t　diligence　was　used　in　providing　lombards；　powder；　and　other　warlike　munitions。
  The　Moors　were　no　less　active　in　their　preparations；　and　sent　missives　into　Africa　entreating　supplies　and　calling　upon　the　Barbary　princes　to　aid　them　in　this　war　of　the　faith。　　To　intercept　all　succor；　the　Castilian　sovereigns　stationed　an　armada　of　ships　and　galleys　in　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar　under　the　command　of　Martin　Diaz　de　Mina　and　Carlos　de　Valera；　with　orders　to　scour　the　Barbary　coast　and　sweep　every　Moorish　sail　from　the　sea。
  While　these　preparations　were　making；　Ferdinand　made　an　incursion　at　the　head　of　his　army　into　the　kingdom　of　Granada；　and　laid　waste　the　Vega；　destroying　its　hamlets　and　villages；　ravaging　its　fields　of　grain；　and　driving　away　the　cattle。
  It　was　about　the　end　of　June　that　King　Ferdinand　departed　from　Cordova　to　sit　down　before　the　walls　of　Loxa。　　So　confident　was　he　of　success　that　he　left　a　great　part　of　the　army　at　Ecija；　and　advanced　with　but　five　thousand　cavalry　and　eight　thousand　infantry。　　The　marques　of　Cadiz；　a　warrior　as　wise　as　he　was　valiant；　remonstrated　against　employing　so　small　a　force；　and　indeed　was　opposed　to　the　measure　altogether；　as　being　undertaken　precipitately　and　without　sufficient　preparation。　　King　Ferdinand；　however；　was　influenced　by　the　counsel　of　Don　Diego　de　Merlo；　and　was　eager　to　strike　a　brilliant　and　decided　blow。　　A　vainglorious　confidence　prevailed　about　this　time　among　the　Spanish　cavaliers；　they　overrated　their　own　prowess；　or　rather　they　undervalued　and　despised　their　enemy。　Many　of　them　believed　that　the　Moors　would　scarcely　remain　in　their　city　when　they　saw　the　Christian　troops　advancing　to　assail　it。　　The　Spanish　chivalry；　therefore；　marched　gallantly　and　fearlessly；　and　almost　carelessly；　over　the　border；　scantily　supplied　with　the　things　needful　for　a　besieging　army　in　the　heart　of　an　enemy's　country。　　In　the　same　negligent　and　confident　spirit　they　took　up　their　station　before　Loxa。
  The　country　around　was　broken　and　hilly；　so　that　it　was　extremely　difficult　to　form　a　combined　camp。　　The　river　Xenil；　which　runs　by　the　town；　was　compressed　between　high　banks；　and　so　deep　as　to　be　fordable　with　extreme　difficulty；　and　the　Moors　had　possession　of　the　bridge。　　The　king　pitched　his　tents　in　a　plantation　of　olives　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　the　troops　were　distributed　in　different　encampments　on　the　heights；　but　separated　from　each　other　by　deep　rocky　ravines；　so　as　to　be　incapable　of　yielding　each　other　prompt　assistance。　　There　was　no　room　for　the　operations　of　the　cavalry。　The　artillery　also　was　so　injudiciously　placed　as　to　be　almost　entirely　useless。　　Alonso　of　Aragon；　duke　of　Villahermosa　and　illegitimate　brother　of　the　king；　was　present　at　the　siege；　and　disapproved　of　the　whole　arrangement。　　He　was　one　of　the　most　able　generals　of　his　time；　and　especially　renowned　for　his　skill　in　battering　fortified　places。　　He　recommended　that　the　whole　disposition　of　the　camp　should　be　changed；　and　that　several　bridges　should　be　thrown　across　the　river。　　His　advice　was　adopted；　but　slowly　and　negligently　followed；　so　that　it　was　rendered　of　no　avail。　　Among　other　oversights　in　this　hasty　and　negligent　expedition；　the　army　had　no　supply　of　baked　bread；　and　in　the　hurry　of　encampment　there　was　no　time　to　erect　furnaces。　　Cakes　were　therefore　hastily　made　and　baked　on　the　coals；　and　for　two　days　the　troops　were　supplied　in　this　irregular　way。
