with prosperity, and might know whenever he felt a cold shiver run
down his spine that it was an omen of success. Thus encouraged,
Rodrigo rode on to take part in the duel, but he had been so delayed
that the battle call had already sounded, and Alvar Fanez, his cousin,
was preparing to fight in his stead. Bidding his cousin step aside,
Rodrigo entered the lists, and soon won Calahorra for Ferrando.

Pleased with what Rodrigo had done, the king now showered honors upon
him, which so aroused the jealousy of the courtiers that they began to
conspire with the Moors to ruin him. It happened, however, that they
addressed their first proposals to the very kings whom Rodrigo had
conquered, and who proved loyal enough to send him word of the plot.
On discovering the treachery of the courtiers, the king banished them,
but the wife of Don Garcia pleaded so eloquently with the Cid, that
he furnished the banished man with letters of introduction to one of
the Moorish kings, who, to please his conqueror, bestowed the city of
Cabra upon him.

Although treated with such generosity, Don Garcia proved ungrateful,
and even tried to cheat the Moors. Hearing this, the Cid, siding with
his former enemies, came into their country to take away from Don
Garcia the city which had been allotted for his use.

During one of Ferrando's absences from home, the Moors invaded one of
his provinces, whereupon Rodrigo, in retaliation, besieged the city of
Coimbra. While he was thus engaged his army suffered so much from lack
of provisions that it finally seemed as if he would have to give up
his undertaking. But the monks, who had advised the Cid to besiege the
city, now came to his rescue, and by feeding his army from their own
stores enabled Rodrigo to recover another town from the pagans.

Delighted with this new accession of territory, Ferrando knighted
Rodrigo, who meantime had added to his title of the Cid that of
Campeador, "the champion," and hereafter was often mentioned as "the
one born in a fortunate hour." In addition, the king bestowed upon
Rodrigo the governorship of the cities of Coimbra and Zamorra, which
were to be reoccupied by Christians.

Shortly after this, the Pope demanded that Ferrando do homage to the
empire, but the king rejoined that Spain was independent and therefore
refused to obey. Hearing that large forces were marching against him
to compel him to submit, Ferrando placed the Cid at the head of an
army, and our hero