y ways as possible, Theodomir had to think
quickly. The town was practically without a garrison when he entered it,
and his followers were too few in numbers to avail him much. Then it was
that the women of the town came to his assistance, offering to do what
he might command for the common safety. Theodomir clothed them in armor
at once, gave them spears and swords, ordered them to tie their hair
under their chins, that they might look like bearded men, and then
stationed his amazon warriors upon the walls and fortifications, where
they made such a brave parade that the Moors were afraid to attack the
city, and offered to parley with the Spaniards. Seizing upon this
favorable opportunity, Theodomir, disguised as a legate, and preceded by
his page, who played the part of a royal herald, boldly entered the
hostile camp, made his way to the tent of Abdul Aziz, the leader, and
there, by his consummate acting, succeeded in obtaining the province of
Murcia, together with seven cities which he was to hold under the kalif,
on condition of a yearly tribute. Such was the defence of Orihuela, and
while it involved no strenuous fighting, it was at the same time no
mediocre test of womanly daring. After the first few trying hours of the
masquerade had been passed, however, and it was evident that the ruse
had been successful, it may well be imagined that these feminine
warriors were not slow to see the humor of the situation, and many must
have been the jests as they passed each other upon the battlements, with
the Moors, far down below, completely awed by their warlike mien.

Dryden has said: "Women emasculate a monarch's reign;" and more than one
instance of the truth of this statement may be found in the court
annals of almost any country. The history of the little monarchies of
Spain in that chaotic, formative period, when the Christians were slowly
gaining in power and strength and preparing for the great final struggle
which was to overcome the turbaned invaders and consolidate the Spanish
interests, presents many chapters of exceeding interest wherein women
play no unimportant role, and the dowager-queen Teresa, mother of King
Sancho the Fat, of Leon, stands out as a prominent figure among them
all. Endowed with no mean portion of feminine art and cunning, she was
the author of a plot which gave inspiration for a whole cycle of
ballads. The bravest Christian champion in all Spain in the latter half
of the tenth century was Fe