the pass; a part had already crossed the bridge, and was slowly
toiling up the rugged road on the opposite side, when great shouts
arose, and every cliff appeared suddenly peopled with furious foes.
In an instant a deluge of missiles of every sort was rained upon
the astonished Moslems. Darts, arrows, javelins, and stones, came
whistling down, singling out the most conspicuous cavaliers; and
at times great masses of rock, bounding and thundering along the
mountain side, crushed whole ranks at once, or hurled horses and
riders over the edge of the precipices.
It was in vain to attempt to brave this mountain warfare. The enemy
were beyond the reach of missiles, and safe from pursuit; and the
horses of the Arabs were here an incumbrance rather than an aid.
The trumpets sounded a retreat, and the army retired in tumult and
confusion, harassed by the enemy until extricated from the defile.
Taric, who had beheld cities and castles surrendering without a
blow, was enraged at being braved by a mere horde of mountain boors,
and made another attempt to penetrate the mountains, but was again
waylaid and opposed with horrible slaughter.
The fiery son of Ishmael foamed with rage at being thus checked
in his career and foiled in his revenge. He was on the point of
abandoning the attempt, and returning to the vega, when a Christian
boor sought his camp, and was admitted to his presence. The miserable
wretch possessed a cabin and a little patch of ground among the
mountains, and offered, if these should be protected from ravage, to
inform the Arab commander of a way by which troops of horse might
be safely introduced into the bosom of the sierra, and the whole
subdued. The name of this caitiff was Fandino, and it deserves to be
perpetually recorded with ignominy. His case is an instance how much
it is in the power, at times, of the most insignificant being to do
mischief, and how all the valor of the magnanimous and the brave may
be defeated by the treason of the selfish and the despicable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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