ave turned and fled; pride alone
withheld him; and, though an admirable master of defence, he lost all
skill to ward the attack of his adversary. At the first assault the lance
of Theodomir pierced him through and through; he fell to the earth,
gnashed his teeth as he rolled in the dust, but yielded his breath without
uttering a word.

The battle now became general, and lasted throughout the morning with
varying success. The stratagem of Taric, however, began to produce its
effect. The Christian leaders and most conspicuous cavaliers were singled
out, and severally assailed by overpowering numbers. They fought
desperately, and performed miracles of prowess; but fell, one by one,
beneath a thousand wounds. Still the battle lingered on throughout a great
part of the day; and as the declining sun shone through the clouds of
dust, it seemed as if the conflicting hosts were wrapped in smoke and
fire.

The Prince Ataulpho saw that the fortune of battle was against him. He
rode about the field calling out the names of the bravest of his knights,
but few answered to his call; the rest lay mangled on the field. With this
handful of warriors he endeavored to retrieve the day, when he was
assailed by Tenderos, a partisan of Count Julian, at the head of a body of
recreant Christians. At sight of this new adversary, fire flashed from the
eyes of the prince, for Tenderos had been brought up in his father's
palace. 'Well dost thou, traitor!' cried he, 'to attack the son of thy
lord, who gave thee bread; thou, who hast betrayed thy country and thy
God!'

So saying, he seized a lance from one of his pages, and charged furiously
upon the apostate; but Tenderos met him in mid career, and the lance of
the prince was shivered upon his shield. Ataulpho then grasped his mace,
which hung at his saddle bow, and a doubtful fight ensued. Tenderos was
powerful of frame and superior in the use of his weapons, but the curse of
treason seemed to paralyze his arm. He wounded Ataulpho slightly between
the greaves of his armor, but the prince dealt a blow with his mace that
crushed through helm and skull, and reached the brains; and Tenderos fell
dead to the earth, his armor rattling as he fell.

At the same moment a javelin, hurled by an Arab, transpierced the horse of
Ataulpho, which sunk beneath him. The prince seized the reins of the steed
of Tenderos; but the faithful animal, as though he knew him to be the foe
of his late lord, reared and plun