The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1890-11-08
A JOUST IN VIRGINIA.
THE ANNUAL TOURNAMENT ON
THE RA2PAl1ANNOCK.

Roll of Brave Knights"--G1or and
Shame Queen of Love and Reauty =
Crowned.
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 pace--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 honorcd
with the crown.
The field, about which all are crowding.
is long, level stretch of pasture land,
across which has been marked out a
straight course, and at 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. and to it's top is nailed a cross
bar extending over the course, while from
the end of this bar hangs ring upon a
hooked wire The object of the contest
is to take off these rings upon the point
of lance while riding at full speed. AT
one end of the course is O platform for
the Judge
At length O. bugle call summons the
kIARuUS, duO GucJ dT0 Scou
at the far end Of the field Slowly they
ride up to the stand-ten of them-and
refining up their horses, form into line,
facing the judges, ready to answer the
roll call fine looking set Of men they
are and mounted upon superb horses.
And now the call begins. 1.-THE Knight
of the Golden Key" cries the herald, and
young man wearing wide blue sash,
and bearing lance tied with the same
color, answers "here." Next 1.-The Knight
of the Locust Grove" and small. dried
up looking man. decked in red, responds
Likewise are called 1.-The knight of
Sleepy Hollow" 1.-The Knight of Walnut
HILL 1.-The knight of Chincapin." and
others
The roll being over. all fall into an atti
tude of attention, while the orator of the
day delivers the Charge to the Knights, .
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 ends the prelimi
naries, and there Is q general stir among
the crowd in the effort to get good posi-
tions from which to view the riding.
HUSH OF EXPECTANCY.
Now all is ready, and the hush # ax-
pectancy falls upon tho people. Suddenly
the bugle call bursts out amid the silence
and the herald cries, 1.-The Knight of the
Golden KeyP' At the word he leaves the
ranks and fixing his lance spurs his horse
into rapid run, and. his eyes upon the
first ring rushes toward it. On 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 q moment he is upon
the second but misses it by hairs
breadth, sending it spinning far into the
crowd, tae last lie takes, and rides slowly
back, flushed with his triumph, amid the
cheers of the crowd.
The rings are replaced, and the next in
order essays the feat, but fails to take a
single ring. And so. in turn all try, each
making striking picture as his stout
steed bears him on like ali arrow and he
sits firm and erect in his saddle, his lance
straight before him, his gay ribbons
streaming in the wind. his eye fixed upon
the coveted ring 1t needs stout heart,
q steady hand and 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
tho 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
tie. BY this time the horses have 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 one
Of the knights misses and retires. Now
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 fecked with foam. his face
blazing beneath his broad brimmed hat
the neODle hurst into wilder cheers rirls