"
"But I know that he doth lie, Brother Jago," cried little Pedro,
more valiant still when he saw to what his Moorish cavalry was
reduced. "He is the King of Cordova, come here to spy out the
land, and I was about to cut off his head when you did disturb
us."
Big brother Jago de Cepeda and the two servants of his father's
house laughed long and loudly.
"Crusaders and kings," he cried; "why, we shall have the Cid
himself here, if we do but wait long enough."
"Hush, brother," said young Pedro, confidentially, "say it not so
loudly. I did tell the Infidel that I was Ruy Diaz of Bivar, the
Cid Campeador--and he did believe me."
And then the cavalry laughed louder than ever, and swooping down
captured the young crusaders and set the truants before them on
their uncomfortable Cordova saddles. Then, turning around, they
rode swiftly back to Avila with the runaways, while the old Moor,
glad to have escaped rough handling from the Christian riders,
grasped his staff and plodded on toward Avila and Valladolid.
So the expedition for martyrdom and crusade came to an
ignominious end. But the pious desires of little Theresa did not.
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