their courage, and she declared
that if a feast was held she would certainly be present at it.

[Illustration: 'THE GIANT WILL TROUBLE YOU NO MORE,' SAID GEIRALD]

And so she was; and when the feast was over she asked the king, her
guardian, if he would allow the two heroes who had killed the robbers
and slain the giant to fight a tourney the next day with one of her
pages. The king gladly gave his consent, and ordered the lists to be
made ready, never doubting that two great champions would be eager for
such a chance of adding to their fame. Little did he guess that
Geirald had done all he could to persuade Rosald to steal secretly out
of the castle during the night, 'for,' said he, 'I don't believe they
are pages at all, but well-proved knights, and how can we, so young
and untried, stand up against them?'

'The honour will be all the higher if we gain the day,' answered
Rosald; but Geirald would listen to nothing, and only declared that he
did not care about honour, and would rather be alive than have every
honour in the world heaped on him. Go he would, and as Rosald had
sworn to give him his company, he must come with him.

Rosald was much grieved when he heard these words, but he knew that it
was useless attempting to persuade Geirald, and turned his thoughts to
forming some plan to prevent this disgraceful flight. Suddenly his
face brightened. 'Let us change clothes,' he said, 'and _I_ will do
the fighting, while you shall get the glory. Nobody will ever know.'
And to this Geirald readily consented.

Whether Geirald was right or not in thinking that the so-called page
was really a well-proved knight, it is certain that Rosald's task was
a very hard one. Three times they came together with a crash which
made their horses reel; once Rosald knocked the helmet off his foe,
and received in return such a blow that he staggered in his saddle.
Shouts went up from the lookers-on, as first one and then the other
seemed gaining the victory; but at length Rosald planted his spear in
the armour which covered his adversary's breast and bore him steadily
backward. 'Unhorsed! unhorsed!' cried the people; and Rosald then
himself dismounted and helped his adversary to rise.

[Illustration: GEIRALD CLAIMS HIS REWARD AND THE QUEEN DEMANDS
ANOTHER TEST]

In the confusion that followed it was easy for Rosald to slip away
and return Geirald his proper clothes. And in these, torn and dusty
with the fight, Geirald answ