mily of the Omeyades,
caliphs of Damascus, and for nearly four centuries rulers in Spain. This
man, who bore the Castilian name of Don Fernando de Valor, but was known
by the Moors as Aben-Humeya, was at that time twenty-two years of age,
comely in person and engaging in manners, and of a deportment worthy of
the princely line from which he had descended. A man of courage and
energy, he escaped from Granada and took refuge in the mountains, where he
began a war to the knife against Spain.

The early events of the war were unfavorable to the Moors. Their
strongholds were invaded by a powerful Spanish force under the Marquis of
Mondejar, and their forces soon put to flight. Aben-Humeya was so hotly
pursued that he was forced to spring from his horse, cut the hamstrings of
the animal to render it useless to his pursuers, and seek refuge in the
depths of the sierras, where dozens of hiding-places unknown to his
pursuers could be found.

The insurrection was now in a desperate stage. Mondejar was driving the
rebels in arms in terror before him; tower and town fell in succession
into his hands; everywhere his arms were victorious, and only one thing
was wanting to bring all opposition to an end,--the capture of Aben-Humeya,
the "little king" of the Alpujarras. This crownless monarch was known to
be wandering with a few followers in the wilds of the mountains; but while
he lived the insurrection might at any moment blaze out again, and
detachments of soldiers were sent to pursue him through the sierras.

The captain of one of these parties learned from a traitor that the
fugitive prince remained hidden in the mountains only during the day,
finding shelter at night in the house of a kinsman, Aben-Aboo, on the
skirts of the sierras. Learning the situation of this mansion, the Spanish
captain led his men with the greatest secrecy towards it. Travelling by
night, they reached the vicinity of the dwelling under cover of the
darkness. In a minute more the house would have been surrounded and its
inmates secured; but at this critical moment the arquebuse of one of the
Spaniards was accidentally discharged, the report echoing loudly among the
hills and warning the lightly sleeping inmates of their danger.

One of them, El Zaguer, the uncle of Aben-Humeya, at once sprang up and
leaped from the window of his room, making his way with all haste to the
mountains. His nephew was not so fortunate. Running to his window, in the
front of t