arge　upon　them　while　laden　with　your　plunder。　　I　will　open　a　path　for　you。〃　　He　rushed　to　the　attack；　followed　by　his　Moors；　with　shouts　and　cries　that　echoed　through　the　mountains。　　The　scattered　Christians　were　seized　with　panic；　and；　throwing　down　their　booty；　began　to　fly　in　all　directions。　Don　Alonso　de　Aguilar　advanced　his　banner　and　endeavored　to　rally　them。　　Finding　his　horse　of　no　avail　in　these　rocky　heights；　he　dismounted；　and　caused　his　men　to　do　the　same：　he　had　a　small　band　of　tried　followers；　with　which　he　opposed　a　bold　front　to　the　Moors；　calling　on　the　scattered　troops　to　rally　in　the　rear。
  Night　had　completely　closed。　　It　prevented　the　Moors　from　seeing　the　smallness　of　the　force　with　which　they　were　contending；　and　Don　Alonso　and　his　cavaliers　dealt　their　blows　so　vigorously　that；　aided　by　the　darkness；　they　seemed　multiplied　to　ten　times　their　number。　Unfortunately；　a　small　cask　of　gunpowder　blew　up　near　to　the　scene　of　action。　　It　shed　a　momentary　but　brilliant　light　over　all　the　plain　and　on　every　rock　and　cliff。　　The　Moors　beheld；　with　surprise；　that　they　were　opposed　by　a　mere　handful　of　men；　and　that　the　greater　part　of　the　Christians　were　flying　from　the　field。　　They　put　up　loud　shouts　of　triumph。　　While　some　continued　the　conflict　with　redoubled　ardor；　others　pursued　the　fugitives；　hurling　after　them　stones　and　darts　and　discharging　showers　of　arrows。　　Many　of　the　Christians　in　their　terror　and　their　ignorance　of　the　mountains；　rushed　headlong　from　the　brinks　of　precipices　and　were　dashed　in　pieces。
  Don　Alonso　still　maintained　his　ground；　but；　while　some　of　the　Moors　assailed　him　in　front；　others　galled　him　with　all　kinds　of　missiles　from　the　impending　cliffs。　　Some　of　the　cavaliers；　seeing　the　hopeless　nature　of　the　conflict；　proposed　to　abandon　the　height　and　retreat　down　the　mountain。　　〃No；〃　said　Don　Alonso　proudly；　〃never　did　the　banner　of　the　house　of　Aguilar　retreat　one　foot　in　the　field　of　battle。〃　　He　had　scarcely　uttered　these　words　when　his　son　Pedro　was　stretched　at　his　feet。　　A　stone　hurled　from　a　cliff　had　struck　out　two　of　his　teeth；　and　a　lance　passed　quivering　through　his　thigh。　The　youth　attempted　to　rise；　and；　with　one　knee　on　the　ground；　to　fight　by　the　side　of　his　father。　　Don　Alonso；　finding　him　wounded；　urged　him　to　quit　the　field。　　〃Fly；　my　son；〃　said　he；　〃let　us　not　put　everything　at　venture　upon　one　hazard。　　Conduct　thyself　as　a　good　Christian；　and　live　to　comfort　and　honor　thy　mother。〃
  Don　Pedro　still　refused　to　leave　his　side。　　Whereupon　Don　Alonso　ordered　several　of　his　followers　to　bear　him　off　by　force。　　His　friend　Don　Francisco　Alvarez　of　Cordova；　taking　him　in　his　arms；　conveyed　him　to　the　quarters　of　the　count　of　Urena；　who　had　halted　on　the　height　at　some　distance　from　the　scene　of　battle　for　the　purpose　of　rallying　and　succoring　the　fugitives。　　Almost　at　the　same　moment　the　count　beheld　his　own　son；　Don　Pedro　Giron；　brought　in　grievously　wounded。
