To their confusion, the tower on
the bridge blazed with lights and glittered with armed men. The
renegado pulled up his steed, rose in his stirrups and looked about
him for a moment; then beckoning to the cavaliers, he struck off
from the road, skirted the river for some distance, and dashed into
its waters. The cavaliers called upon the princesses to cling to them,
and did the same. They were borne for some distance down the rapid
current, the surges roared round them, but the beautiful princesses
clung to their Christian knights, and never uttered a complaint. The
cavaliers attained the opposite bank in safety, and were conducted
by the renegado, by rude and unfrequented paths, and wild barrancos,
through the heart of the mountains, so as to avoid all the regular
passes. In a word, they succeeded in reaching the ancient city of
Cordova; where their restoration to their country and friends was
celebrated with great rejoicings, for they were of the noblest
families. The beautiful princesses were forthwith received into the
bosom of the Church, and, after being in all due form made regular
Christians, were rendered happy wives.
In our hurry to make good the escape of the princesses across the
river, and up the mountains, we forgot to mention the fate of the
discreet Kadiga. She had clung like a cat to Hussein Baba in the
scamper across the Vega, screaming at every bound, and drawing many an
oath from the whiskered renegado; but when he prepared to plunge his
steed into the river, her terror knew no bounds.
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