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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 December 2023
When this had been done, Gil Fernandes called for his friends, and gathered between them and other men of Elvas around 100 horsemen and 400 foot soldiers. He entered Castile openly, skirting Olivença and Alconchel, and went to raid the lands of Jerez [de los Caballeros]. He brought away a large booty of cattle, sheep and prisoners.
As he was heading back towards Portugal with all this, the men of Jerez and other towns round about gathered together, around 300 horsemen and many men on foot, and followed him to a place called the Sierra de las Puercas. While they were there, the two groups not far from each other, some men said to Gil Fernandes: ‘You know well that in front of you in Olivença you have Pero Rodrigues da Fonseca and Payo Rodríguez Mariño who is with him now, and that the two of them have some 300 lances and 700 foot soldiers to fight against you on your way back. If you wait for those who are coming up behind us to join with those who are in front, you will have a much fiercer encounter. It seems to us, therefore, that it would be wise for you to fight these men now; once they are defeated, the others will not want to encounter you.’
Gil Fernandes said that it seemed like good advice to him. But before he arrayed his men to go and fight, some of them hurried off to engage the enemy without him. When they attacked the enemy, they were repulsed, and some of them wounded. Gil Fernandes, when he saw them in that plight, came up speedily to their aid and said:
‘Holy Mary protect us! What's this? Come back, come back, young men, for they are good for nothing.’ Then he threw himself among them, encouraging his men. They attacked the Castilians with such valour that they were defeated and scattered, and fled from them, some across the field and others into the Sierra de las Puercas, for they did not dare to turn back and face Gil Fernandes.
As Gil Fernandes was coming back with his men and their booty, expecting to have another such encounter with those noblemen we have mentioned, the latter found out how Gil Fernandes had defeated the men of Jerez, and both of them agreed not to do battle with him.
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