surprising its garrison. The ascent
was steep and very difficult, but they were guided by one who had
carefully studied the situation on a previous secret visit and knew what
paths to take. Following him they reached the foot of the castle walls
without discovery.

Here, under the dark shadow of the towers, they halted and listened. There
was not a sound to be heard, not a light to be seen; sleep seemed to brood
over castle and town. The ladders were placed and the men noiselessly
ascended, Ortega, the guide, going first. The parapet reached, they moved
stealthily along its summit until they came upon a sleepy sentinel.
Seizing him by the throat, Ortega flourished a dagger before his eyes and
bade him point the way to the guard-room. The frightened Moor obeyed, and
a dagger thrust ended all danger of his giving an alarm. In a minute more
the small scaling party was in the guard-room, massacring the sleeping
garrison, while the remainder of the three hundred were rapidly ascending
to the battlements.

Some of the awakened Moors fought desperately for their lives, the clash
of arms and cries of the combatants came loudly from the castle, and the
ambushed army, finding that the surprise had been effective, rushed from
their lurking-place with shouts and the sound of trumpets and drums,
hoping thereby to increase the dismay of the garrison. Ortega at length
fought his way to a postern, which he threw open, admitting the Marquis of
Cadiz and a strong following, who quickly overcame all opposition, the
citadel being soon in full possession of the Christians.

While this went on the town took the alarm. The garrison had been
destroyed in the citadel, but all the Moors, citizens and soldiers alike,
were accustomed to weapons and warlike in spirit, and, looking for speedy
aid from Granada, eight leagues away, the tradesmen manned the battlements
and discharged showers of stones and arrows upon the Christians wherever
visible. The streets leading to the citadel were barricaded, and a steady
fire was maintained upon its gate, all who attempted to sally into the
city being shot down.

It began to appear as if the Spaniards had taken too great a risk. Their
peril was great. Unless they gained the town they must soon be starved out
of the castle. Some of them declared that they could not hope to hold the
town even if they took it, and proposed to sack and burn the castle and
make good their retreat before the king of Granada could