enged.

The two knights now took their places, and the trumpets again rang out
the signal for the contest.

Both horses dashed forward as though they had been connected, in some
invisible way, with the voice of the trumpets.

Sir Thomas aimed straight at Harleston's visor; evidently for the
double purpose of exhibiting his skill and administering a severe blow
to his opponent.

Sir Frederick, to my great surprise, seemed aiming more at his
adversary's horse than at the rider. I could not believe that he did
intend committing such a breach of the rules of chivalry; and yet it
was clear his point was not directed to the rider.

A heavy blow;--a clatter;--and a cloud of dust, and my friend rides
bravely on, waving on high a lance without a point; and here, racing
madly towards the northern end, doth come Sir Thomas's steed, without
its rider or its saddle.

Harleston had, at the last moment, swung his head to the one side,
avoiding the other's point; thus he had escaped unharmed.

But how did Sir Thomas's horse come to be without a saddle as well as
riderless?

It happened thus, as my friend told me, when, amidst great cheering, he
rode back to where I sat waving my lance and cheering with the others.
He had aimed, not at his adversary's horse, as had appeared, but at
that part of his saddle where the lance doth lie in rest. This mark he
did hit fairly, and the fury of the onset, aided by the heavy spear,
caused his opponent's saddle girths to break; and thus Sir Thomas was
ignominiously unhorsed, and his gay trappings heaped upon him.

It was a dangerous game to play; for had Harleston so much as
scratched, with his lance, his adversary's steed, he had then been
disgraced.

Harleston was satisfied with the punishment he had administered in
return for the other's boasting, and did not further molest the fallen
knight. And indeed there had been but little honour in pressing his
victory to a completer stage; for 'twas with great difficulty that Sir
Thomas's grooms were able to lift up their bulky master and assist him
from the field.

I now rode forth again, and, stopping in the centre of the lists, I
opened my visor and, standing up in my stirrups, I called out at the
full power of my speech:--

"Know, all true knights here assembled to take part in this noble
joust, that I, Walter Bradley, hereby challenge any true knight among
ye, which doth desire so to do, to break a lance, with or without a
point, a