n-city, now that the storm of war had passed down into the vega
of Malaga, he left but a remnant of his garrison to man its walls, and,
putting himself at the head of his band of Gomeres, swept down suddenly
into the plains of Andalusia. He careered, almost without resistance,
over those vast campinas or pasture-lands which formed a part of the
domains of the duke of Medina Sidonia. In vain the bells were rung and
the alarm-fires kindled: the band of Hamet had passed by before any
force could be assembled, and was only to be traced, like a hurricane,
by the devastation it had made.

Hamet regained in safety the Serrania de Ronda, exulting in his
successful inroad. The mountain-glens were filled with long droves of
cattle and flocks of sheep from the campinas of Medina Sidonia. There
were mules, too, laden with the plunder of the villages, and every
warrior had some costly spoil of jewels for his favorite mistress.

As the Zegri drew near to Ronda he was roused from his dream of triumph
by the sound of heavy ordnance bellowing through the mountain-defiles.
His heart misgave him: he put spurs to his horse and galloped in advance
of his lagging cavalgada. As he proceeded the noise of the ordnance
increased, echoing from cliff to cliff. Spurring his horse up a
craggy height which commanded an extensive view, he beheld, to his
consternation, the country about Ronda white with the tents of a
besieging army. The royal standard, displayed before a proud encampment,
showed that Ferdinand himself was present, while the incessant blaze and
thunder of artillery and the volumes of overhanging smoke told the work
of destruction that was going on.

The royal army had succeeded in coming upon Ronda by surprise during
the absence of its alcayde and most of its garrison; but its inhabitants
were warlike and defended themselves bravely, trusting that Hamet and
his Gomeres would soon return to their assistance.

The fancied strength of their bulwarks had been of little avail against
the batteries of the besiegers. In the space of four days three towers
and great masses of the walls which defended the suburbs were battered
down and the suburbs taken and plundered. Lombards and other heavy
ordnance were now levelled at the walls of the city, and stones and
missiles of all kinds hurled into the streets. The very rock on
which the city stood shook with the thunder of the artillery, and the
Christian captives, deep within its dungeons, haile