The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-20

My Lord Maxwell sat by the side of the
Lady Sybilla and held the truncheon,
the casting down of which was to part
the combatantS and end the fight. The
three knights on the southern or EARL
side were a singular contrast to their
opponents. Two of them, the earl and
his cousin Huge, were no more than
boys in years, though already old in
military exercises; the third, Allan
Fleming Of Cumbernauld, was a strong
horseman and excellent with his lance
though also slender Of body and more
distinguished for deXterity than for
power of arm. Yet he was destined to
lay a good lance in rest that day, and
come forth unshamed.
The Avondale party were, to the eye,
infinitely the stronger, that is, when
the knights only were considered. FOR
James Douglas was little less than
giant. His jolly person and frank man
ners seemed to fill all the field with
good humor, and from his station he
cried challenges to his cousin, the earl
and deftances to his brother Hugo, with
broad, rolling wit which endeared him
to the commons, with whom "Mickle
Lord jamie was a popular hero.
Bid our Hugh there rim hame for his
hippen cluots, lest he make of himself
shame" he cried; tbs not fair that
we should have to fight with babies
'Mayhap he WILDE as David to your
Goliath great gomeril, replied the earl
with equal good humor, seeing his
cousin Hugh blush and tumble uncom-
fortably at his arms.
Then. to the lad himself, he said:
Keep a light hand on your rein, a
good grip at the knee, and after the
nrst shoc!- we will ride round them
like swallows about so many bullocks.
The other two Avondale knights,
William Douglas and the Marshal de
Retz, were also large men, and the
latter, clothed in black armor, and with
the royal ermines of Brittany quar-
tered on his shield, looked stern and
commanding figure.
The squires were equally well match
ed. These fought on foot, armed &C
coTding to custom, With sword, ak and
dagger though Sholto would much
have preferred TO trust to his arrow
skill, even against the plate Of the
knights.
The trum9ets blew their warning
from the judges gallery. The SIX ep-
posing knights laid their lances in rest
The souireS leaned a little forward. as
if about TO run a race. Lord Maxwell
raised his truncheon. The trumDets
sounded again, and as their stirring
tarantara rang down The wide Strath of
Dee, the riders spurred their horses into
full career. It so CHANGED that as they
had stood James Of Avondale was op-
posite the earl, each being in the midst
as was their right as leaders. The mas
ter of Avondale opposed his brother
Hugh, and the Marshal de Retz couch
ed spear against young Allan Fleming,
and so they started to ride their course.
But, at the last moment, instead of rid
ing straight for his man, he threw it
in the manner of his country, straight
at the visor bars of the young earl Of
Douglas. The spear of /lmes of Avon
dale at the same time taking him fair
in the midst of his shield, the double
assault caused the young man to fall
heavily from his saddle, so that the
crash sounded duly over the field.
'Treachery! Treachery!-a foul, false
strokei a knave's device!" cried nine
tenths of those who were crowded
about the barriers. stop the fight Kill
the Frenchman!''
mot So cried Lord Maxwell, they
were to fight as best they could, and
they must fight it to the end
And, being decision not to be gain
said, the combat proceeded on very I'M
equal terms. Sholto, who had been
eagerly in the stretch to match himself
with the squire of James of AVondale
the young knight of the Bass, found
himself suddenly astride of his lord S
body and defending himself against
both the French ambassador and his
squire Ponthou, who had simultaneous
~ crossed over to the attack. For the
Marshal de RetZ, in complete defiance
if not Of the written rule of chivalry
at least against the spirit of gallantry
would have thrust the earl through
with his spear as he lay, crying. at the
same time, "a outrancel A outrance!"
to excuse the foulness of his deed
1t was lucky for himself that he did
not succeed, for undoubtedly the Doug
lases then on the field would have torn
him TO pieces for what they not un-
naturally considered his treachery. As
it was, there sounded out a mighty roar
of anger all about the barriers, and the
crowd pressed so fiercely and threaten
ingly that it was all the archers could
do to keep them within reasonable
bounds.
Saints mercy" shouted stout Ninian
Halliburton, ''let us get out of this