five knights, each to choose such

weapons as suit him best."

"i perceive," said the prince, "that your master is a man of

great heart and high of enterprise. but the sun already is low

in the west, and there will scarce be light for these courses. i

pray you, gentlemen, to take your places, that we may see whether

this stranger's deeds are as bold as his words."

the unknown knight had sat like a statue of steel, looking

neither to the right nor to the left during these preliminaries.

he had changed from the horse upon which he had ridden, and

bestrode the black charger which his squire had led beside him.

his immense breadth, his stern composed appearance, and the mode

in which he handled his shield and his lance, were enough in

themselves to convince the thousands of critical spectators that

he was a dangerous opponent. aylward, who stood in the front row

of the archers with simon, big john, and others of the company,

had been criticising the proceedings from the commencement with

the ease and freedom of a man who had spent his life under arms

and had learned in a hard school to know at a glance the points

of a horse and his rider. he stared now at the stranger with a

wrinkled brow and the air of a man who is striving to stir his

memory.

"by my hilt! i have seen the thick body of him before to-day. yet

i cannot call to mind where it could have been. at nogent

belike, or was it at auray? mark me, lads, this man will prove to

be one of the best lances of france, and there are no better in

the world."

"it is but child's play, this poking game," said john. "i would

fain try my hand at it, for, by the black rood! i think that it

might be amended."

"what then would you do, john?" asked several.

"there are many things which might be done," said the forester

thoughtfully. "methinks that i would begin by breaking my

spear."

"so they all strive to do."

"nay, but not upon another man's shield. i would break it over

my own knee."

"and what the better for that, old beef and bones?" asked black

simon.

"so i would turn what is but a lady's bodkin of a weapon into a

very handsome club."

"and then, john?"

"then i would take the other's spear into my arm or my leg, or

where it pleased him best to put it, and i would dash out his

brains with my club."

"by my ten finger-bones! old john," said aylward, "i would give

my feather-bed to see you at a spear-running. this is a most

courtly and gentle sport which you have devised."

"so it seems to me," said john seriously. "or, again, one might

seize the other round the middle, pluck him off his horse and

bear him to the pavilion, there to hold him to ransom."

"good!" cried simon, amid a roar of laughter from all the archers

round. "by thomas of kent i we shall make a camp-marshal of

thee, and thou shalt draw up rules for our jousting. but, john,

who is it that you would uphold in this knightly and pleasing

fashion?"

"what mean you?"

"why, john, so strong and strange a tilter must fight for the

brightness of his lady's eyes or the curve of her eyelash, even

as sir nigel does for the lady loring."

"i know not about that," said the big archer, scratching his head

in perplexity. "since mary hath played me false, i can scarce

fight for her."

"yet any woman will serve."

"there is my mother then," said john. "she was at much pains at

my upbringing, and, by my soul! i will uphold the curve of her

eyelashes, for it tickleth my very heart-root to think of her.

but who is here?"

"it is sir william beauchamp. he is a valiant man, but i fear

that he is scarce firm enough upon the saddle to bear the thrust

of such a tilter as this stranger promises to be."

aylward's words were speedily justified, for even as he spoke the

two knights met in the centre of the lists. beauchamp struck his

opponent a shrewd blow upon the helmet, but was met with so

frightful a thrust that he whirled out of his saddle and rolled

over and over upon the ground. sir thomas percy met with little

better success, for his shield was split, his vambrace torn and

he himself wounded slightly in the side. lord audley and the

unknown knight struck each other fairly upon the helmet; but,

while the stranger sat as firm and rigid as ever upon his

charger, the englishman was bent back to his horse's crupper by

the weight of the blow, and had galloped half-way down the lists

ere he could recover himself. sir thomas wake was beaten to the

ground with a battle-axe--that being the weapon which he had

selected--and had to be carried to his pavilion. these rapid

successes, gained one after the other over four celebrated

warriors, worked the crowd up to a pitch of wonder and

admiration. thunders of applause from the english soldiers, as

well as from the citizens and peasants, showe