It is here necessary to give some account of a peculiar body of light infantry which formed an important part of the Aragonese army, and was now destined to take a very active lead in sending the Pope’s curses home to roost. The origin of these troops, called _Almogavares_, is said by Desclot and others to be as follows: After Spain was overrun by the Arabs, many of the fugitive inhabitants took refuge in fastnesses of the mountains, whence they made incursions into the open country, their necessities obliging them to make no distinction between friends and enemies. In course of time these outlaws were organised into tribes, and generations of men who were always leading lives of danger and hardship produced a race of most formidable fighting soldiers. The Kings of Aragon transformed these fierce wanderers into a new military organisation. They became fanatically loyal troops, while retaining their old customs and habits. They were divided into companies, each under a captain, named _almogadan_. They also had officers named _adalid_,[7] who were guides for the routes, and who also had authority to judge of what occurred in the forays, and to divide the spoils. The dress of an _almogarave_ consisted of a smock, breeches, leather gaiters, hide sandals called _abarcas_, a sort of knapsack on the back to hold a day’s food, and a belt round the waist with a dagger, and a small bag containing flint and steel. The _almogarave_ never shaved and never cut his hair, which was confined in a net. His arms were a short lance and a few darts slung on his back. In an ambush or night-attack they first made innumerable sparks with their flints and steels in all directions, then rushed furiously upon their enemy with the war-cry of ‘_Desparte ferres!_’[8] and shouts of ‘_Al mugabar_.’ This word may be allied to the Hebrew ‘_muhavar_,’ which means a companion.