His　old　father…in…law；　Ali　Atar；　was　by　his　side；　who；　being　a　veteran　marauder；　was　well　acquainted　with　all　the　standards　and　armorial　bearings　of　the　frontiers。　　When　the　king　beheld　the　ancient　and　long…disused　banner　of　Cabra　emerging　from　the　mist；　he　turned　to　Ali　Atar　and　demanded　whose　ensign　it　was。　　The　old　borderer　was　for　once　at　a　loss；　for　the　banner　had　not　been　displayed　in　battle　in　his　time。　　〃In　truth；〃　replied　he；　after　a　pause；　〃I　have　been　considering　that　standard　for　some　time；　but　I　confess　I　do　not　know　it。　　It　cannot　be　the　ensign　of　any　single　commander　or　community；　for　none　would　venture　single…handed　to　attack　you。　　It　appears　to　be　a　dog；　which　device　is　borne　by　the　towns　of　Baeza　and　Ubeda。　If　it　be　so；　all　Andalusia　is　in　movement　against　you；　and　I　would　advise　you　to　retire。〃
  The　count　de　Cabra；　in　winding　down　the　hill　toward　the　Moors；　found　himself　on　much　lower　ground　than　the　enemy：　he　ordered　in　all　haste　that　his　standard　should　be　taken　back；　so　as　to　gain　the　vantage…　ground。　　The　Moors；　mistaking　this　for　a　retreat；　rushed　impetuously　toward　the　Christians。　　The　latter；　having　gained　the　height　proposed；　charged　upon　them　at　the　same　moment　with　the　battle…cry　of　〃Santiago！〃　and；　dealing　the　first　blows；　laid　many　of　the　Moorish　cavaliers　in　the　dust。
  The　Moors；　thus　checked　in　their　tumultuous　assault；　were　thrown　into　confusion；　and　began　to　give　way；　the　Christians　following　hard　upon　them。　　Boabdil　el　Chico　endeavored　to　rally　them。　　〃Hold！　hold！　for　shame！〃　cried　he；　〃let　us　not　fly；　at　least　until　we　know　our　enemy。〃　　The　Moorish　chivalry　were　stung　by　this　reproof；　and　turned　to　make　front　with　the　valor　of　men　who　feel　that　they　are　fighting　under　their　monarch's　eye。
  At　this　moment；　Lorenzo　de　Porres；　alcayde　of　Luque；　arrived　with　fifty　horse　and　one　hundred　foot；　sounding　an　Italian　trumpet　from　among　a　copse　of　oak　trees　which　concealed　his　force。　　The　quick　ear　of　old　Ali　Atar　caught　the　note。　　〃That　is　an　Italian　trumpet；〃　said　he　to　the　king；　〃the　whole　world　seems　in　arms　against　Your　Highness！〃
  The　trumpet　of　Lorenzo　de　Porres　was　answered　by　that　of　the　count　de　Cabra　in　another　direction；　and　it　seemed　to　the　Moors　as　if　they　were　between　two　armies。　　Don　Lorenzo；　sallying　from　among　the　oaks；　now　charged　upon　the　enemy：　the　latter　did　not　wait　to　ascertain　the　force　of　this　new　foe；　the　confusion；　the　variety　of　alarums；　the　attacks　from　opposite　quarters；　the　obscurity　of　the　fog；　all　conspired　to　deceive　them　as　to　the　number　of　their　adversaries。　　Broken　and　dismayed；　they　retreated　fighting；　and　nothing　but　the　presence　and　remonstrances　of　the　king　prevented　their　retreat　from　becoming　a　headlong　flight。　　If　Boabdil　had　displayed　little　of　the　talents　of　a　general　in　the　outset　of　his　enterprise；　he　manifested　courage　and　presence　of　mind　amid　the　disasters　of　its　close。　　Seconded　by　a　small　body　of　cavalry；　the　choicest　and　most　loyal　of　his　guards；　he　made　repeated　stand　against　the　press　of　the　foe　in　a　skirmishing　retreat　of　about　three　leagues；　and　the　way　was　strewn　with　the　flower　of　his　chivalry。　