The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15

 had serious results had not Wamba, jes- | ter to Cedric, met the Jew with a shield | improvised from a cold ham which he
 had brought along by way of luncheon The crowd laughed as the Jew recoiled, | and Prince Johns advisers persuaded him | to let the matter go as a joke rather than try further to carry out his danger ous design of insulting Cedric. As Isaac and his daughter found a | place between the lists and the galleries. | the knights and nobles of Prince John S | train as well as the Prince himself were startled at the sight that they caught of the beauty of Rebecca. Her figure indeed
 might have compared with that of the
 proudest beauties of England and was shown to advantage by a sort of Eastern
 dress. The brilliancy of her eyes, the su-
 perb arch of her brows, her teeth white
 as pearls and her dense raven tresses all
 combined to make up a picture that caused Prince John to exclaim: By the scalp of Abraham Wonder Jewess must be the very model of that perfection
 whose charms drove frantic the wisest
 king that ever lived"
 When Prince John had taken his seat, the heralds made proclamation, and the trumpets sounded the onset. Five knights,
 chosen by lot, came charging against the five challengers; and such was the skill
 or the good luck of the latter that four
 went down before them, and the fifth knight parted fair with Brian de Bols- Guilbert, each breaking his spear on .he armor of his antagonist Three more sets of knights entered the lists In sue
 cession against the challengers, and though the success of the Templar and his companions was not so complete as in the first joust, the advantage remained decidedly with their side.
 There was now pause In the tour1a- | ment, uninterrupted except by the voices of the hera1ds crying: Love of ladesi | Splintering of lances Stand forth, gal | lant knights, fair eyes look upon your | deedsi"
 Then suddenly came a wild burst of | Saracenic music, and as 1t ceased a sin- | gle knight rode into the lists. His armor | was of steel, richly inlaid with gold, and he bore on his shield the device of q young oak tree pulled up by the roots, | with the single Spanish word, "Desdicha- do," signifying "'Disinherited' He was | mounted on gallant black horse, which
 he showed wonderful dexterity in manag- ing
 The knight rode straight mp to the tent of Bois-Guilbert and struck upon the Templar's shield with the sharp end of his lance so that it rang again, thus chal- lenging that champion, not to ordinary combat but to combat "a outrance,' or mortal battle. All were astounded by the hudacity of the dsnherited knight-as he chose to be called-and none more than the naughty Templar. The two knigh-s having taken their places at either eX- tremity of the lists, the trumpets sound ed, Vanishing from their positions with the speed of lightning, they met in the center of the lists with the shock of thunderbolt The lances burst into shiv- CTS to the very grasp, and each horse re- coiled on his launches But the consum- mate skill and address of the combatants enabled them to keep their saddles, and, having glared at each other for mo- tment with eyes that seemed to flash fire through the bars of their visors, each made his steed execute a demi-volte and returned to his former position at the extremities of the lists.
 In the second encounter, Bois-Gullbert struck his antagonist fair in the center of the shield with such force as to make him reel in the saddle and shiver the lance; but the Disinherited Knight, changing his aim in full career, struck the Tenplar on the visor of his helmet and the point of his lance kept hold of the bars Yet, even at this disadvantage, the Templar sustained his high reputa- tion and might not have been unhorsed had not the girths of his saddle burst. AS 1t was horse and rider came rolling down in the dust
 ] To extricate himself from his horse, to draw his sword and defy his antagonist was the work of a moment with Brian de s-Guilbert The Dsinherlted Knight also jumped to the ground and drew his sword. But the marshals spurred their horses between the knights and re- minded them that the rules of the tour ney did not permit this species Of com bat.
 r,og. r,,;Ibnrt u-oc adi1dpnd to have been vanished. He withdrew to his tent. where he remained for the rest of the day in an agony of despair shame and rage The victor backed his horse to the extremity of the lists and commanded a trumpet to sound a defiance to the other challengers.
 The gigantic Reginald Front t-de-Boeu clad in sable armor and bearing on his white shield the device of a black fulls
 head with the arrogant motto. Cave, Ad sun1t" was the first to take the field. Roth knights broke their lances fairly; but Front de Boeuf. who lost a stirrup in the encounter was adjudged to have had the worst of 1t.
 Philip of Malvoisin was unhelmeted by the stranger knight Ralph de Vipont came next He was unhorsed with such force that the blood gushed from his month and nose. De Grantmesnils steed becoming unmanageable so as to disturb his aim. the Disinherited Knight refused to take advantage of him and, raising his lance passed. the baron by without touching him. De Grantmesnil declined n second encounter and the Disinherted
 Knight was declared the victor amid the roaring applause of thousands and the braying of trumpets and proelaiming her aids
 When the victorious knight was
 brought before the Prince to receive from
 him the reward of his valor he refused
 to doff his casque, saying that he had all
 ready explained to the heralds that for
 the time being, he must remain unknown.
 A whisper arose among the train of the
 Prince. "Perhaps it is the King-per-
 haps it is Richard Occur de Lion him
 self,'
 John turned pale as death. and said
 hastily to those about him; "Waldemar
 de Bracy, brave knights and gentlemen.
 remember your promise and stand by
 me-"
 "There Is no danger" replied Walde
 mar Fitzurse. think you the gigantic
 limbs of your fathers son could be con
 tained in wonder armor? Richard is safe
 in an Austrian prison"