light, threw themselves on their knees, murmured a 'Pater-noster,'
shouted their San Jago and pressed forward upon us. We had seen them in
time for the halberdiers to extend their pikes, and the musketeers to he
down amid the grass. So the Spaniards had a warm reception, and four of
them fell in this attack. We were superior in numbers, and their captain
led them back to the ditch in good order. There they halted, for their
duty was probably to detain us and then have us cut down by a larger
body. We were too weak to drive them from their position, but when the
east began to brighten and they still did not come forward, the captain
advanced towards them with the drummer, bearing a white flag, and shouted
to them in Italian, which he had learned to speak a little in Italy, that
he wished the Castilian gentlemen good-morning, and if there was any
officer with a sense of honor among them, let him come forth and meet a
captain who wished to cross swords with him. He pledged his word, that
his men would look on at the duel without taking any share in it, no
matter what the result might be. Just at that moment two shots were
fired from the ditch and the bullets whizzed close by the poor captain.
We called to him to save his life, but he did not stir, and shouted that
they were cowards and assassins, like their king.

"Meantime it had grown tolerably light--we heard them calling to and fro
from the ditch, and just as Allertssohn was turning away, an officer
sprang into the meadow, exclaiming: 'Stand, braggart, and draw your
blade.'

"The captain drew his Brescian sword, bowed to his enemy as if he were in
the fencing-school, bent the steel and closed with the Castilian. The
latter was a thin man of stately figure and aristocratic bearing, and as
it soon appeared, a dangerous foe. He circled like a whirlwind, round
the captain with bounds, thrusts and feints, but Allertssohn maintained