instructions that if he was not back in a day they were to move on to the meeting place. It was market day and the town was alive with gossip. A large body of Moors had moved up to the Asturian and Visigoth border. Sheep and cattle had been moved inland and bands of fighting men had moved to meet the threat.
The Gods are with us , Aguirre thought, our greatest worry was to cause interest, but with so much movement we are just part of the general crowd. What good fortune! He made subtle enquiries about Morjinar. The place was overrun with sheep, he was told, and all coming this way. That night Aguirre returned to his small group. He had sold his small flock. Next day they would leave Socueva, and move in all haste to Morjinar and the meeting place. After two days and nights they arrived. He sent Inaki forward with Storm. The wolf-dog would warn the boy before any harm could befall him from the sentries. Having located the Basques, Inaki led his friends to them. That night they made their plans after carefully locating the sheep.
Most of the sheep were moved into the town at night, but there was so many of them that a large flock was left outside the walls under heavy guard. At dusk they would attack, driving off as many as they could and killing all the guards on the north side. A small number of their group would move ahead of the flock clearing the way and finding a suitable place for ambush. Aguirre, Inaki, the dogs and the two brothers would keep the flock on the move. The main group would fight a rearguard action, to slow down any pursuers, until they found a suitable place to set an ambush. They sharpened axes and knives, ate a cold meal and waited. At dusk Anton with ten men moved forward down the mountain. The others followed at a safe distance.
The guards had their backs to the oncoming onslaught. Watching the sheep, they had no idea of what hit them. Four fell at ten paces with axes in their backs. The others fled. The dogs were sent in splitting the sheep in two. Storm, ignoring the sheep, jumped on the back of the slowest man, knocking him to the ground, then turning he ripped out the back of the man’s neck. Inaki called him back and ran behind the sheep. Over the brow of the hill they went up the mountainside, passing the main body of Basques, axes poised in hands. The guards, thinking that the intruders had taken flight, regrouped and gave chase. As they came over the brow of the hill a hail of axes and stones hit them, followed by the Basques, their favourite long knives in hand. The fighting was short and furious. All the Visigoths lay dead or dying. The Basques had lost one man, killed by a well-aimed spear. As they ran, they fell into formation. A small band of Basques at the front; Inaki, Aguirre, the dogs and sheep in the middle, with the main body behind. By dawn they were well into the mountains, but they did not rest. They kept moving.
At dawn the next day, a group of twenty mounted Visigoths and eighty on foot gave chase. The mounted men reached the Basques within two days. Their main force was a three days’ march behind. Anton had placed one of his men behind them to give warning of any followers. This young Basque warrior saw the horsemen coming from a distance and quickly came back to give the alarm. This gave Anton time to prepare for their arrival. He chose a narrow gully with a steep hillside at one end. He made the men dig several holes in the ground which were as deep as the length of a man’s leg and as wide as an arms length. When they had been dug he got the men to cover them with sticks and grass. He hid a few men near the holes, which were covered with grass. He then placed the main body of his men on the side of the hill, hidden behind brushes and rocks. The flock was moved some distance away, at the far end of the gully and up a sloping mountainside, and in a direct line with the holes. He let the sheep graze on the mountainside, guarded by only Inaki, Aguirre and the dogs. When
The Gods are with us , Aguirre thought, our greatest worry was to cause interest, but with so much movement we are just part of the general crowd. What good fortune! He made subtle enquiries about Morjinar. The place was overrun with sheep, he was told, and all coming this way. That night Aguirre returned to his small group. He had sold his small flock. Next day they would leave Socueva, and move in all haste to Morjinar and the meeting place. After two days and nights they arrived. He sent Inaki forward with Storm. The wolf-dog would warn the boy before any harm could befall him from the sentries. Having located the Basques, Inaki led his friends to them. That night they made their plans after carefully locating the sheep.
Most of the sheep were moved into the town at night, but there was so many of them that a large flock was left outside the walls under heavy guard. At dusk they would attack, driving off as many as they could and killing all the guards on the north side. A small number of their group would move ahead of the flock clearing the way and finding a suitable place for ambush. Aguirre, Inaki, the dogs and the two brothers would keep the flock on the move. The main group would fight a rearguard action, to slow down any pursuers, until they found a suitable place to set an ambush. They sharpened axes and knives, ate a cold meal and waited. At dusk Anton with ten men moved forward down the mountain. The others followed at a safe distance.
The guards had their backs to the oncoming onslaught. Watching the sheep, they had no idea of what hit them. Four fell at ten paces with axes in their backs. The others fled. The dogs were sent in splitting the sheep in two. Storm, ignoring the sheep, jumped on the back of the slowest man, knocking him to the ground, then turning he ripped out the back of the man’s neck. Inaki called him back and ran behind the sheep. Over the brow of the hill they went up the mountainside, passing the main body of Basques, axes poised in hands. The guards, thinking that the intruders had taken flight, regrouped and gave chase. As they came over the brow of the hill a hail of axes and stones hit them, followed by the Basques, their favourite long knives in hand. The fighting was short and furious. All the Visigoths lay dead or dying. The Basques had lost one man, killed by a well-aimed spear. As they ran, they fell into formation. A small band of Basques at the front; Inaki, Aguirre, the dogs and sheep in the middle, with the main body behind. By dawn they were well into the mountains, but they did not rest. They kept moving.
At dawn the next day, a group of twenty mounted Visigoths and eighty on foot gave chase. The mounted men reached the Basques within two days. Their main force was a three days’ march behind. Anton had placed one of his men behind them to give warning of any followers. This young Basque warrior saw the horsemen coming from a distance and quickly came back to give the alarm. This gave Anton time to prepare for their arrival. He chose a narrow gully with a steep hillside at one end. He made the men dig several holes in the ground which were as deep as the length of a man’s leg and as wide as an arms length. When they had been dug he got the men to cover them with sticks and grass. He hid a few men near the holes, which were covered with grass. He then placed the main body of his men on the side of the hill, hidden behind brushes and rocks. The flock was moved some distance away, at the far end of the gully and up a sloping mountainside, and in a direct line with the holes. He let the sheep graze on the mountainside, guarded by only Inaki, Aguirre and the dogs. When
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