When Don Ramon Berenguer the Count of Barcelona heard this, it troubled him to the heart, and he held it for a great dishonour, because that part of the land of the Moors was in his keeping.  And he spake boastfully saying, “Great wrong doth that Cid of Bivar offer unto me; he ravages the lands which are in my keeping, and I have never renounced his friendship; but since he goes on in this way I must take vengeance.”  So he and King Abenalfange gathered together a great power both of Moors and Christians, and went in pursuit of the Cid, and after three days and two nights they came up with him in the pine-forest of Tebar.  And when the Cid heard this he sent to Don Ramon saying, that the booty which he had won was none of his, and bidding him let him go on his way in peace:  but the Count made answer, that my Cid should now learn whom he had dishonoured.  Then my Cid sent the booty forward, and bade his knights make ready.  “They are coming upon us,” said he, “with a great power both of Moors and Christians, to take from us the spoils which we have so hardly won, and without doing battle we cannot be quit of them; for if we should proceed they would follow till they overtook us:  therefore let the battle be here, and I trust in God that we shall win more honour, and something to boot.  They come down the hill, drest in their hose, with their gay saddles, and their girths wet.  Before they get upon the plain ground let us give them the points of our lances; and Ramon Berenguer will then see whom he has overtaken to-day in the pine-forest of Tebar, thinking to despoil him of booty won from the enemies of God and of the faith.”

While my Cid was speaking, his knights had taken their arms, and were ready on horseback for the charge.  Presently they saw the Frenchmen coming down the hill, and when they had not yet set foot upon the plain ground, my Cid bade his people charge, which they did with a right good will, thrusting their spears so stiffly, that by God’s good pleasure not a man whom they encountered but lost his seat.  The Count’s people stood firm round their Lord; but my Cid was in search of him, and when he saw where he was, he made up to him, clearing the way as he went, and gave him such a stroke with his lance that he felled him.  When the Frenchmen saw their Lord in this plight they fled away and left him; and the pursuit lasted three leagues, and would have been continued farther if the conquerors had not had tired horses.  Thus was Count Ramon Berenguer made prisoner, and my Cid won from him that day the good sword Colada, which was worth more than a thousand marks of silver.  That night did my Cid and his men make merry, rejoicing over their gains.  And the Count was taken to my Cid’s tent, and a good supper was set before him; nevertheless he would not eat, though my Cid besought him so to do.  And on the morrow my Cid ordered a feast to be made, that he might do pleasure to the Count, but the Count said that for all Spain