a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第70章

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The　King　therefore　sent　his　spies　to　keep　watch　over　the　foe；　to　see　what　he　was　doing　and　to　send　word　of　his　every　movement。　With　the　coming　of　this　news　a　tumult　broke　out　in　the　camp；　principally　among　the　common　soldiers；　in　whose　minds　suspicion　was　never　wanting；　and　they　still　suffered　under　the　terror　inspired　from　old　time　by　the　Moors。　There　the　Ydallcao　halted　some　days　so　as　to　see　what　the　King　was　doing　and　whether　he　would　march　to　attack　him　there　in　his　camp；　for　it　was　thought　by　him　and　by　his　people　that　as　soon　as　the　King　should　learn　of　his　arrival　he　would　at　once　march　to　meet　him；　and　they　decided　that　he　could　defend　himself　from　the　King　in　the　place　where　he　was　better　than　in　any　other；　by　help　of　the　river。　For　there　was　no　other　ford　than　the　one　close　at　hand；　and　this　they　proposed　to　guard　so　well　that　none　should　take　it；　least　of　all；　they　thought；　men　who　（in　their　eyes）　were　only　blacks。

Although　the　King　heard　that　the　enemy　was　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　river；　he　yet　made　no　move；　nor　did　he　do　anything；　and　the　Ydallcao；　seeing　that　he　made　no　advance；　took　counsel　with　his　officers；　and　at　this　council　the　advice　given　greatly　differed；　as　each　had　his　own　opinion　regarding　the　non…movement　of　the　King。　Many　said　that　this　was　because　the　King　held　his　foe　to　be　of　little　account；　and　wished　to　show　his　people　how　great　was　his　power；　and　they　said　that　he　was　only　waiting　for　them　to　cross　the　river　to　at　once　fall　upon　them。　The　principal　person　who　said　this　was　Amcostam；＇549＇　who　was　captain　of　Pomdaa　at　the　time　that　Dom　Guterre　was　captain　of　Goa。＇550＇　Others　said　no；　but　that　the　King　was　afraid；　thinking　of　times　past　and　the　many　conquests　that　the　Moors　had　gained　over　the　Hindus；　and　that　he　had　brought　with　him　some　veteran　soldiers　that　had　taken　part　in　those　wars。　The　advice　of　these　was　to　push　forward　and　pass　the　river。　It　was　not　well　（they　said）　for　the　Ydallcao　to　show　weakness；　and　the　longer　he　stayed　where　he　was　the　less　would　he　benefit　himself　and　harm　the　enemy；　and　although　they　were　not　so　many　in　number　as　the　Hindus；　yet　they　had　the　advantage　in　the　remembrance　of　the　former　battles　that　had　been　fought　between　them。＇551＇　In　the　end　the　Ydallcao　ordered　that　they　should　muster　the　forces；　and　said　that　after　this　was　ended　he　would　decide　what　was　best　to　be　done。　When　the　muster　was　made；　he　found　that　he　had　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　men　on　foot；　archers　and　musqueteers　and　men　with　shields　and　spearmen；　and　eighteen　thousand　cavalry；　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　elephants；　and　when　the　muster　was　over　and　he　had　seen　his　forces　for　himself；　seeing　also　the　great　strength　of　artillery　that　he　had；　he　said　that　with　his　artillery　he　would　seek　to　defeat　the　Rao　of　Narsymga。　He　therefore　ordered　them　to　make　ready；　since　he　desired　to　cross　the　river　at　once　and　advance　to　the　attack；　for　the　Ydallcao　believed　that　his　best　course　was　to　halt　on　the　farther　side　and　thence　send　his　troops　to　charge　the　camp　of　the　King；　and　that　in　so　doing　he　would　not　be　beaten　and　would　not　lose　Rachol。＇552＇

In　this　greedy　resolve　he　passed　the　ford　and　advanced　to　within　three　leagues　of　the　King's　camp；　and　he　caused　his　own　camp　to　be　strengthened　by　large　trenches；　and　commanded　all　his　artillery　to　take　post　in　front；　and　he　arranged　the　order　of　his　positions　and　the　manner　in　which　they　should　behave　if　they　were　attacked　by　the　enemy。　His　camp　extended　along　the　length　of　the　river　for　the　sake　of　the　water；　that　he　might　not　be　cut　off　from　it　by　the　enemy。

As　soon　as　they　brought　news　to　the　King　that　the　Ydallcao　had　passed　the　river；　he　commanded　all　to　make　ready；　but　that　no　movement　should　take　place　in　his　army　till　he　should　see　how　the　enemy　acted；　and　when　they　brought　him　further　news　that　the　enemy　had　pitched　his　camp　and　strengthened　his　position；　he　ordered　a　general　advance　of　all　his　forces。　He　divided　his　army　into　seven　wings。　Comarberya＇553＇　begged　from　him　（the　command）　of　the　van；　he　being　the　king's　father…in…law　and　a　great　lord；　he　is　King　of　Serigapatao　and　lord　of　a　large　state；　he　brought　with　him　thirty　grown…up　sons。　The　King　bade　him　pitch　his　camp　a　league　from　the　Ydallcao　and　ordered　all　to　arm　themselves　at　dawn；　as　he　intended　then　to　give　battle　to　the　enemy；　but　the　men　of　the　Council　said　that　that　day　was　an　unlucky　day；　and　begged　him　not　to　attack；　as　it　was　a　Friday；　and　they　asked　him　not　to　attack　till　Saturday；　which　they　hold　for　a　lucky　day。

