h his two splendid
battalions--one of men-at-arms, the other of light cavalry armed "a la
gineta." In company with him, but following as a rear-guard, was Don
Garcia Osorio, the belligerent bishop of Jaen, attended by Francisco
Bovadillo, the corregidor of his city, and followed by two squadrons of
men-at-arms from Jaen, Anduxar, Ubeda, and Baeza.* The success of last
year's campaign had given the good bishop an inclination for warlike
affairs, and he had once more buckled on his cuirass.

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 62.

The Moors were much given to stratagem in warfare. They looked wistfully
at the magnificent squadrons of the duke del Infantado, but their
martial discipline precluded all attack: the good bishop promised to be
a more easy prey. Suffering the duke and his troops to pass unmolested,
they approached the squadrons of the bishop, and making a pretended
attack, skirmished slightly and fled in apparent confusion. The bishop
considered the day his own, and, seconded by his corregidor Bovadillo,
followed with valorous precipitation. The Moors fled into the "Huerta
del Rey," or Orchard of the King; the troops of the bishop followed
hotly after them.

When the Moors perceived their pursuers fairly embarrassed among the
intricacies of the garden, they turned fiercely upon them, while some
of their number threw open the sluices of the Xenil. In an instant the
canal which encircled and the ditches which traversed the garden were
filled with water, and the valiant bishop and his followers found
themselves overwhelmed by a deluge.* A scene of great confusion
succeeded. Some of the men of Jaen, stoutest of heart and hand, fought
with the Moors in the garden, while others struggled with the water,
endeavoring to escape across the canal, in which attempt many horses
were drowned.

* Pulgar.

Fortunately, the duke del Infantado perceived the snare into which
his companions had fallen, and despatched his light cavalry to their
assistance. The Moors were compelled to flight, and driven along the
road of Elvira up to the gates of Granada.* Several Christian cavaliers
perished in this affray; the bishop himself escaped with difficulty,
having slipped from his saddle in crossing the canal, but saving himself
by holding on to the tail of his charger. This perilous achievement
seems to have satisfied the good bishop's belligerent propensities. He
retired on his laurels (says Agapida) to his city of Jaen, wher