ipe, he led his army into
them, and settling himself there, began to plunder the land. Then, after
firing everything, he returned again to the fortress of Zerboule.

But during this time, while the Romans were plundering the land, Iaudas,
leaving behind some of the Moors, about as many as he thought would be
sufficient for the defence of the fortress, himself ascended to the
summit of Aurasium with the rest of the army, not wishing to stand siege
in the fort and have provisions fail his forces. And finding a high
place with cliff's on all sides of it and concealed by perpendicular
rocks, Toumar by name, he remained quietly there. And the Romans
besieged the fortress of Zerboule for three days. And using their bows,
since the wall was not high, they hit many of the barbarians upon the
parapets. And by some chance it happened that all the leaders of the
Moors were hit by these missiles and died. And when the three days' time
had passed and night came on, the Romans, having learned nothing of the
death of the leaders among the Moors, were planning to break up the
siege. For it seemed better to Solomon to go against Iaudas and the
multitude of the Moors, thinking that, if he should be able to capture
that force by siege, the barbarians in Zerboule would with less trouble
and difficulty yield to the Romans. But the barbarians, thinking that
they could no longer hold out against the siege, since all their leaders
had now been destroyed, decided to flee with all speed and abandon the
fortress. Accordingly they fled immediately in silence and without
allowing the enemy in any way to perceive it, and the Romans also at
daybreak began to prepare for departure. And since no one appeared on
the wall, although the besieging army was withdrawing, they began to
wonder and fell into the greatest perplexity among themselves. And in
this state of uncertainty they went around the fortress and found the
gate open from which the Moors had departed in flight. And entering the
fortress they treated everything as plunder, but they had no thought of
pursuing the enemy, for they had set out with light equipment and were
familiar with the country round about. And when they had plundered
everything, they set guards over the fortress, and all moved forward on
foot.

XX

And coming to the place Toumar, where the enemy had shut themselves in
and were remaining quiet, they encamped near by in a bad position, where
there would be no supply of wate