capitals -- Leon, Pamplona, Barcelona, and even
Santiago de Campostella. Once he had brought the
King of Navarre to his knees simply because the
uncompromising Minister learned that there remained
one captive Moslem woman in his kingdom. She was
instantly delivered up, and many apologies were ten-
dered for the inadvertence. Another time Almanzor
found himself and his army cut off by the Christians,
who had occupied an impregnable position in his
rear, and barred his return to Cordova. Nothing
daunted, he ordered his troops to foray the country
round about, and collect materials for sheds, and im-
plements of husbandry. Soon the Christians, who
dared not attack, but believed they held the Moslems
in their grasp, perceived them deliberately setting up
barracks, and contentedly tilling the soil and pre-
paring for the various operations of agriculture. Their
astonished inquiries were answered by the cool reply,
"We do not think it is worth while to go home, as
the next campaign will begin almost immediately;
so we are making ourselves comfortable for the in-
terval!" Filled with consternation at the prospect of
a permanent Moslem occupation, the Christians not
only abandoned their strong position and allowed the
enemy to go scot free, laden with booty, but even sup-
plied them with baggage mules to carry off the spoils!

Almanzor, however, though invincible by man, was
not proof against death. After a last victorious cam-
paign against Castile, he was seized with mortal ill-
ness, and died at Medinaceli. The relief of the
Christians is expressed in the simple comment of the
monkish annalist: "In 1002 died Almanzor, and was
buried in hell."

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