  King　Ferdinand　felt；　too　late；　the　insecurity　of　his　position；　and　endeavored　to　provide　a　temporary　remedy。　　There　was　a　height　near　the　city；　called　by　the　Moors　Santo　Albohacen；　which　was　in　front　of　the　bridge。　　He　ordered　several　of　his　most　valiant　cavaliers　to　take　possession　of　this　height　and　to　hold　it　as　a　check　upon　the　enemy　and　a　protection　to　the　camp。　　The　cavaliers　chosen　for　this　distinguished　and　perilous　post　were　the　marques　of　Cadiz；　the　marques　of　Villena；　Don　Roderigo　Tellez　Giron；　master　of　Calatrava；　his　brother　the　count　of　Urena；　and　Don　Alonso　de　Aguilar。　　These　valiant　warriors　and　tried　companions…in…arms　led　their　troops　with　alacrity　to　the　height；　which　soon　glittered　with　the　array　of　arms；　and　was　graced　by　several　of　the　most　redoubtable　pennons　of　warlike　Spain。
  Loxa　was　commanded　at　this　time　by　an　old　Moorish　alcayde　whose　daughter　was　the　favorite　wife　of　Boabdil。　　The　name　of　this　Moor　was　Ibrahim　Ali　Atar；　but　he　was　generally　known　among　the　Spaniards　as　Alatar。　　He　had　grown　gray　in　border　warfare；　was　an　implacable　enemy　of　the　Christians；　and　his　name　had　long　been　the　terror　of　the　frontier。　　Lord　of　Zagra　and　in　the　receipt　of　rich　revenues；　he　expended　them　all　in　paying　scouts　and　spies　and　maintaining　a　small　but　chosen　force　with　which　to　foray　into　the　Christian　territories；　and　so　straitened　was　he　at　times　by　these　warlike　expenses　that　when　his　daughter　married　Boabdil　her　bridal　dress　and　jewels　had　to　be　borrowed。　　He　was　now　in　the　ninetieth　year　of　his　age；　yet　indomitable　in　spirit；　fiery　in　his　passions；　sinewy　and　powerful　in　frame；　deeply　versed　in　warlike　stratagem；　and　accounted　the　best　lance　in　all　Mauritania。　　He　had　three　thousand　horsemen　under　his　command；　veteran　troops　with　whom　he　had　often　scoured　the　borders；　and　he　daily　expected　the　old　Moorish　king　with　reinforcements。
  Old　Ali　Atar　had　watched　from　his　fortress　every　movement　of　the　Christian　army；　and　had　exulted　in　all　the　errors　of　its　commanders：　when　he　beheld　the　flower　of　Spanish　chivalry　glittering　about　the　height　of　Albohacen；　his　eye　flashed　with　exultation。　　〃By　the　aid　of　Allah；〃　said　he；　〃I　will　give　those　pranking　cavaliers　a　rouse。〃
  Ali　Atar　privately　and　by　night　sent　forth　a　large　body　of　his　chosen　troops　to　lie　in　ambush　near　one　of　the　skirts　of　Albohacen。　　On　the　fourth　day　of　the　siege　he　sallied　across　the　bridge　and　made　a　feint　attack　upon　the　height。　　The　cavaliers　rushed　impetuously　forth　to　meet　him；　leaving　their　encampment　almost　unprotected。　　Ali　Atar　wheeled　and　fled；　and　was　hotly　pursued。　　