he general tournament was proclaimed, and
about fifty knights were ready upon each side, the Disinherited Knight
leading one body, and Brian de Bois-Guilbert the other.

Prince John escorted Rowena to the seat of honour opposite his own,
while the fairest ladies present crowded after her to obtain places as
near as possible to their temporary sovereign.

It was not until the field became thin by the numbers on either side who
had yielded themselves vanquished that the Templar and the Disinherited
Knight at length encountered hand to hand, with all the fury that mortal
animosity and rivalry of honour could inspire. Bois-Guilbert, however,
was soon joined by two more knights, the gigantic Front-de-Boeuf, and
the ponderous Athelstane, who, though a Saxon, had enlisted under the
Norman--to Cedric's disgust. The masterly horsemanship of the
Disinherited Knight enabled him for a few minutes to keep at sword's
point his three antagonists, but it was evident that he must at last be
overpowered.

An unexpected incident changed the fortune of the day. Among the ranks
of the Disinherited Knight was a champion in black armour, who bore on
his shield no device of any kind, and who, beyond beating off with
seeming ease those who attacked him, evinced little interest in the
combat.

On discovering the leader of his party so hard beset, this knight threw
aside his apathy and came to his assistance like a thunderbolt,
exclaiming in trumpet tones, "_Desdichado_, to the rescue!" It was high
time; for, while the Disinherited Knight was pressing upon the Templar,
Front-de-Boeuf had got nigh to him with his uplifted sword; but ere the
blow could descend, the Black Knight dealt a blow on the head--and
Front-de-Boeuf rolled to the ground, both horse and man equally stunned.
The Black Knight then turned upon Athelstane, wrenched from the hand of
the bulky Saxon the battle-axe which he wielded, and bestowed him such a
blow on the crest that Athelstane also lay senseless on the field.
Having achieved this double feat he retired calmly to the extremity of
the lists, leaving his leader to cope as best he could with Brian de
Bois-Guilbert. This was no longer matter of so much difficulty. The
Templar's horse had bled much, and gave way under the shock of the
Disinherited Knight's charge. Brian de Bois-Guilbert rolled on the
field, and his antagonist, springing from horseback, waved his fatal
sword over the Templar's head, and commanded him to yie