  In　the　mean　time；　Don　Alonso；　with　two　hundred　cavaliers；　maintained　the　unequal　contest。　　Surrounded　by　foes；　they　fell；　one　after　another；　like　so　many　stags　encircled　by　the　hunters。　　Don　Alonso　was　the　last　survivor；　without　horse　and　almost　without　armor；　his　corselet　unlaced　and　his　bosom　gashed　with　wounds。　　Still；　he　kept　a　brave　front　to　the　enemy；　and；　retiring　between　two　rocks；　defended　himself　with　such　valor　that　the　slain　lay　in　a　heap　before　him。
  He　was　assailed　in　this　retreat　by　a　Moor　of　surpassing　strength　and　fierceness。　　The　contest　was　for　some　time　doubtful；　but　Don　Alonso　received　a　wound　in　the　head；　and　another　in　the　breast；　which　made　him　stagger。　　Closing　and　grappling　with　his　foe；　they　had　a　desperate　struggle；　until　the　Christian　cavalier；　exhausted　by　his　wounds；　fell　upon　his　back。　　He　still　retained　his　grasp　upon　his　enemy。　　〃Think　not；〃　cried　he；　〃thou　hast　an　easy　prize；　know　that　I　am　Don　Alonso；　he　of　Aguilar！〃〃If　thou　art　Don　Alonso；〃　replied　the　Moor；　〃know　that　I　am　El　Feri　of　Ben　Estepar。〃　　They　continued　their　deadly　struggle；　and　both　drew　their　daggers；　but　Don　Alonso　was　exhausted　by　seven　ghastly　wounds：　while　he　was　yet　struggling　his　heroic　soul　departed　from　his　body；　and　he　expired　in　the　grasp　of　the　Moor。
  Thus　fell　Alonso　de　Aguilar；　the　mirror　of　Andalusian　chivalryone　of　the　most　powerful　grandees　of　Spain　for　person；　blood；　estate；　and　office。　　For　forty　years　he　had　made　successful　war　upon　the　Moorsin　childhood　by　his　household　and　retainers；　in　manhood　by　the　prowess　of　his　arm　and　in　the　wisdom　and　valor　of　his　spirit。　His　pennon　had　always　been　foremost　in　danger；　he　had　been　general　of　armies；　viceroy　of　Andalusia；　and　the　author　of　glorious　enterprises　in　which　kings　were　vanquished　and　mighty　alcaydes　and　warriors　laid　low。　　He　had　slain　many　Moslem　chiefs　with　his　own　arm；　and　among　others　the　renowned　Ali　Atar　of　Loxa；　fighting　foot　to　foot；　on　the　banks　of　the　Xenil。　　His　judgment；　discretion；　magnanimity；　and　justice　vied　with　his　prowess。　　He　was　the　fifth　lord　of　his　warlike　house　that　fell　in　battle　with　the　Moors。
  〃His　soul；〃　observes　the　worthy　Padre　Abarca；　〃it　is　believed；　ascended　to　heaven　to　receive　the　reward　of　so　Christian　a　captain；　for　that　very　day　he　had　armed　himself　with　the　sacraments　of　confession　and　communion。〃*
  *Abarca；　Anales　de　Aragon；　Rey　xxx。　cap。　ii。
  The　Moors；　elated　with　their　success；　pursued　the　fugitive　Christians　down　the　defiles　and　sides　of　the　mountains。　　It　was　with　the　utmost　difficulty　that　the　count　de　Urena　could　bring　off　a　remnant　of　his　forces　from　that　disastrous　height。　　Fortunately；　on　the　lower　slope　of　the　mountain　they　found　the　rear…guard　of　the　army；　led　by　the　count　de　Cifuentes；　who　had　crossed　the　brook　and　the　ravine　to　come　to　their　assistance。　　As　the　fugitives　came　flying　in　headlong　terror　down　the　mountain　it　was　with　difficulty　the　count　kept　his　own　troops　from　giving　way　in　panic　and　retreating　in　confusion　across　the　brook。　　He　succeeded；　however；　in　maintaining　order；　in　rallying　the　fugitives；　and　checking　the　fury　of　the　Moors；　then；　taking　his　station　on　a　rocky　eminence；　he　maintained　his　post　until　morning；　sometimes　sustaining　violent　attacks；　at　other　times　rushing　forth　and　making　assaults　upon　the　enemy。　　When　morning　dawned　the　Moors　ceased　to　combat；　and　drew　up　to　the　summit　of　the　mountain。
