_Anne of Geierstein_, the Landamman's niece, a
mountain maiden, but of noble birth, the daughter of one of the best
families in Switzerland, and combining all the delicacy of a woman
with all the heroic spirit of a man. Her portrait will be found at
page 344, of the MIRROR.

The travellers spend some days at the Landamman's house. Arthur
becomes intimately acquainted with the sons of Arnold Biederman, joins
with them in their athletic sports, and gains no small reputation for
his activity and skill. A cousin of these young men is also
introduced, by name, Rudolph, of Donnerhugel, a youth of ambitious
temperament, and withal a passionate admirer of Anne of Geierstein.
Arthur and he, of course, are not disposed to regard each other with
much complacency, and at the commencement of their acquaintance a
challenge is exchanged between them; the combat is extremely well
described:

The sun was just about to kiss the top of the most
gigantic of that race of Titans, though the long shadows still lay on
the rough grass, which crisped under the young man's feet with a
strong intimation of frost. But Arthur looked not round on the
landscape however lovely, which lay waiting one flash from the orb of
day to start into brilliant existence. He drew the belt of his trusty
sword which he was in the act of fastening when he left the house, and
ere he had secured the buckle, he was many paces on his way towards
the place where he was to use it.

Having hastily traversed the fields and groves which separated the
Landamman's residence from the old castle of Geierstein, he entered
the court-yard from the side where the castle overlooked the land; and
nearly in the same instant his almost gigantic antagonist, who looked
yet more tall and burly by the pale morning light than he had seemed
the preceding evening, appeared ascending from the precarious bridge
beside the torrent, having reached Geierstein by a different route
from that pursued by the Englishman.

The young champion of Berne had hanging along his back one of those
huge two-handed swords, the blade of which measured five feet, and
which were wielded with both hands. These were almost universally used
by the Swiss; for, besides the impression which such weapons were
calculated to make upon the array of the German men-at-arms, whose
armour was impenetrable to lighter swords, they were also well
calculated to defend mountain passes, where the great bodily strength
and agility o