d, and proposed to engage the hot-tempered Catholic knight
in argument. Seeking Don Juan, they found him playing chess with the
alcaide of the palace, and the renegade at once began to comment on the
Christian religion in uncomplimentary terms. Don Juan was quick to anger,
but he restrained himself, and replied, with grave severity,--

"You would do well to cease talking about what you do not understand."

The renegade and his jesting companion replied in a series of remarks
intended as wit, though full of insolence, Don Juan fuming inwardly as he
continued to play. In the end they went too far, the courtier making an
obscene comparison between the Virgin Mary and Amina, the mother of
Mohammed. In an instant the old knight sprang up, white with rage, and
dashing aside chess-board and chessmen. Drawing his sword, he dealt such a
"_hermosa cuchillada_" ("handsome slash") across the head of the offending
Moor as to stretch him bleeding on the floor. The renegade fled in terror,
rousing the echoes of the palace with his outcries and stirring up guards
and attendants, who rushed into the room where the irate Christian stood
sword in hand defying Mohammed and his hosts. The alarm quickly reached
the ears of the king, who hurried to the scene, his appearance at once
restoring order. On hearing from the alcaide the cause of the affray, he
acted with becoming dignity, ordering the guards from the room and
directing that the renegade should be severely punished for daring to
infringe the hospitality of the palace and insult an embassador.

Don Juan, his quick fury evaporated, sheathed his sword, thanked the king
for his courtesy, and proposed a return to the camp. But this was not easy
of accomplishment. A garbled report of the tumult in the palace had spread
to the streets, where it was rumored that Christian spies had been
introduced into the palace with treasonable intent. In a brief time
hundreds of the populace were in arms and thronging about the gate of
Justice of the Alhambra, where they loudly demanded the death of all
Christians in the palace and of all who had introduced them.

It was impossible for Don Juan to leave the palace by the route he had
followed on his arrival. The infuriated mob would have torn him to pieces.
But it was important that he should depart at once. All that El Zagal
could do was to furnish him with a disguise, a swift horse, and an escort,
and to let him out of the Alhambra by a private gate. T