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The press of the battle was here; here died Gonzalo de Sies, a right valiant Portugueze, on the part of Don Garcia; but on Don Sancho's part the Count Don Nuno was sorely wounded and thrown from his horse; and Count Don Garcia Ordonez was made prisoner, and the banner of King Don Sancho was beaten down, and the King himself also.
For the sake of a name man is ready to sacrifice not only life but happiness life as a matter of course. "Let me die, but let my fame live!" exclaimed Rodrigo Arias in Las Mocedades del Cid when he fell mortally wounded by Don Ordóñez de Lara.
Upon this Count Don Garcia Ordonez arose and said, There is not a man in the world, Sir, who would counsel you to break the command of your father, and the vow which you made unto him. And the King was greatly incensed at him and said, Go from before me, for I shall never receive good counsel from thee.
Isidro shall keep me, I rejoice in the good fortune of the Cid, and receive his gift full willingly. But though this pleased the King it did not please Garci Ordonez, and he said, It seemeth there is not a man left in the land of the Moors, that the Cid can thus do his pleasure! And the King said unto him, Hold thy peace, for in all things he serves me better than thou.
He but stung the bull and maddened it. The banderillos must go in, you know, two at a time, into the shoulders, on each side the backbone and close to it. If but one be placed, it is a failure. The crowd hissed and called for Ordonez. And then Ordonez did a great thing.
Of this we have an example in Don Diego Ordonez de Lara, who defied the whole town of Zamora, because he did not know that Vellido Dolfos alone had committed the treachery of slaying his king; and therefore he defied them all, and the vengeance and the reply concerned all; though, to be sure, Senor Don Diego went rather too far, indeed very much beyond the limits of a defiance; for he had no occasion to defy the dead, or the waters, or the fishes, or those yet unborn, and all the rest of it as set forth; but let that pass, for when anger breaks out there's no father, governor, or bridle to check the tongue.
And Don Diego Ordonez did as they had directed him, and alighted from his horse and took the dead man by the leg, and dragged him to the line, and then letting the leg fall he thrust him out of the lists with his feet. And then he went and laid hand upon the bar again, saying that he had liefer fight with a living man than drag a dead one out of the field.
Then stepped forward Ordonez, the chief matador, with the long sword and the scarlet cape. The bugles blew for the death. He is not so good as Matestini. Still he is good, and with one thrust he drove the sword to the heart, and the bull doubled his legs under him and lay down and died.
In the meanwhile, from the besieging army a solitary knight, Diego Ordoñez, rode up to the city walls, and accusing the inhabitants of felony and treason, both men and women, young and old, living and dead, born and to be born, he challenged them to a duel.
Now my Cid did not make this impeachment against the people of Zamora, because of the oath which he had sworn. II. Then Don Diego Ordonez went to his lodging and armed himself well, and armed his horse also, and mounted and rode toward Zamora.
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