Moors. Count Julian had come to make his military report to Don Rodrigo,
and on some pretext had withdrawn Florinda from the court. "When you come
again," said the pleasure-loving king, "bring me some hawks from the
south, that we may again go hawking." "I will bring you hawks enough," was
the answer, "and such as you never saw before." "But Rodrigo," says the
Arabian chronicler, "did not understand the full meaning of his words."

It was a hard blow for the young Luis when he discovered what a plot was
being urged around him. He would gladly have been faithful to the king,
worthless as he knew him to be; but Don Alonzo had been his benefactor,
and he held by him. Meanwhile the conspiracy drew towards completion, and
the Arab force was drawing nearer to the straits. A single foray into
Spain had shown Musa, the Arab general, the weakness of the kingdom; that
the cities were unfortified, the citizens unarmed, and many of the nobles
lukewarm towards the king. "Hasten," he said, "towards that country where
the palaces are filled with gold and silver, and the men cannot fight in
their defence." Accordingly, in the early spring of the year 711, Musa
sent his next in command, Tarik, to cross to Spain with an army of seven
thousand men, consisting mostly of chosen cavalry. They crossed the
straits then called the Sea of Narrowness, embarking the troops at Tangier
and Ceute in many merchant vessels, and landing at that famous promontory
called thenceforth by the Arab general's name, the Rock of Tarik,
Dschebel-Tarik, or, more briefly, Gibraltar.

Luis, under Don Alonzo, was with the Spanish troops sent hastily down to
resist the Arab invaders, and, as these troops were mounted, he had many
opportunities of seeing the new enemies and observing their ways. They
were a picturesque horde; their breasts were covered with mail armor; they
wore white turbans on their heads, carried their bows slung across their
backs, and their swords suspended to their girdles, while they held their