The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-27

4 D.
| force of arms, for tomorrow my father
holds great tournament. Many great
princes are to enter the lists and my
| hand is to be the reward of the victor =
The prince was enraptured. Then sud
denly his heart froze. This impending
| tournament! Already, as he looked he
saw the level space by the palace on the
banks of the Tagus begin to be active
with the preparations for the morrow S
tournament. Across the plain swept many
proud knights and great princes, followed
by their glittering trains, making their
way to Toledo. with blare of trumpets
and sounding of kettle drums. Steeds
pranced. armor shone and pumed crests
glanced In the bright air above the sheen
of spears and the flash of steel.
And poor Ahmed reared in seclusion,
knew not the noble science of arms and,
II he lad known 1t, had neither horse nor
arinor to take his part with that gorgeous
assembly. He began to lament his fate
when the owl interrupted him: wall not,
oh, prince. Know that in these mountains
are many secret caves, and many magic
secrets are locked up in them In these
| HiouutdhAS lbCiC 10 O. cave, anu III thdt
cave is an iron table On that iron table
lies suit of the finest armor. magic and
spellbound. Against the table reclines a
spear enchanted like the armor. Near to
the table stands a steed, also enchanted
and spelibound. These have been shut up
there for many generations-in fact. ever
since Toledo was captured by the Chris
tians. This armor, this spear and this
horse were left there under spell by a
fell. never to be used except by Moslem,
ard by him only from sunrise to mid
day. But in that interval whatsoever uses
them will overthrow every opponent"
Enough cried Ahmed, '1et us seek
this cave
The nextsmorning upon the vega. or
plain, below the cliff built walls of zTole-
do the chivslry of Spain came forth 10
do battle for the hand of the most beauti-
full princess in the world. Around the
lists were built stages and galleries fer
the spectators of various ranks, covered
by awnings and hung with rich tapes
tries. All the beauties of the kingdom
were assembled in those galleries. but all
the beauties OF the land seemed plain be-
fore the marvellous beauty of the PrIn-
cess Aldegonda, who had been brought
forth from her retirement to grace the
tourney. She sat on a chair of state, sur
rounded by her maidens and decked with
the utmost magnificence. Below her
pranced upon their chargers the princes
w.lo were to contend in the tournament
for mono but those of -princely rank. the
heralds made proclamation. were to be
allowed to break a lance within those
splendid lists.
The Princess, however, wore troubled
look. She saw the flower of royal chiv-
airy ready to do combat for her hand, but
it seemed 10 afford her no satisfaction,
for among those assembled she saw not the
unknown stranger to whom she had
given her heart. She heard the herald an
nounce them all. but not the name she
longed to hear-the name of Ahmed
Prince of Granada, which, the dove and
the parrot had told her, was the name of
her Pilgrim of Love. The trumpeters
were about sounding the charge when a
strange knight rode into the field a
tCoO
above HIS head, his cuirass was embossed
with gold: his cifneter and dagger were
of the workmanship of Fay and famed
with precious stones. A round shield was
at his shoulder and in his hand ne bore
the charmed lance. The caparisons OF
his proud charger were richly embroid-
cred and swept the ground. while. the
fiery animal pranced and snuffed the air,
neighing with joy at once more being per-
mitted to take part in deeds of arms.
The lofty and graceful bearing of the
rider struck every eye. and when he an
nounced himself. in response to the in
quiries of the masters of the lists, as the
Pilgrim of Love, many a gentle breast
heaved sigh and many gentle heart
was futtered in that bright throng of fe--
male loneliness which graced the gall
leries of the lists Only. princes, he was
told, were admitted to the combat.
Ahmed--for of course 1t was he-an-
nounced his name and rank. The cheeks
of Aldegonda flushed and her eyes spark
led. At last! But it was decided that
none but a Christian prince might COM
pete for the hand of the daughter Of a
Christian king, and the other princes sur
rounded Ahmed with naughty and men-
acing gestures. One prince. huge of
stature and insolent of speech, sneered
at the pretensions of the slight youth to
do combat with men Injured to the exer-
else of arms. Ahmed turned his stced
and, taking distance. challenged the her
culean, knight to come on. They. charged,
and at the first touch of the magic lance
the scofring giant lay PROSTATE in the
dust! .a-..,sss
Here Ahmed would have paused. But
he was mounted on a demonic steed,
which for centuries had not been out Of
the stable and felt the need of exercise
The lust of combat was awakened in the
charger, and Ahmed was powerless to
control him. All that he could do was to
try and keep his lance aimed true while
the enchanted charged, rushed pell-mell
about the field, strewing it with every
one who dared oppose. The princes were
one by one ENDORSED; the knights who
| came to the rescue were likewise thrown
down; the troops ordered out to stop the
fierce career of the magic horse were dis
>ersed. High or low, it made no differ.
ence, any one who dared oppose the
career OF that enchanted horse or en-
counter the touch of the magic lance
down they went. The King stormed and
ragged, and finally, when his own guards
had been overthrow by Ahmed, himself
threw off his kingly robes. put on his
armor in haste and rode to do battle with
the disturbed Of the peace. Ahmed