roused the spirits of many of the cavaliers; others, however,
remained full of anxious foreboding, and when this fearful prophecy was
rumored about the camp, as it presently was by the emissaries of the
bishop, it spread awe and dismay among the soldiery.

On the following day, the two armies remained regarding each other with
wary but menacing aspect. About noontide, King Roderick sent forth a
chosen force of five hundred horse and two hundred foot, the best armed of
his host, to skirmish with the enemy, that, by gaining some partial
advantage, they might raise the spirits of the army. They were led on by
Theodomir, the same Gothic noble who had signalised himself by first
opposing the invasion of the Moslems.

The Christian squadrons paraded with flying pennons in the valley which
lay between the armies. The Arabs were not slow in answering their
defiance. A large body of horsemen sallied forth to the encounter,
together with three hundred of the followers of Count Julian. There was
hot skirmishing about the field, and on the banks of the river; many
gallant feats were displayed on either side, and many valiant warriors
were slain. As the night closed in, the trumpets from either camp summoned
the troops to retire from the combat. In this day's action the Christians
suffered greatly in the loss of their distinguished cavaliers; for it is
the noblest spirits who venture most, and lay themselves open to danger;
and the Moslem soldiers had instructions to single out the leaders of the
adverse host. All this is said to have been devised by the perfidious
Bishop Oppas, who had secret communications with the enemy, while he
influenced the councils of the king; and who trusted that by this
skirmishing warfare the power of the Christian troops would be cut off,
and the rest disheartened.

On the following morning, a larger force was ordered out to skirmish, and
such of the soldiery as were unarmed were commanded to stand ready to
seize the horses and strip off the armor of the killed and wounded. Among
the most illustrious of the warriors who fought that day was Pelistes, the
Gothic noble who had sternly checked the tongue of the Bishop Oppas. He
led to the field a large body of his own vassals and retainers, and of
cavaliers trained up in his house, who had followed him to the wars in
Africa, and who looked up to him more as a father than a chieftain. Beside
him was his only son, who now for the first time was fleshing his