriminate carnage, and on every side deathappeared busy in counting its victims. The Christians, however, advancedslowly, in consequence of the destruction dealt amongst them by theshafts of their concealed adversaries, who had converted every houseinto a fortress, whence they could with difficulty be dislodged. Inorder, therefore, to foil this deadly warfare, they had recourse to astill more terrible expedient: they applied the blazing torch to theinflammable habitations of their enemies; a rising gale seconded theirintentions, and the greedy flames spreading widely round, the town wassoon enveloped in one promiscuous conflagration. Large volumes of redfoggy flame pierced at intervals through the dense columns of smoke thatrose in undulating sweep, flinging around a pestilential suffocation;whilst the shrill screams of the women, the cries of the wounded, thedespairing shouts of the defenders, the howling of the blast, and thecrackling of the raging blaze, united in one wild reverberation, thatseemed to strike dismay into the heart of the bravest.
But the frenzied courage of the Moors, instead of yielding, acquired newimpetus when they beheld their dwellings a prey to the ravenous flames.Furiously they fought by the light of the conflagration, and as thefitful wind flung high the clouds of smoke, and the unresisting fireassumed the mastery, you might see by their dark reflection the grimvisages of the infuriate foes distended with rage, and each arm withfearful grasp raising the deadly weapon, flashing upon his adversary:then they were all again concealed in the wreathing folds of theimpervious fog which closed upon them.
The principal street of the town now presented a ruinous and desolateaspect; both parties were concentrating their efforts in this spot, andhere the combat raged with the greatest violence. Again the blast sweptalong, bearing before it the masses of black suffocating vapour, but ina clearer interval the eagle glance of Alonso de Aguilar had descriedthe terrible form of El Feri, now animating his followers, and nowdarting amongst the foremost of the assailants. He eagerly rushedforward to encounter hand to hand the formidable enemy of theChristians, crying aloud,----
"Turn, rebel Moor; turn, traitor, and receive thy reward from the swordof Alonso de Aguilar." El Feri readily obeyed the summons, andspringing upon his enemy, with his uplifted weapon he dealt a tremendousblow on the shield of Aguilar and almost clove it asunder. A furiouscombat ensued, the results of which were soon lost in a huge mass ofsmoke. But now a wild cry rent the air; it was the death knell of theMoors, that rung prophetic on the blast--hope affrighted fled from theirhearts, for El Feri had fallen. The mighty chief drew his stern featuresinto a condensed expression of resolute despair; his face assumed anashy hue, and his frozen lip curled with an expression of scornfuldefiance. Dimly but ferociously his eyes were bent on his conqueror,whilst his sinewy hand grasped firmly the weapon it could no longerwield. The gigantic frame of the Moor was convulsed, and his soulstruggled fiercely to recover the lost energies of its frame. El Ferihad fallen, but even prostrate and defenceless, he seemed stillformidable; for even in its ruins, manly strength and noble courage mustever strike the mind with a sensation of awe.
Don Alonso de Aguilar gazed intently on the foe now lying at his feet. Asingle blow, and his country would be for ever freed from her mostredoubted enemy. But Don Alonso beheld that enemy defenceless, and hisarm refused to strike, for his heart was too generous to admit at thatmoment of political considerations: he turned, therefore, and pursuedhis victorious course against those who were still able to offerresistance.
Meantime Don Antonio de Leyva had succeeded in driving Caneri out of thetown. Before this chief the houseless Moors fled in confusion anddismay. By the gloomy reflection that reddened the sky, a caravan wasnow seen moving in irregular groups towards the thickest recesses of themountains. As the fugitives wh
o composed it looked behind, they sawtheir late dwellings fast reducing to ashes; but alas! they deplored notthe sight of their flaming homes, for they who had adopted thewilderness for their country, cared but little on what spot theirhabitations were fixed. They left behind pledges far more endearing, inwhom their loss was irremediable, for amongst the flying throng, therewas not one who had not to lament a father, a husband or a son, whoseremains were soon to mingle their ashes with those of their dwellings.
Don Alonso de Aguilar soon put to flight the few that still remained,and he pursued his march through streets obstructed at every step withbroken armour, masses of the falling houses, or the more distressingimpediments of mangled and bleeding bodies. The fire lighted his stepsthrough that scene of horror, and often his unguided tread was answeredby a smothered groan from a dying man, who was still sensible of therude pressure. He saw many a Moor, grim in the last writhings of death,still betraying symptoms of unconquered hatred; and then he stumbled onthe bodies of his valiant comrades, some of whom he recognized,--thebravest of his band! For many were the victims about to perish in theflames, and mingle their ashes in that vast ruin, where Moors andChristians, separated by mutual hate in life, would be finally unitedin the embrace of death.
