Spanish this became Cid; and
as the Cid, Rodrigo is best known, though he has still another title,
won in the following manner. In those days any knight who had suffered
wrong at the hands of another, could, with the king's consent, challenge
his enemy. Then, in the presence of the king and court, the two knights
would fight on horseback until one was killed or acknowledged himself
vanquished. The victor was deemed to have right on his side, and
judgment was given accordingly. Sometimes either party to the quarrel
was allowed to choose a substitute to fight for him. It was also the
custom when hostile armies met, for the boldest warrior to challenge one
of the enemy to come out and fight in single combat. Often, wars were
decided by such a contest between two or more knights chosen from each
army. By his wonderful success in many combats of this kind, Rodrigo won
the title of Campeador, or Champion, and came to be called the Cid
Campeador.

On his way to engage in one of these contests as a champion of the King
of Castile, Rodrigo met with a marvelous adventure. He and his knights
came upon a leper fallen into a ditch by the wayside, and calling upon
the passers-by for help. Now, none would heed his call for fear of the
terrible disease, with which the poor wayfarer was afflicted. But
Rodrigo dismounted, pulled the leper out of the ditch, and placing him
on Babieca, brought him to the inn where they were to lodge. Not another
knight would come near the outcast, so Rodrigo, out of pure kindness,
ate from the same dish with him, and afterwards had a bed prepared, in
which they two slept together.

In the middle of the night, a cold blast seemed to strike through
Rodrigo, and he waked and put out his hand to touch his bedfellow; but
the leper was gone. The Cid called aloud; none answered. While Rodrigo
was considering this strange thing, a man in white, shining garments
appeared, and asked softly,--

"Sleepest thou, Rodrigo?"

"Nay, I am awake; but who art thou who bearest about thee so bright a
light and so sweet a smell?"

"I am Saint Lazarus," answered the vision, "and would have thee know
that I am that leper to whom thou didst show such kindness for the love
of God. And for that deed, God bestows on thee this great boon,--that
when the blast thou didst feel but now shall come upon thee, thou mayest
undertake that on which thy heart is fixed, whether it be fighting or
other matters, and it shall go well with the