  It　was　then　that　the　Christians　had　time　to　breathe　and　to　ascertain　the　sad　loss　they　had　sustained。　　Among　the　many　valiant　cavaliers　who　had　fallen　was　Don　Francisco　Ramirez　of　Madrid；　who　had　been　captain…general　of　artillery　throughout　the　war　of　Granada；　and　contributed　greatly　by　his　valor　and　ingenuity　to　that　renowned　conquest。　　But　all　other　griefs　and　cares　were　forgotten　in　anxiety　for　the　fate　of　Don　Alonso　de　Aguilar。　　His　son；　Don　Pedro　de　Cordova；　had　been　brought　off　with　great　difficulty　from　the　battle；　and　afterward　lived　to　be　marques　of　Priego；　but　of　Don　Alonso　nothing　was　known；　except　that　he　was　left　with　a　handful　of　cavaliers　fighting　valiantly　against　an　overwhelming　force。
  As　the　rising　sun　lighted　up　the　red　cliffs　of　the　mountains　the　soldiers　watched　with　anxious　eyes　if　perchance　his　pennon　might　be　descried　fluttering　from　any　precipice　or　defile；　but　nothing　of　the　kind　was　to　be　seen。　　The　trumpet…call　was　repeatedly　sounded；　but　empty　echoes　alone　replied。　　A　silence　reigned　about　the　mountain…summit　which　showed　that　the　deadly　strife　was　over。　Now　and　then　a　wounded　warrior　came　dragging　his　feeble　steps　from　among　the　cliffs　and　rocks；　but　on　being　questioned　he　shook　his　head　mournfully　and　could　tell　nothing　of　the　fate　of　his　commander。
  The　tidings　of　this　disastrous　defeat　and　of　the　perilous　situation　of　the　survivors　reached　King　Ferdinand　at　Granada：　he　immediately　marched　at　the　head　of　all　the　chivalry　of　his　court　to　the　mountains　of　Ronda。　　His　presence　with　a　powerful　force　soon　put　an　end　to　the　rebellion。　　A　part　of　the　Moors　were　suffered　to　ransom　themselves　and　embark　for　Africa；　others　were　made　to　embrace　Christianity；　and　those　of　the　town　where　the　Christian　missionaries　had　been　massacred　were　sold　as　slaves。　　From　the　conquered　Moors　the　mournful　but　heroic　end　of　Alonso　de　Aguilar　was　ascertained。
  On　the　morning　after　the　battle；　when　the　Moors　came　to　strip　and　bury　the　dead；　the　body　of　Don　Alonso　was　found　among　those　of　more　than　two　hundred　of　his　followers；　many　of　them　alcaydes　and　cavaliers　of　distinction。　　Though　the　person　of　Don　Alonso　was　well　known　to　the　Moors；　being　so　distinguished　among　them　both　in　peace　and　war；　yet　it　was　so　covered　and　disfigured　with　wounds　that　it　could　with　difficulty　be　recognized。　　They　preserved　it　with　great　care；　and　on　making　their　submission　delivered　it　up　to　King　Ferdinand。　　It　was　conveyed　with　great　state　to　Cordova；　amidst　the　tears　and　lamentations　of　all　Andalusia。　　When　the　funeral　train　entered　Cordova；　and　the　inhabitants　saw　the　coffin　containing　the　remains　of　their　favorite　hero；　and　the　war…horse　led　in　mournful　trappings　on　which　they　had　so　lately　seen　him　sally　forth　from　their　gates；　there　was　a　general　burst　of　grief　throughout　the　city。　The　body　was　interred　with　great　pomp　and　solemnity　in　the　church　of　St。　Hypolito。
  Many　ye