The archbishop bade them turninstantly into a deserted castle they were just passing, to drop theportcullis and man the walls. That they might look as numerous aspossible, he bade all the women dress themselves like men and tie theirlong hair beneath their chins to resemble beards. He then put helmets ontheir heads and lances in their hands, and thus the Arab leader saw aformidable host on the walls to be besieged. In obedience, perhaps, toorders, he rode away and after sufficient time had passed, thearchbishop's party rode onward towards their place of embarkation. Luisfound himself beside a dark-eyed maiden, who ambled along on a white mule,and when he ventured to joke her a little on her late appearance as anarmed cavalier, she said coyly, "Did you think my only weapons wereroses?" Looking eagerly at her, he recognized the laughing face which hehad once seen at a window; but ere he could speak again she had struck hermule lightly and taken refuge beside the archbishop, where Luis dared notventure. He did not recognize the maiden again till they met on board oneof the vessels which the Arabs had left at Gibraltar, and on which theyembarked for certain islands of which Oppas had heard, which lay in theSea of Darkness. Among these islands they were to find their future home.The voyage, at first rough, soon became serene and quiet; the skies wereclear, the moon shone; the veils of the Spanish maidens were convenient byday and useless at evening, and Luis had many a low-voiced talk on thequarter-deck with Juanita, who proved to be a young relative of thearchbishop.
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