At　length　they　came　to　the　brook　of　Martin　Gonzales　（or　Mingozales；　as　it　is　called　by　the　Moorish　chroniclers）；　which；　swollen　by　recent　rain；　was　now　a　deep　and　turbid　torrent。　　Here　a　scene　of　confusion　ensued。　　Horse　and　foot　precipitated　themselves　into　the　stream。　Some　of　the　horses　stuck　fast　in　the　mire　and　blocked　up　the　ford；　others　trampled　down　the　foot…soldiers；　many　were　drowned　and　more　carried　down　the　stream。　　Such　of　the　foot…soldiers　as　gained　the　opposite　side　immediately　took　to　flight；　the　horsemen；　too；　who　had　struggled　through　the　stream；　gave　reins　to　their　steeds　and　scoured　for　the　frontier。
  The　little　band　of　devoted　cavaliers　about　the　king　serried　their　forces　to　keep　the　enemy　in　check；　fighting　with　them　hand　to　hand　until　he　should　have　time　to　cross。　　In　the　tumult　his　horse　was　shot　down；　and　he　became　environed　in　the　throng　of　foot…soldiers　struggling　forward　to　the　ford　and　in　peril　from　the　lances　of　their　pursuers。　　Conscious　that　his　rich　array　made　him　a　conspicuous　object；　he　retreated　along　the　bank　of　the　river；　and　endeavored　to　conceal　himself　in　a　thicket　of　willows　and　tamarisks。　　Thence；　looking　back；　he　beheld　his　loyal　band　at　length　give　way；　supposing；　no　doubt；　he　had　effected　his　escape。　　They　crossed　the　ford；　followed　pell…mell　by　the　enemy；　and　several　of　them　were　struck　down　in　the　stream。
  While　Boabdil　was　meditating　to　throw　himself　into　the　water　and　endeavor　to　swim　across；　he　was　discovered　by　Martin　Hurtado；　regidor　of　Lucena；　a　brave　cavalier　who　had　been　captive　in　the　prisons　of　Granada　and　exchanged　for　a　Christian　knight。　　Hurtado　attacked　the　king　with　a　pike；　but　was　kept　at　bay　until；　seeing　other　soldiers　approaching；　Boabdil　cried　for　quarter；　proclaiming　himself　a　person　of　high　rank　who　would　pay　a　noble　ransom。　　At　this　moment　came　up　several　men　of　Vaena；　of　the　troop　of　the　count　de　Cabra。　　Hearing　the　talk　of　ransom　and　noticing　the　splendid　attire　of　the　Moor；　they　endeavored　to　secure　for　themselves　so　rich　a　prize。　　One　of　them　seized　hold　of　Boabdil；　but　the　latter　resented　the　indignity　by　striking　him　to　the　earth　with　a　blow　of　his　poniard。　　Others　of　Hurtado's　townsmen　coming　up；　a　contest　arose　between　the　men　of　Lucena　and　Vaena　as　to　who　had　a　right　to　the　prisoner。　　The　noise　brought　Don　Diego　Fernandez　de　Cordova　to　the　spot；　who　by　his　authority　put　an　end　to　the　altercation。　Boabdil；　finding　himself　unknown　by　all　present；　concealed　his　quality；　giving　himself　out　as　the　son　of　Aben　Alnayer；　a　cavalier　of　the　royal　household。*　　Don　Diego　treated　him　with　great　courtesy；　put　a　red　band　round　his　neck　in　sign　of　his　being　a　captive；　and　sent　him　under　an　escort　to　the　castle　of　Lucena　where　his　quality　would　be　ascertained；　his　ransom　arranged；　and　the　question　settled　as　to　who　had　made　him　prisoner。
  *Garibay；　lib。　40；　cap　31。
