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

Much relieved, the Regent said some complimentary words to the knight and reminded him that 1t now became his privilege to choose a queen of love and beauty. who should preside over the tour nament of the succeeding day. Riding around the lists the knight drew rein op- posite the gallery where sat the Lady Rowena, and with the point of his lance deposited at her feet the golden circlet which Prince John had handed him.
 In the second days tournament at which Rowena occupied a throne oppo- site that of Prince John. from which she awarded the prizes, the principal event was the melee" in which fifty knights fought on side. The combat was long and bloody; and in it, as in the jousts of the preceding day, the Disinherited Knight performed prodigies of valor.
 When the combat was drawing to a close and the lists were strewn with fal- len horses, broken armor and wounded knights, the Disinherted and Brian de Bois-Guilbert met hand to hand in such a desperate battle as had seldom been seen in any tournament, each fighting with his sword. seemingly determined to have the others life.
 Just as the Disinherited was getting the better of the struggle the huge form of Front-de-B Boeuf bore down on him on one side, and on the other came charg ing the great bulk of Athelstane, who much to the disgust of Cedric. had put on armor that day and joined himself to the side of the Norman challengers. It would have gone hard with the Disinher- ited had not unlooked-for assistance come suddenly to his rescue.
 There had fought on his side that day a knight of powerful build and great strength. who, because he was clad in black armor and had exerted himself but little, had been called by the people "Le Noir Faineant''-the black sluggard This knight now came charging to the reliet of the Dislnherted and sent Front-de- I3oeuf and his steed rolling on the ground with one blow of his great sword. Then turning upon Athelstane he wrenched tine Saxons battle axe from his hand-his own having been broken by the blow ne gave Front-de- Boeuf-and sent the un- ready descendant of Alfred to keep com pany with the Norman. The Black Knight then returned to the northern ex- tremity of the lists, while the Disinher- ited unhorsed the Templar, and holding his sword to his throat, commanded hlm to yield himself or die Just then Prince John threw down his truncheon and de- c1ared the tournament closed,
 The Prince was desirous of awarding the palm to the Black Knight, but when search was made for him he was mo- where to be found, so, perforce, the Ro- gent declared the Dsnherited victor. He was led to the foot of the Lady Rowenas throne to receive his cnaplet of honor. But as he knelt before her he Tell Tor ward faintng.
 His helmet and breatplate were removed hurriedly and Rowena saw lying at her feet bathed h the blood which was How ing from a lance wound in his side, her lover, Wilfred of Iyanhoe. His squire, who was none other than the faithful Curtin bore the wounded victor to his tent. but later, when Rowena sent mes sengers to inquire concerning his condi- tion he had vanished, no one knew whittier As matter of fact he had been taken to a house near Ashby occupied fy Isaac of York, where Rebecca, who was skilled in surgery, set about curing hlrn of his wounds It had been Isaac wno, out of gratitude for the warning Ivanhoe had given him at Rotherwood, had sup piled him with horse and armor for the tournament.
 Two days later as Cedric was pursuing his homeward way, he came upon Isaac and his daughter standing in a forest glade beside a horse-litter from which the horses had been removed by their at tendants, who had abandoned them upon the appearance of some banditti lurking in the woods. Cedric grudgingly gave permission for Isaac and his daughter, together with a wounded friend whom they had in the litter, to join his train. But they had not proceeded far when