When　the　Christian　cavaliers　had　been　drawn　a　considerable　distance　from　their　encampment；　they　heard　a　vast　shout　behind　them；　and；　looking　round；　beheld　their　encampment　assailed　by　the　Moorish　force　which　had　been　placed　in　ambush；　and　which　had　ascended　a　different　side　of　the　hill。　　The　cavaliers　desisted　from　the　pursuit；　and　hastened　to　prevent　the　plunder　of　their　tents。　　Ali　Atar；　in　his　turn；　wheeled　and　pursued　them；　and　they　were　attacked　in　front　and　rear　on　the　summit　of　the　hill。　　The　contest　lasted　for　an　hour；　the　height　of　Albohacen　was　red　with　blood；　many　brave　cavaliers　fell；　expiring　among　heaps　of　the　enemy。　　The　fierce　Ali　Atar　fought　with　the　fury　of　a　demon　until　the　arrival　of　more　Christian　forces　compelled　him　to　retreat　into　the　city。　The　severest　loss　to　the　Christians　in　this　skirmish　was　that　of　Roderigo　Tellez　Giron；　grand　master　of　Calatrava；　whose　burnished　armor；　emblazoned　with　the　red　cross　of　his　order；　made　him　a　mark　for　the　missiles　of　the　enemy。　　As　he　was　raising　his　arm　to　make　a　blow　an　arrow　pierced　him　just　beneath　the　shoulder；　at　the　open　part　of　the＇1＇corselet。　　The　lance　and　bridle　fell　from　his　hands；　he　faltered　in　his　saddle；　and　would　have　fallen　to　the　ground；　but　was　caught　by　Pedro　Gasca；　a　cavalier　of　Avila；　who　conveyed　him　to　his　tent；　where　he　died。　　The　king　and　queen　and　the　whole　kingdom　mourned　his　death；　for　he　was　in　the　freshness　of　his　youth；　being　but　twenty…four　years　of　age；　and　had　proved　himself　a　gallant　and　high…minded　cavalier。　　A　melancholy　group　collected　about　his＇2＇corpse　on　the　bloody　height　of　Albohacen：　the　knights　of　Calatrava　mourned　him　as　a　commander；　the　cavaliers　who　were　encamped　on　the　height　lamented　him　as　their　companion…in…arms　in　a　service　of　peril；　while　the　count　de　Urena　grieved　over　him　with　the　tender　affection　of　a　brother。
  King　Ferdinand　now　perceived　the　wisdom　of　the　opinion　of　the　marques　of　Cadiz；　and　that　his　force　was　quite　insufficient　for　the　enterprise。　　To　continue　his　camp　in　its　present　unfortunate　position　would　cost　him　the　lives　of　his　bravest　cavaliers；　if　not　a　total　defeat　in　case　of　reinforcements　to　the　enemy。　　He　called　a　council　of　war　late　in　the　evening　of　Saturday；　and　it　was　determined　to　withdraw　the　army　early　the　next　morning　to　Rio　Frio；　a　short　distance　from　the　city；　and　there　wait　for　additional　troops　from　Cordova。
  The　next　morning　early　the　cavaliers　on　the　height　of　Albohacen　began　to　strike　their　tents。　　No　sooner　did　Ali　Atar　behold　this　than　he　sallied　forth　to　attack　them。　　Many　of　the　Christian　troops；　who　had　not　heard　of　the　intention　to　change　the　camp；　seeing　the　tents　struck　and　the　Moors　sallying　forth；　supposed　that　the　enemy　had　been　reinforced　in　the　night；　and　that　the　army　was　on　the　point　of　retreating。　　Without　stopping　to　ascertain　the　truth　or　to　receive　orders　they　fled　in　dismay；　spreading　confusion　through　the　camp；　nor　did　they　halt　until　they　had　reached　the　Rock　of　the　Lovers；　about　seven　leagues　from　Loxa。*
  *Pulgar；　Cronica。
  The　king　and　his　commanders　saw　the　imminent　peril　of　the　moment；　and　made　face　to　the　Moors；　each　commander　guarding　his　quarter　and　repelling　all　assaults　while　the　tents　were