  This　done；　the　count　put　spurs　to　his　horse　and　hastened　to　rejoin　the　count　de　Cabra；　who　was　in　hot　pursuit　of　the　enemy。　　He　overtook　him　at　a　stream　called　Reanaul；　and　they　continued　together　to　press　on　the　skirts　of　the　flying　army　during　the　remainder　of　the　day。　　The　pursuit　was　almost　as　hazardous　as　the　battle；　for　had　the　enemy　at　any　time　recovered　from　their　panic；　they　might；　by　a　sudden　reaction；　have　overwhelmed　the　small　force　of　their　pursuers。　　To　guard　against　this　peril；　the　wary　count　kept　his　battalion　always　in　close　order；　and　had　a　body　of　a　hundred　chosen　lancers　in　the　advance。　　The　Moors　kept　up　a　Parthian　retreat；　several　times　they　turned　to　make　battle；　but；　seeing　this　solid　body　of　steeled　warriors　pressing　upon　them；　they　again　took　to　flight。
  The　main　retreat　of　the　army　was　along　the　valley　watered　by　the　Xenil　and　opening　through　the　mountains　of　Algaringo　to　the　city　of　Loxa。　　The　alarm…fires　of　the　preceding　night　had　aroused　the　country；　every　man　snatched　sword　and　buckler　from　the　wall；　and　the　towns　and　villages　poured　forth　their　warriors　to　harass　the　retreating　foe。　　Ali　Atar　kept　the　main　force　of　the　army　together；　and　turned　fiercely　from　time　to　time　upon　his　pursuers：　he　was　like　a　wolf　hunted　through　the　country　he　had　often　made　desolate　by　his　maraudings。
  The　alarm　of　this　invasion　had　reached　the　city　of　Antiquera；　where　were　several　of　the　cavaliers　who　had　escaped　from　the　carnage　in　the　mountains　of　Malaga。　　Their　proud　minds　were　festering　with　their　late　disgrace；　and　their　only　prayer　was　for　vengeance　on　the　infidels。　　No　sooner　did　they　hear　of　the　Moor　being　over　the　border　than　they　were　armed　and　mounted　for　action。　　Don　Alonso　de　Aguilar　led　them　fortha　small　body　of　but　forty　horsemen；　but　all　cavaliers　of　prowess　and　thirsting　for　revenge。　　They　came　upon　the　foe　on　the　banks　of　the　Xenil　where　it　winds　through　the　valleys　of　Cordova。　The　river；　swelled　by　the　late　rains；　was　deep　and　turbulent　and　only　fordable　at　certain　places。　　The　main　body　of　the　army　was　gathered　in　confusion　on　the　banks；　endeavoring　to　ford　the　stream；　protected　by　the　cavalry　of　Ali　Atar。
  No　sooner　did　the　little　band　of　Alonso　de　Aguilar　come　in　sight　of　the　Moors　than　fury　flashed　from　their　eyes。　　〃Remember　the　mountains　of　Malaga！〃　cried　they　to　each　other　as　they　rushed　to　combat。　　Their　charge　was　desperate；　but　was　gallantly　resisted。　　A　scrambling　and　bloody　fight　ensued；　hand　to　hand　and　sword　to　sword；　sometimes　on　land；　sometimes　in　the　water。　　Many　were　lanced　on　the　banks；　others；　throwing　themselves　into　the　river；　sank　with　the　weight　of　their　armor　and　were　drowned；　some；　grappling　together；　fell　from　their　horses；　but　continued　their　struggle　in　the　waves；　and　helm　and　turban　rolled　together　down　the　stream。　　The　Moors　were　far　greater　in　number；　and　among　them　were　many　warriors　of　rank；　but　they　were　disheartened　by　defeat；　while　the　Christians　were　excited　even　to　desperation。
  Ali　Atar　alone　preserved　all　his　fire　and　energy　amid　his　reverses。　He　had　been　enraged　at　the　defeat　of　the　army　and　the　ignominious　flight　he　had　been　obliged　to　make　through　a　country　which　had　so　often　been　the　scene　of　his　exploits；　but　to　be　thus　impeded　in　his　flig