II.—­The Disinherited Knight

The Passage of Arms, as it was called, which was to take place at Ashby, attracted universal attention, as champions of the first renown were to take the field in the presence of Prince John himself.

The laws of the tournament, proclaimed by the heralds, were briefly: 

First, the five challengers were to undertake all comers.

Secondly, the general tournament in which all knights present might take part; and being divided into two bands of equal numbers, might fight it out manfully, until the signal was given by Prince John to cease the combat.

The challengers, headed by Brian de Bois-Guilbert, were all Normans, and Cedric saw, with keen feeling of dissatisfaction, the advantage they gained.  No less than four parties of knights had gone down before the challengers, and Prince John began to talk about adjudging the prize to Bois-Guilbert, who had, with a single spear, overthrown two knights, and foiled a third.

But a new champion had entered the lists.  His suit of armour was of steel, and the device on his shield was a young oak-tree pulled up by the roots, with the Spanish word Desdichado, signifying Disinherited.  To the astonishment of all present he struck with the sharp end of his spear the shield of Brian de Bois-Guilbert until it rang again.  Amazed at his presumption was the redoubted knight, whom he had thus defied to mortal combat.

“Have you confessed yourself, brother,” said the Templar, “that you peril your life so frankly?”

“I am fitter to meet death than thou art,” answered the Disinherited Knight.

“Then look your last upon the sun,” said Bois-Guilbert; “for this night thou shalt sleep in paradise.”

The champions closed in the centre of the lists with the shock of a thunderbolt.  The Templar aimed at the centre of his antagonist’s shield, and struck it so fair that his spear went to shivers, and the Disinherited Knight reeled in his saddle.  On the other hand, that champion addressed his lance to his antagonist’s helmet, and hit the Norman on the visor, where his lance’s point kept hold of the bars.  The girths of the Templar’s saddle burst, and saddle, horse, and man rolled on the ground under a cloud of dust.

To extricate himself from the stirrups and fallen steed, was to the Templar scarce the work of a moment; and stung with madness, he drew his sword, and waved it in defiance of his conqueror.  The Disinherited Knight sprung from his steed, and also unsheathed his sword.  The marshals of the field, however, intervened, for the laws of the tournament did not permit this species of encounter, and Bois-Guilbert returned to his tent in an agony of rage and despair.

The Disinherited Knight then sounded a defiance to each of the challengers, and the four Normans each in his turn retired discomfited.

The acclamations of thousands applauded the unanimous award of the Prince and marshals, announcing that day’s honours to the Disinherited Knight.