CHAPTER XXIII. HOW ENGLAND HELD THE LISTS AT BORDEAUX.

courses,fortheissueisover-greattohanguponone.” Astheprincespoke,amidaloudflourishoftrumpetsandtheshoutingoftheGasconparty,thelastoftheassailantsrodegallantlyintothelists.Hewasamanofgreatsize,cladinblackarmorwithoutblazonryorornamentofanykind,forallworldlydisplaywasforbiddenbytherulesofthemilitarybrotherhoodtowhichhebelonged.Noplumeornobloyflutteredfromhisplaintiltingsalade,andevenhislancewasdevoidofthecustomarybanderole.Awhitemantleflutteredbehindhim,upontheleftsideofwhichwasmarkedthebroadblackcrosspickedoutwithsilverwhichwasthewell-knownbadgeoftheTeutonicOrder.Mounteduponahorseaslarge,asblack,andasforbiddingashimself,hecanteredslowlyforward,withnoneofthoseprancingsandgambadeswithwhichacavalierwasaccustomedtoshowhiscommandoverhischarger.Gravelyandsternlyheinclinedhisheadtotheprince,andtookhisplaceatthefurtherendofthearena. HehadscarcedonesobeforeSirNigelrodeoutfromtheholders'enclosure,andgallopingatfullspeeddownthelists,drewhischargerupbeforetheprince'sstandwithajerkwhichthrewitbackuponitshaunches.Withwhitearmor,blazonedshield,andplumeofostrich-feathersfromhishelmet,hecarriedhimselfinsojauntyandjoyousafashion,withtossingpennonandcurvetingcharger,thatashoutofapplauseranthefullcircleofthearena.Withtheairofamanwhohastestoajoyousfestival,hewavedhislanceinsalute,andreiningthepawinghorseroundwithoutpermittingitsfore-feettotouchtheground,hehastenedbacktohisstation. Agreathushfelloverthehugemultitudeasthetwolastchampionsfacedeachother.Adoubleissueseemedtorestupontheircontest,fortheirpersonalfamewasatstakeaswellastheirparty'shonor.Bothwerefamouswarriors,butastheirexploitshadbeenperformedinwidelysunderedcountries,theyhadneverbeforebeenabletocrosslances.Acoursebetweensuchmenwouldhavebeenenoughinitselftocausethekeenestinterest,apartfromitsbeingthecrisiswhichwoulddecidewhoshouldbethevictorsoftheday.Foramomenttheywaited—theGermansombreandcollected,SirNigelquiveringineveryfibrewitheagernessandfieryresolution.Then,amidalong-drawnbreathfromthespectators,theglovefellfromthemarshal'shand,andthetwosteel-cladhorsemenmetlikeathunderclapinfrontoftheroyalstand.TheGerman,thoughhereeledforaninstantbeforethethrustoftheEnglishman,struckhisopponentsofairlyuponthevizorthatthelacesburst,theplumedhelmetflewtopieces,andSirNigelgallopedondownthelistswithhisbaldheadshimmeringinthesunshine.Athousandwavingscarvesandtossingcapsannouncedthatthefirstbouthadfallentothepopularparty. TheHampshireknightwasnotamantobedisheartenedbyareverse.Hespurredbacktothepavilion,andwasoutinafewinstantswithanotherhelmet.Thesecondcoursewassoequalthatthekeenestjudgescouldnotdiscernanyvantage.Eachstruckfirefromtheother'sshield,andeachenduredthejarringshockasthoughweldedtothehorsebeneathhim.Inthefinalbout,however,SirNigelstruckhisopponentwithsotrueanaimthatthepointofthelancecaughtbetweenthebarsofhisvizorandtorethefrontofhishelmetout,whiletheGerman,aimingsomewhatlow,andhalfstunnedbytheshock,hadthemisfortunetostrikehisadversaryuponthethigh,abreachoftherulesofthetilting-yard,bywhichhenotonlysacrificedhischancesofsuccess,butwouldalsohaveforfeitedhishorseandhisarmor,hadtheEnglishknightchosentoclaimthem.AroarofapplausefromtheEnglishsoldiers,withanominoussilencefromthevastcrowdwhopressedroundthebarriers,announcedthatthebalanceofvictorylaywiththeholders.Alreadythetenchampionshadassembledinfrontoftheprincetoreceivehisaward,whenaharshbuglecallfromthefurtherendofthelistsdrewalleyestoanewandunexpectedarrival.