Some of the unfortunate wounded mournfully supplicated their comradesthat passed over them to terminate their sufferings; and others, whowere already deprived of the powers of speech, sent an imploring look ofsorrowful import. Aguilar saw the helpless victims he could not assist,and his compassion was strongly excited, as he pressed forward in thepursuit of the flying enemy. Thus he traversed the deserted andperishing town, when he was suddenly arrested by the piercing shrieks ofa female in distress.
He paused, and surveying the place, he perceived that they proceededfrom a large house to which the devouring flames had alreadycommunicated. Don Alonso boldly rushed forward; his pity required nostimulus, but yet it was considerably heightened, when as he approachedthe building, the cries of affliction were clearly distinguishable inthe Spanish tongue. He darted with velocity to the spot, and rushedthrough the fiery clouds that enveloped the house. He passed theentrance--traversed the court--reached the stairs--mounted them with theeager alacrity of youth, and guided by the distressing sounds, he atlength attained the door of an apartment which was strongly fastened. Inan instant it gave way to his powerful strength, when amidst the obscurefog that was fast filling the room, Don Alonso perceived a female formkneeling on the ground, in the attitude of one who had abandoned allhope from mortal assistance.
The noise of the bursting door had called the attention of theunfortunate towards that direction, and when she beheld her deliverer,she uttered a cry of joy, and sprung eagerly into his arms. But thesudden transition from a state of anguish and despair, to that of hopeand life, was too much for her to bear. Scarcely had the lovely sufferercontemplated the prospect of a rescue, than overpowered by tumultuousfeelings, her energies faltered; the blood forsook its channels toreturn to its fountain source, and Don Alonso de Aguilar received alifeless burthen into his arms. The danger was appalling, for theflames had already enveloped the house, and the undaunted warrior, moreapprehensive for the safety of his charge than for his own, hastened tosnatch her from the dreadful spot.
Aguilar supported the unconscious female with one arm, whilst with theother he gathered together the light and flowing drapery with which shewas attired, lest the inflammable nature of the material might attractthe fire. Thus he reached the summit of the stairs. There for a momenthe stood aghast, for the wooden steps had already become the prey of thefiery element, and a descent appeared totally impracticable. In thisemergency, Don Alonso firmly grasped his lovely burden, and with apromptness of decision and rapidity of execution congenial to hischaracter, he threw himself fearlessly from the place, and clearing theflaming obstruction, alighted on the floor, without sustaining anyinjury. Dauntless he pierced through the rolling mist; he gained theentrance, crossed it, and arrived safely in the street.
But now he felt anxious for the beautiful being he had snatched from afiery tomb; he tore away part of her garments which had attracted theconsuming flames, and in a short time he recalled her to a consciousnessof life and feeling. It was a lovely girl whom Don Alonso had saved, forthe excessive emotion under which she laboured was not sufficient toobscure the charms with which nature had so liberally gifted her.
"Where am I?" she demanded, languidly opening her eyes.
"Fear nothing, gentle maiden," answered Aguilar, "you are with afriend."
"Oh save me! Save me from the Moors," she cried vehemently; not yetentirely aware into whose power she had fallen.
"Those rebels cannot harm you," exclaimed her preserver, "they fly liketimorous deer before our triumphant banners, and you are now by the sideof Alonso de Aguilar."
The welcome sound of this glorious name acted powerfully on the feelingsof Theodora and, perfectly tranquillised, she cried with ardour--
"Thanks! thanks! to that God, who will not forsake his creatures in thehour of peril!" then turning to Don Alonso, she continued,--"The head ofthe Aguilars will not forsake an unfortunate child of the house ofMonteblanco?"
Don Alonso was struck with a well known name; but as Theodora appearedtoo much exhausted for an explanation, without inquiring into the causeof the strange situation in which he found her, he contented himselfwith repeating his assurances of protection.
"Duty," he added, "summons me hence, but you shall find nothing wantingon my part to insure your safety. In my house at Granada, and from mydaughter Leonor, you will experience all the kindness that may tend tomitigate your sorrows, until you are restored to the embrace of yourvenerable parent."
He then turned to one of his attendants, and proceeded:--
"Ramirez, you will conduct this lady to Granada: to your protection Icommend her, and see that she be treated with all the consideration dueto the charge of Alonso de Aguilar."
Ramirez bowed, and singling out an escort of a dozen men, prepared toobey his leader's orders; whilst Don Alonso, taking leave of Theodora,proceeded with his conquering band to join Don Antonio de Leyva. Eachtook a different way, and in a short time left the ill-fated town to themelancholy possession of the dying and the dead; occupied alone by thefew wretches, to whom a spark of lingering life still adhered, and whosesufferings were shortly to be terminated in the general conflagrationnow fast approaching to its crisis.