med's tent and
in a loud voice intoned the _Te Deum laudamus_, the soldiers uniting in
the sacred chant of victory.

The archbishop, who became the historian of this decisive battle, speaks
of two hundred thousand Moslem slain. We cannot believe it so many,
despite the historian's statement. Twenty-five Christians alone fell. This
is as much too small as the other estimate is too large. But, whatever the
losses, it was a great and glorious victory, and the spoils of war that
fell to the victors were immense. Gold and silver were there in abundance;
horses, camels, and wagons in profusion; arms of all kinds, commissary
stores in quantities. So vast was the number of lances strewn on the
ground that the conquering army used only these for firewood in their
camp, and did not burn the half of them.

King Alfonso, with a wise and prudent liberality, divided the spoil among
his troops and allies, keeping only the glory of the victory for himself.
Mohammed's splendid tent was taken to Rome to adorn St. Peter's, and the
captured banners were sent to the cities of Spain as evidences of the
great victory. For himself, the king reserved a fine emerald, which he
placed in the centre of his shield. Ever since that brilliant day in
Spanish annals, the sixteenth of July has been kept as a holy festival, in
which the captured banners are carried in grand procession, to celebrate
the "Triumph of the Cross."

The supposed miracle of the shepherd was not the only one which the
monastic writers saw in the victorious event. It was said that a red
cross, like that of Calatrava, appeared in the sky, inspiriting the
Christians and dismaying their foes; and that the sight of the Virgin
banner borne by the king's standard-bearer struck the Moslems with terror.
It was a credulous age, one in which reputed miracles could be woven out
of the most homely and every-day material.

Death soon came to the leaders in the war. Mohammed, sullen with defeat,
hurried to Morocco, where he shut himself up in gloomy seclusion, and
died--or was poisoned--before the year's end. Alfonso died two years later.
The Christians did not follow up their victory with much energy, and the
Moslems still held a large section of Spain, but their power had
culminated and with this signal defeat began its decline. Step by step
they yielded before the Christian advance, though nearly three centuries
more passed before they lost their final hold on Spain.

THE KEY OF