Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-10
A JOUST IN YIRGTNIA.
The ANNUAL TOURNAMENT ON
The RAPPAHANNocK.

Va brave knights Glory and
Shame queen of Love and Beauty"
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 10 take place-and all are filed with
happy occupants; pretty girls in ravishina
costumes young men of every type, old
men who recall the days when they con.
tended in knightly lists, and old ladies
VINO remember when they were honored
with the crown
The Held, about which all are crowdinr.
Is long, Level stretch of pasture land,
across which has been marked out q
straight course, and at intervals of about
loo yards across it are built three frame
structures, which strongly remind one of
giooets stanch upright is set in the
ground, and to its top is nailed a cross
oar extending over the course, while from
the end OF this bar hangs a ring upon q
hooked wire The object of the contest
Is to take off these rings upon the point
oil lance while riding at full speed At
one end OF the course is a platform for
the judge.
AT length bugle call summons 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 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 'FThe Knight
of the Golden Key" cries the herald, and
a young man wearing a wide blue sash,
] Inn inA
color. answers here. Next 1.-The Knight
of the Locust Grove" and small, dried
up looking man, decked in red. responds.
Sleepy Hollow, 1.-The Knight of Walnut
Hill, 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 ioustings of old
and in many a flowing period urging them
on, to win glory and fame for the sake oil
their fair ladies'. This ends the prelimi
naries, and there is a 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 f .x
] BNNt"AiN ihAio pun lllt ptODlt
the bugle call bursts out amid the silence
and the herald cries, The Knight of tn,
Golden Keyr' At the word he leaves tn,
ranks and fixing his lance. spurs his hors,
into rapid run, and, his eyes upon tn,
first ring, rushes toward it. On flies hi
steed, sending the loose earth in shower
behind him, and as he passes the first sup
port, the knight carries away the rim!
upon his lance. In moment be is upol
the second, but misses it by hair
breadth, sending it spinning far into til
crowd; the last he takes, and rides slowl
back, flushed with his triumph. amid tn
cheers of the crowd
: The rings are replaced and the next i
order essays the feat, but fails to take
single ring And So in turn all try, eac
making a striking picture as his stou
steed bears him on like an arrow and
? sits firm and erect in his saddle, his lane
| straight before him, his gay ribbon
streaming in the wind. his eye fixed upo
the coveted ring Ii needs stout heart
/ a steady hand and true eve to succee
q at such work for the slightest falls
= motion may not only miss the ring, bu
throw the luckless knight headlong froI
, his horse
At length each knight has thrice essaye
D the run; some are covered with glory an
some with shame And now comes tt
most exciting time, for three knights hay
each the same score and must ride out I'll
tie By this time the horses have CON
: to understand what is required of then
and the spirit of the sport has seized upo
: each mans heart The riding is superl
! Again and again they run. each takin
all the rings each time, until at last OF
> of the knights misses and retires. No
> comes the struggle of the champion
!, The crowd is wrought up to the creates
, enthusiasm, aud watch with breathle
! interest each knightly contestant, al
! break into deafening cheers at each su
i cess, At last another ring is missed, al
the knight of the Golden Key stant
: victor As he rides for the last tin
down the field toward the Judges stand
his horse fecked with foam his ia
blazing beneath his broad brimmed hat
the people burst into wilder cheers, gin
wave their handkerchiefs boys tire
= their hats in the air, and all is confusio
GROWING THE QUEEN
l And now he reaches the platform a
, salutes the Judges. The crown is hui
l upon his lances end. Then slowly
D rides along the outskirts of the crow
r until he comes to carriage where sits t
I. lady whose colors he wears, and who
i face is now radiant with smiles for /
5 knights success Reaching her he d
e mounts and drops the crown at her fe
y thus choosing her Queen of Love a
: Beauty. while the acclamations of I
crowd attest their approval of his choi
d Meanwhile the knights who have won
e second and third places have receiv
It smaller crowns, and hasten likewise
a bcstow them upon their ladies, maxi
g them Maids Of Honor. -
:, And now for an hour is a pause, VIII
d the crowd breaks up into groups and
II cusses the riding and its results. As 4
growing toward evening many seize
opportunity to eat the lunches they ht
brought with them. or are carried OFF
N friends to sup in the ueighboring ia
Id houses.
10 At length the bugle call rings out OIL
N more and the crowd reassemble near
a stand. The Knight of the Golden N
I'd leads his lady upon the platform, WI
H. the "Knight Of Walnut Hill" and
+ Knight Of Warsaw" follow with I'll
m maios of honor They are met by
er Judges and by the most famous spea
ID of the country, who proceeds to make
:. long and towery oration, ending
il browning the ladies, amid the plaudit!
he the crowd.-R. w. Graves in Detroit
Press.
Finding the Real Man.
OIL Lava COOS the virtues that are of