Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/328

311 ^miTATING THE MOHAMMEDANS, 311 WM in prime condition for a test of endurance, so it ■was iffrang^ that this should be one of the features. It would be tedious to reiterate everything done by the Spaniards to amuse the natiyes, for much of it was the same as heretofore rendered. But one change in the program may be interesting. The reader is admonished not to attribute the incident to fiction, lor the history of Mohammed, written by a Christian clergyman, recites that the great cavalry general, E[ahled, unhorsed thirteen cavaliers in the presence of the opposing armies. The account as given by the author goes on to say that Mahomet himself was with his army, and instructed his renowned general, Kah- led, to personally reconnoiter the enemy, but Ma- homet, knowing the reckless bravery of his emissary, admonished him to not get too close to the enemy's lines, and not to be rash or take any chances of being captured. In view of both armies, the reconnoiterer rode his magnificent Arabian steed toward the oppos- ing army, all eyes being upon him. Of course, the enemy was on the qui vive, and wondered at the au- dacity of the man: so hastily, twenty of their fleetest mounted knights waited until the solitary horseman came to a, standstill, and was making a minute exam- ination of the number and arrangement of the hnes, wh(>n simultanecu-jiy the twenty brave and chivalric. cavalrymen rushed pell-mell at the apparently fool- hardy individual. The arrangement of the twenty was to cut ofP his retreat, the procedure having been hurriedly conceived while waiting the apyroach of the horseman; but owing to the plan of the twenty neces- sitating their acting individually, gave the brave Arab