When　the　King　had　left　Rachol；　those　inside　opened　a　gate；　and　one　of　the　captains　who　was　inside；　a　eunuch；　made　a　sally　with　two　hundred　horse；　certain　foot…soldiers　and　elephants；　he　kept　entirely　along　the　river…bank　on　the　King's　flank。　The　object　of　this　no　one　could　guess；　each　one　having　his　own　opinion。　As　soon　as　the　King　halted　he　also　did　the　same；　keeping　always　his　spies　in　the　King's　camp　to　see　what　passed　and　（what　would　be）　the　end　of　the　battle。　Since　both　armies　were　so　close；　each　to　his　foe；　they　never　put　aside　their　weapons　but　watched　all　the　night　through。

Seeing　that　the　dawn　of　Saturday　was　now　breaking；　the　drums　and　trumpets　and　other　music　in　the　King's　camp　began　to　sound　and　the　men　to　shout；　so　that　it　seemed　as　if　the　sky　would　fall　to　the　earth；　then　the　neighing　and　excitement　of　the　horses；　and　the　trumpeting　of　the　elephants；　it　is　impossible　for　any　one　to　describe　how　it　was。　But　even　if　told　in　simple　truth　it　would　hardly　be　believed　the　great　fear　and　terror　that　struck　those　who　heard　it；　so　that　even　those　very　men　that　caused　the　noise　were　themselves　frightened　at　it。　And　the　enemy　on　their　part　made　no　less　noise；　so　that　if　you　asked　anything　you　could　not　hear　yourself　speak　and　you　had　to　ask　by　signs；　since　in　no　other　manner　could　you　make　yourself　understood。　When　all　in　the　camp　had　gone　to　the　front　it　was　already　two　hours　after　sunrise；　and　the　King　ordered　an　advance　of　his　two　forward　divisions；　with　command　so　to　strike　home　that　they　should　leave　not　one　of　the　enemy　alive；　and　this　was　forthwith　done。　They　attacked　the　enemy　so　hotly　that　many　of　the　King's　troops　found　themselves　on　the　tops　of　the　trenches＇554＇　that　the　Moors　had　constructed　in　the　fields。　The　Moors　were　disposed　as　if　they　expected　that　the　King　would　engage　them　all　at　once　with　all　his　forces；　and　so　it　appeared　to　the　Ydallcao　and　to　his　officers；　and　for　that　reason　he　held　ready　all　his　artillery；　waiting　for　the　time　when；　owing　to　the　adventurousness　of　their　main　body；　his　men　must　of　necessity　cause　much　slaughter　in　their　ranks。　Then　he　intended　to　bring　up　his　artillery　and　destroy　them。　But　as　soon　as　he　saw　the　manner　of　their　attack　the　Ydallcao　had　to　abandon　the　plan　that　had　seemed　to　him　best　for　their　safety；　and　he　commended　the　whole　of　the　artillery　at　once　to　open　fire；　which　discharge；　as　it　was　very　great；　did　much　damage　to　the　enemy；　killing　many　of　the　horse　and　foot　and　many　elephants；　and　it　compelled　the　King's　troops　to　retire。　As　soon　as　the　Moors　saw　their　enemies　beginning　to　leave　the　field　they　charged　all　amongst　them；　so　that　there　did　not　remain　one　man　in　the　saddle　nor　one　who　kept　his　face　to　the　foe；　but　all　the　King's　troops　began　to　fly；　and　the　Moors　after　them；　slaughtering　them　for　about　half　a　league。　When　the　King　saw　the　way　in　which　his　troops　fled　he　began　to　cry　out　that　they　were　traitors；　and　that　he　would　see　who　was　his　side；　and　that　since　they　all　had　to　die　they　should　meet　their　fate　boldly　according　to　custom。＇555＇　〃Who　ranges　himself　with　me？〃　he　cried。　Immediately　there　thronged　about　him　all　those　lords　and　captains　that　were　ready　to　side　with　him；　and　the　King　said　that　the　day　had　arrived　in　which　the　Ydallcao　would　boast　that　he　had　slain　in　it　the　greatest　lord　in　the　world；　but　that　he　should　never　boast　that　he　had　vanquished　him。　Then　he　took　a　ring　from　his　finger　and　gave　it　to　one　of　his　pages；　so　that　he　might　show　it　to　his　queens　in　token　of　his　death；　that　they　might　burn　themselves　according　to　custom。　Then　he　mounted　a　horse　and　moved　forward　with　all　his　remaining…divisions；　commanding　to　slay　without　mercy　every　man　of　those　who　had　fled。　As　s