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between

such men would have been enough in itself to cause the keenest

interest, apart from its being the crisis which would decide who

should be the victors of the day. for a moment they waited--the

german sombre and collected, sir nigel quivering in every fibre

with eagerness and fiery resolution. then, amid a long-drawn

breath from the spectators, the glove fell from the marshal's

hand, and the two steel-clad horsemen met like a thunderclap in

front of the royal stand. the german, though he reeled for an

instant before the thrust of the englishman, struck his opponent

so fairly upon the vizor that the laces burst, the plumed helmet

flew to pieces, and sir nigel galloped on down the lists with his

bald head shimmering in the sunshine. a thousand waving scarves

and tossing caps announced that the first bout had fallen to the

popular party.

the hampshire knight was not a man to be disheartened by a

reverse. he spurred back to the pavilion, and was out in a few

instants with another helmet. the second course was so equal

that the keenest judges could not discern any vantage. each

struck fire from the other's shield, and each endured the jarring

shock as though welded to the horse beneath him. in the final

bout, however, sir nigel struck his opponent with so true an aim

that the point of the lance caught between the bars of his vizor

and tore the front of his helmet out, while the german, aiming

somewhat low, and half stunned by the shock, had the misfortune

to strike his adversary upon the thigh, a breach of the rules of

the tilting-yard, by which he not only sacrificed his chances of

success, but would also have forfeited his horse and his armor,

had the english knight chosen to claim them. a roar of applause

from the english soldiers, with an ominous silence from the vast

crowd who pressed round the barriers, announced that the balance

of victory lay with the holders. already the ten champions had

assembled in front of the prince to receive his award, when a

harsh bugle call from the further end of the lists drew all eyes

to a new and unexpected arrival.

chapter xxiv.

how a champion came forth from the east.

the bordeaux lists were, as has already been explained, situated

upon the plain near the river upon those great occasions when the

tilting-ground in front of the abbey of st. andrew's was deemed

to be too small to contain the crowd. on the eastern side of

this plain the country-side sloped upwards, thick with vines in

summer, but now ridged with the brown bare enclosures. over the

gently rising plain curved the white road which leads inland,

usually flecked with travellers, but now with scarce a living

form upon it, so completely had the lists drained all the

district of its inhabitants. strange it was to see such a vast

concourse of people, and then to look upon that broad, white,

empty highway which wound away, bleak and deserted, until it

narrowed itself to a bare streak against the distant uplands.

shortly after the contest had begun, any one looking from the

lists along this road might have remarked, far away in the

extreme distance, two brilliant and sparkling points which

glittered and twinkled in the bright shimmer of the winter sun.

within an hour these had become clearer and nearer, until they

might be seen to come from the reflection from the head-pieces of

two horsemen who were riding at the top of their speed in the

direction of bordeaux. another half-hour had brought them so

close that every point of their bearing and equipment could be

discerned. the first was a knight in full armor, mounted upon a

brown horse with a white blaze upon breast and forehead. he was

a short man of great breadth of shoulder, with vizor closed, and

no blazonry upon his simple white surcoat or plain black shield.

the other, who was evidently his squire and attendant, was

unarmed save for the helmet upon his head, but bore in his right

hand a very long and heavy oaken spear which belonged to his

master. in his left hand the squire held not only the reins of

his own horse but those of a great black war-horse, fully

harnessed, which trotted along at his side. thus the three

horses and their two riders rode swiftly to the lists, and it was

the blare of the trumpet sounded by the squire as his lord rode

into the arena which had broken in upon the prize-giving and

drawn away the attention and interest of the spectators.

"ha, john!" cried the prince, craning h s neck, "who is this

cavalier, and what is it that he desires?"

"on my word, sire," replied chandos, with the utmost surprise

upon his face, "it is my opinion that he is a frenchman."

"a frenchman!" repeated don pedro. "and how can you tell that,

my lord chandos, when he has neither coat-armor, crest, or

blazonry?"

"by his armor, sire, which is rounder a