, 1888-07-19
A JOUST IN VIRGINIA.
TIE ANNUAL TOURNAMENT ON
THE RAPPAHANNOCK.
Tho Great Event of the Year-CauinG the
Roll OF Brave "KnIghts"-GIory and
Shame queen of Love and Eeauty''
CTowned

At last the hour of the tournament
draws near, and all the vehicles are ranged
in line around the field where the contest
Is TO take place-and all are filled with
happy occupants; pretty girls in ravishing
costumes, young men of every type, old
men who recall the days when they CON
tended in knightly lists, and old ladies
who remember when they were honored
with the crown.
The field. about which all are crowding,
Is a long, level stretch of pasture land.
across which has been marked ont n
straight course, and ut intervals of about
100 yards across it are built three frame
structures, which strongly remind one Of
gibbets. A stanch upright is set in the
ground, N to its top is nailed q cross
bar extending over the course, while from
the end of this bar hangs n ring upon a
hooked wire. The object of the contest
is to take off these rings upon the point
of n lance while riding at full speed. At
one end of the course is a platform for
the judge.
At length a bugle call the
knights, and they are seen approaching
at the far end of the field. Slowly they
ride up to the stand-ten of them-and.
refining up their horses, form into n line,
facing the judges, ready to answer the
roll call. A fine looking set of men they
are and mounted upon superb horses.
And now the call begins. "The Knight
of the Golden Key" cries the herald, and
a young man wearing a wide blue sash,
and bearing IA lance tied with the same
color, answers ''here." Next 1.-THE Knight
Of the Locust Grove and "a small. dried
up looking man, decked in red. responds.
Likewise are CALLED ''the Knight of
Sleepy Hollow, 1.-THE Knight of Walnut
Hill," the knight of Chincapin," and
others.
h roll being over, all fall into an atti-
tude of attention, while the orator of tho
lay delivers the Charge to the Knights. 4"
reminding them of the ~joustings of old,
and in many flowing period urging them
on, to win glory and fame for the sake OF
their fair ladies. This md the prelimi-
n%aries, and there is a general stir among
the crowd in the effort to get good posi-,
tions from which to view the riding.
A HUSH OF EXPECTANCY.
Now, all is ready, and the hush # AZ
pectancy falls upon the people. Suddenly
the bugle call bursts out amid the silence.
and the herald cries, 1.-THE Knight of the
Golden Keyl" At the word he leaves the
ranks, and fixing his lance, spurs his horse
into a rapid run, and, his eyes upon the
hrst ring, rushes toward it. Or flies his
steed, sending the loose earth in showers
behind him, and as he passes the first sup
port, the knight carries away the ring
upon his lance. In a moment he is upon
the second, but misses it by n hairs
breadth, sending 1t spinning far into the
crowd; the last he takes, and rides slowly
back, 1ushed with his triumph, amid the
cheers of the crowd.
h rings are replaced, and the next in
order Essays the feat, but fails to take n
single ring. And SO, in turn all try, each
making II striking picture as his stout
steed bears him on like an arrow, and he
sits firm and erect in his saaIe, his lance
straight before him, his gay ribbons
streaming in the wind, his eye fixed upon
the coveted ring. 1t needs a stout heart,
a steady hand and a true eye to succeed
at such work, for the slightest false
motion may not only miss the ring, but
throw the luckless knight headlong from
his horse.
At length each knight has thrice essayed
the run; some are covered with glory and
some with shame. And now comes the
most exciting time, for three knights have
each the same score and must ride out the
tic. By this time the horses nave come
to understand what is required of them,
and the spirit of the sport has seized upon
each mans heart. The riding is superb.
Again and again they run, each taking
all the rings each time, until at last ono
OF the knights misses and ~retires. Nov
comes the struggle of the champions.
The crowd is wrought up TO the greatest
enthusiasm, and watch with breathless
interest each knightly contestant, and
break into deafening cheers at each sue
cess. At last another ring is missed, and
the knight of the Golden Key" stands
victor. As he rides for the last time
down the field toward the judges stand
his horse flecked with foam, his face
blazing beneath his broad brimmed hat
the people burst into wilder cheers, girls
wave their handkerchiefs, boys throw
their hats in the air, and all is confusion.
GROWING THE QUEEN.
And now he reaches the platform and
salutes the judges. The crown is hung
upon his lance's end. Then slowly he
rides along the outskirts of the crowd,
until he comes to a carriage where sits the
lady whose colors he wears, and whose
face is now radiant with smiles for her
knights success. Reaching her he dis
mounts and drops the crown at her feet,
thus choosing her Queen of Love and
Beauty, while the acclamations of the
crowda attest their approval of his choice.
Meanwhile the knights who AVE won the
second and third places have received
smaller crowns, and hasten likewise to
bestow them upon their ladies, making
them Maids of Honor"
And now for an hour is n pause, while
the crowd breaks up into groups and dis
cusses the riding and its results. As IL is
growing toward evening, many seize the
opportunity to eat the lunches they have
brought with them, or are carried off by
friends to sup in the ~neighboring farm
houses.
At length the bugle call rings out once
more and the crowd reassemble near the
stand. THE Knight of the Golden Key
leads his lady upon the platform, while
the knight of Walnut Hil' and the
knight of Warsaw" follow with their
maios of honor. They are met by the
judges and by the most famous speaker
of the country, who proceeds to make a
long and fowery Grafton, ending by
browning the ladies, amid the plaudits Of
the crowd.-R. w. Graves in Detroit Free
Press.
Quite n Hardship.
Yes" said the sweet girl graduate in
a burst OF confidence. my education is
now complete. but still I am not altogether