RETREAT OF HAMET EL ZEGRI, ALCAYDE OF RONDA.
The bold alcayde of Ronda, Hamet el Zegri, had careered wide over the
Campina of Utrera, encompassing the flocks and herds, when he heard the
burst of war at a distance. There were with him but a handful of
his Gomeres. He saw the scamper and pursuit afar off, and beheld the
Christian horsemen spurring madly toward the ambuscade on the banks
of the Lopera. Hamet tossed his hand triumphantly aloft for his men to
follow him. “The Christian dogs are ours!” said he as he put spurs to
his horse to take the enemy in rear.
The little band which followed Hamet scarcely amounted to thirty
horsemen. They spurred across the plain, and reached a rising ground
just as the force of Puerto Carrero had charged, with sound of trumpet,
upon the flank of the party in ambush. Hamet beheld the headlong rout of
the army with rage and consternation. He found the country was pouring
forth its legions from every quarter, and perceived that there was no
safety but in precipitate flight.
But which way to fly? An army was between him and the mountain-pass; all
the forces of the neighborhood were rushing to the borders; the whole
route by which he had come was by this time occupied by the foe.
He checked his steed, rose in the stirrups, and rolled a stern and
thoughtful eye over the country; then, sinking into his saddle, he
seemed to commune a moment with himself. Turning quickly to his troop,
he singled out a renegado Christian, a traitor to his religion and his
king. “Come hither,” said Hamet. “Thou knowest all the secret passes
of the country?”--“I do,” replied the renegado.--“Dost thou know any
circuitous route, solitary and untravelled, by which we can pass wide
within these troops and reach the Serrania?”--The renegado paused: “Such
a route I know, but it is full of peril, for it leads through the heart
of the Christian land.”--“‘Tis well,” said Hamet; “the more dangerous in
appearance, the less it will be suspected. Now hearken to me. Ride by my
side. Thou seest this purse of gold and this scimetar. Take us, by the
route thou hast mentioned, safe to the pass of the Serrania, and this
purse shall be thy reward; betray us, and this scimetar shall cleave
thee to the saddle-bow.” *
* Cura de los Palacios, ubi sup.
The renegado obeyed, trembling. They turned off from the direct road to
the mountains and struck southward toward Lebrixa, passing by the most
solitary roads and along those deep ramblas and ravines by which the
country is intersected. It was indeed a daring course. Every now and
then they heard the distant sound of trumpets and the alarm-bells of
towns and villages, and found that the war was still hurrying to the
borders. They hid themselves in thickets and in dry beds of rivers until
the danger had passed by, and then resumed their course. Hamet el Zegri
rode on in silence, his hand upon his scimetar and his eye upon
the renegado guide, prepared to sacrifice him on the least sign of
treachery, while his band followed, gnawing their lips with rage at
having thus to skulk through a country they had come to ravage.
When night fell they struck into more practicable roads, always keeping
wide of the villages and hamlets, lest the watch-dogs should betray
them. In this way they passed in deep midnight by Arcos, crossed the
Guadalete, and effected their retreat to the mountains. The day dawned
as they made their way up the savage defiles. Their comrades had been
hunted up these very glens by the enemy. Every now and then they came
to where there had been a partial fight or a slaughter of the fugitives,
and the rocks were red with blood and strewed with mangled bodies. The
alcayde of Ronda was almost frantic with rage at seeing many of his
bravest warriors lying stiff and stark, a prey to the hawks and vultures
of the mountains. Now and then some wretched Moor would crawl out of a
cave or glen, whither he had fled for refuge, for in the retreat many
of the horsemen had abandoned their steeds, thrown away their armor,
and clambered up the cliffs, where they could not be pursued by the
Christian cavalry.
The Moorish army had sallied forth from Ronda amidst shouts and
acclamations, but wailings were heard within its walls as the alcayde
and his broken band returned without banner or trumpet and haggard with
famine and fatigue. The tidings of their disaster had preceded them,
borne by the fugitives of the army. No one ventured to speak to the
stern Hamet as he entered the city, for they saw a dark cloud upon his
brow.
It seemed (says the pious Antonio Agapida) as if Heaven meted out this
defeat in exact retribution for the ills inflicted upon the Christian
warriors in the heights of Malaga. It was equally signal and disastrous.
Of the brilliant array of Moorish chivalry which had descended so
confidently into Andalusia, not more than two hundred escaped. The
choicest troops of the frontier were either taken or destroyed, the
Moorish garrisons enfeebled, and many alcaydes and cavaliers of noble
lineage carried into captivity, who were afterward obliged to redeem
themselves with heavy ransoms.
This was called the battle of Lopera, and was fought on the 17th of
September, 1483. Ferdinand and Isabella were at Vittoria in Old Castile
when they received news of the victory and the standards taken from the
enemy. They celebrated the event with processions, illuminations, and
other festivities. Ferdinand sent to the marques of Cadiz the royal
raiment which he had worn on that day, and conferred on him and all
those who should inherit his title the privilege of wearing royal robes
on our Lady’s Day in September in commemoration of this victory.*
* Mariana, Abarca, Zurita, Pulgar, etc.
Queen Isabella was equally mindful of the great services of Don Luis
Fernandez Puerto Carrero. Besides many encomiums and favors, she sent to
his wife the royal vestments and robe of brocade which she had worn on
the same day, to be worn by her during her life on the anniversary of
that battle.*