their heads and trembled in the presence of the image of the Virgin; for it is the custom for each army to carry its own protecting zemes into battle.  Not only had they beheld the holy image but also a woman, robed in fair white draperies, who, in the heat of the battle, sustained them against their enemies.  The latter also declared that there had appeared opposite to them a woman with menacing face, carrying a sceptre, who encouraged the opposing army and that this apparition made them tremble with fear.

El Comendador declared that after the sailor had been taken away by some Christians who had landed at that place, he had faithfully obeyed his instructions.  He further related that a heated altercation had broken out with his neighbours, as to which of the zemes was most powerful.  The controversy led to frequent conflicts, in which the Blessed Virgin had never failed them, but had appeared in every battle, grasping the victory with her small hands from the most formidable of the hostile forces.  The Spaniards asked what their war cry was, and they replied that, in obedience to the instructions of the sailor they only shouted, in the Spanish language, “St. Mary to the rescue!” It was the only language the sailor spoke.  In the midst of these cruel wars they made the following agreement; instead of putting a fixed number of champions into the field, as was often done by the armies of other nations of antiquity, or instead of settling their disputes by arbitration, two young men of each tribe should have their hands tied behind their backs as tightly as he who bound them chose.  They would then be led to a lofty place, and the zemes of the tribe whose champion most quickly undid his bonds should be acclaimed as the most powerful.  The agreement was made, and the young men of both sides were thus bound.  El Comendador’s people tied their adversary, while their enemies tied one of his men.  Three different times the trial was repeated, and each time after invoking their zemes, the young men tried to free themselves from their bonds.  El Comendador’s champions repeated the invocation, “St. Mary, help me, St. Mary, help me!” and immediately the Virgin, robed in white, appeared.  She drove away the demon, and touching the bonds of the Christian champion with the wand she carried, not only was he at once freed, but the bonds were added to those of his opponent, so that the enemy found the young Christian not only free, but their own champion with double bonds.  They were not content with this first defeat, and attributed it to some human trickery which they did not believe demonstrated the superiority of the divinity.  They therefore asked that four men of venerable age and tried morality should be chosen from each tribe, and should stand on either side of each young man, in order to verify whether or not there was any trickery.  O what purity of soul and blessed simplicity, worthy of the golden age!  El Comendador and his advisers yielded to this condition with a confidence equal