all
points, and obliged to retire into the city, where they were closely
invested, without the means of receiving any assistance from abroad.

The horrors of famine were now added to the other miseries of Malaga.
Hamet, with the spirit of a man bred up to war, considered everything
as subservient to the wants of the soldier, and ordered all the grain
in the city to be gathered and garnered up for the sole use of those
who fought. Even this was dealt out sparingly, and each soldier received
four ounces of bread in the morning and two in the evening for his daily
allowance.

The wealthy inhabitants and all those peacefully inclined mourned over a
resistance which brought destruction upon their houses, death into
their families, and which they saw must end in their ruin and captivity;
still, none of them dared to speak openly of capitulation, or even to
manifest their grief, lest they should awaken the wrath of their fierce
defenders. They surrounded their civic champion, Ali Dordux, the great
and opulent merchant, who had buckled on shield and cuirass and taken
spear in hand for the defence of his native city, and with a large body
of the braver citizens had charge of one of the gates and a considerable
portion of the walls. Drawing Ali Dordux aside, they poured forth their
griefs to him in secret. "Why," said they, "should we suffer our native
city to be made a mere bulwark and fighting-place for foreign barbarians
and desperate men? They have no families to care for, no property to
lose, no love for the soil, and no value for their lives. They fight to
gratify a thirst for blood or a desire for revenge, and will fight on
until Malaga becomes a ruin and its people slaves. Let us think and act
for ourselves, our wives, and our children. Let us make private terms
with the Christians before it is too late, and save ourselves from
destruction."

The bowels of Ali Dordux yearned toward his fellow citizens; he
bethought him also of the sweet security of peace and the bloodless
yet gratifying triumphs of gainful traffic. The idea also of a secret
negotiation or bargain with the Castilian sovereigns for the redemption
of his native city was more conformable to his accustomed habits than
this violent appeal to arms, for, though he had for a time assumed
the warrior, he had not forgotten the merchant. Ali Dordux communed,
therefore, with the citizen-soldiers under his command, and they readily
conformed to his opinion. Concerti