"Who ranges himself with me?"he cried.Immediately there thronged about him all those lords and captains that were ready to side with him,and the King said that the day had arrived in which the Ydallcao would boast that he had slain in it the greatest lord in the world,but that he should never boast that he had vanquished him.Then he took a ring from his finger and gave it to one of his pages,so that he might show it to his queens in token of his death,that they might burn themselves according to custom.Then he mounted a horse and moved forward with all his remaining-divisions,commanding to slay without mercy every man of those who had fled.As soon as these last saw what a reception they received at the hand of their fellows they felt compelled to turn and charge the enemy,and their attack was such that not one amongst the Moors was found to face them;for the Moors met them as men engaged in a pursuit,all in great disorder.The confusion was so great amongst the Moors and such havoc was wrought (in their ranks)that they did not even try to defend the camp they had made so strong and enclosed so well;but like lost men they leaped into the river to save themselves.Then after them came large numbers of the King's troops and elephants,which latter worked amongst them mischief without end,for they seized men with their trunks and tore them into small pieces,whilst those who rode in the castles (howdahs)killed countless numbers.
The troops advanced thus,pursuing the foe,till the King reached the river,where,seeing the death of so many --for here you would see women and boys who had left the camp,there horses and men who through clinging one to another could not escape as there was so much water in the river --and the King's troops stood on the bank,so that whenever a man appeared he was killed,and the horses that tried to clamber up by the bank of the river,unable to do so,fell back on the men,so that neither one nor the other escaped,and the elephants went into the stream,and those that they could seize were cruelly killed by them.Seeing what passed,I say,the King out of compassion commanded the troops to retire,saying that numbers had died who did not deserve death nor were at all in fault;which order was at once obeyed by all the captains,so that each one withdrew all his forces.
The King then advanced to the camp of the Ydallcao and rested himself in his tent,but many of the captains spoke against his action in thus taking repose,saying that he ought rather to complete the destruction of all his enemies,and they would secure this for him;and that if he did not wish himself to do this he should at least command some of them to do it,and that it was not wise to cease from pursuit so long as daylight should last.To whom the King answered that many had died who were not to blame;that if the Ydallcao had done him wrong,he had already suffered enough;and moreover,that it did not seem to him good,since Rachol remained behind them to be taken,that they should go forward,but rather they should make themselves ready for its capture;for that the siege had to be conducted henceforth in a new and better manner.For the King was persuaded throughout that,since the Ydallcao had lost so many men and so much honour,and had lost indeed all his power,he would not wish to live any longer,and that he must be dead on the field.Which,however,was not so,seeing that the Ydallcao had not even entered into the fight,but had all the time remained under guard of Sefallarym[556]--he who now calls himself Acadacao and is lord of Belgaum --who,fearing the event,contrived by cunning that the Ydallcao should select him for his guard with all his troops,among whom he had four hundred cavalry;and when he saw how the soldiers fled,and how completely they had been defeated,he said to the Ydallcao,"Sire,if thou seekest to live follow me!"and the Ydallcao took refuge on an elephant and followed him,leaving his camp and all that he possessed.And as Acadacao wished him to travel by land,[557]he took no care to search for the ford,but skirting the range of hills on the south he went by that way.[558]
As it may be asked what became of the captain who sallied out of Rachol with the two hundred horsemen and elephants and foot-soldiers,I say that he ever kept himself advised of what passed in the field;and as soon as he learned that the Ydallcao was defeated he turned back to take refuge again in the citadel.But those within were not of a mind to receive him,there being a quarrel between him and another captain who was in the city;and he,seeing that they would not admit him,was forced to think how he could save himself,and he did so by passing the river by another ford farther down,and so saved himself.The belief of many was that he who was inside thought that he would now possess the city for his own,and that he would thereby become rich,and for that reason refused to receive the captain.
