as he could, and went away in fear. And the Guazil was greatly
dismayed, neither knew he what course to take, and Yahia, the King,
though he was now healed of his malady, neither mounted on horseback,
nor appeared abroad. Abenalfarax went unto him and told him the peril
in which they stood. And their counsel was, that they should remove all
that they had from Valencia and go to the Castle of Segorbe. Then they
sent away many beasts laden with goods and with riches, under the care
of a nephew of the Guazil and many others, to the Castle of Benaecab,
that is to say, the Castle of the Eagle, to be in charge of the Alcayde
thereof. And the King and the Guazil bestirred themselves and gathered
together foot-soldiers and cross-bow men to defend the Alcazar, and
sent speedily to Zaragoza, telling the Cid to come; but he could not
set forth so speedily as need was; and the stir which was in the city
endured for full twenty days. Then that Alcayde of Ali Abenaxa who was
in Algezira de Xucar set forward in the first of the night with twenty
horsemen of the Almoravides, and as many more of Algezira, all clad
alike in green, that they might all be taken for Almoravides; and they
came by day-break to Valencia, to the gate of Tudela, and sounded their
drums, and the rumour in the town was that there were full five hundred
knights of the Almoravides, and the Guazil was in great fear. And he
went to the Alcazar to take counsel with the King, and they gave order
that the gates of the town should be barred, and that the walls should
be manned.

XXVI. Then the King's soldiers went to the house of Abeniaf the Alcayde
who had sent for the Almoravides, and called unto him to come forth
that they might take him before the King; but he was trembling in great
fear, and would not come out. And the men of the town came to his help,
and when he saw the company that were on his side, he came forth and
went with them to the Alcazar, and entered it and took the Guazil of