Thechampion，movingonwardamidthesewell-meanthints，ascendedtheplatformbytheslopingalleywhichledtoitfromthelists，and，totheastonishmentofallpresent，ridingstraightuptothecentralpavilion，struckwiththesharpendofhisspeartheshieldofBriandeBois-Guilbertuntilitrungagain。Allstoodastonishedathispresumption，butnonemorethantheredoubtedKnightwhomhehadthusdefiedtomortalcombat，andwho，littleexpectingsorudeachallenge，wasstandingcarelesslyatthedoorofthepavilion。
``Haveyouconfessedyourself，brother，’’saidtheTemplar，``andhaveyouheardmassthismorning，thatyouperilyourlifesofrankly?’’
``Iamfittertomeetdeaththanthouart，’’answeredtheDisinheritedKnight；forbythisnamethestrangerhadrecordedhimselfinthebooksofthetourney。
``Thentakeyourplaceinthelists，’’saidBois-Guilbert，``andlookyourlastuponthesun；forthisnightthoushaltsleepinparadise。’’
``Gramercyforthycourtesy，’’repliedtheDisinheritedKnight，``andtorequiteit，Iadvisetheetotakeafreshhorseandanewlance，forbymyhonouryouwillneedboth。’’
Havingexpressedhimselfthusconfidently，hereinedhishorsebackwarddowntheslopewhichhehadascended，andcompelledhiminthesamemannertomovebackwardthroughthelists，tillhereachedthenorthernextremity，whereheremainedstationary，inexpectationofhisantagonist。Thisfeatofhorsemanshipagainattractedtheapplauseofthemultitude。
Howeverincensedathisadversaryfortheprecautionswhichherecommended，BriandeBois-Guilbertdidnotneglecthisadvice；forhishonourwastoonearlyconcerned，topermithisneglectinganymeanswhichmightensurevictoryoverhispresumptuousopponent。Hechangedhishorseforaprovedandfreshoneofgreatstrengthandspirit。
Hechoseanewandatoughspear，lestthewoodoftheformermighthavebeenstrainedinthepreviousencountershehadsustained。Lastly，helaidasidehisshield，whichhadreceivedsomelittledamage，andreceivedanotherfromhissquires。Hisfirsthadonlybornethegeneraldeviceofhisrider，representingtwoknightsridingupononehorse，anemblemexpressiveoftheoriginalhumilityandpovertyoftheTemplars，qualitieswhichtheyhadsinceexchangedforthearroganceandwealththatfinallyoccasionedtheirsuppression。Bois-Guilbert’snewshieldborearaveninfullflight，holdinginitsclawsaskull，andbearingthemotto，_GareleCorbeau_。
Whenthetwochampionsstoodopposedtoeachotheratthetwoextremitiesofthelists，thepublicexpectationwasstrainedtothehighestpitch。FewauguredthepossibilitythattheencountercouldterminatewellfortheDisinheritedKnight，yethiscourageandgallantrysecuredthegeneralgoodwishesofthespectators。
Thetrumpetshadnosoonergiventhesignal，thanthechampionsvanishedfromtheirpostswiththespeedoflightning，andclosedinthecentreofthelistswiththeshockofathunderbolt。Thelancesburstintoshiversuptotheverygrasp，anditseemedatthemomentthatbothknightshadfallen，fortheshockhadmadeeachhorserecoilbackwardsuponitshaunches。Theaddressoftheridersrecoveredtheirsteedsbyuseofthebridleandspur；
andhavingglaredoneachotherforaninstantwitheyeswhichseemedtoflashfirethroughthebarsoftheirvisors，eachmadeademi-volte，and，retiringtotheextremityofthelists，receivedafreshlancefromtheattendants。
Aloudshoutfromthespectators，wavingofscarfsandhandkerchiefs，andgeneralacclamations，attestedtheinteresttakenbythespectatorsinthisencounter；themostequal，aswellasthebestperformed，whichhadgracedtheday。Butnosoonerhadtheknightsresumedtheirstation，thantheclamourofapplausewashushedintoasilence，sodeepandsodead，thatitseemedthemultitudewereafraideventobreathe。
Afewminutespausehavingbeenallowed，thatthecombatantsandtheirhorsesmightrecoverbreath，PrinceJohnwithhistruncheonsignedtothetrumpetstosoundtheonset。Thechampionsasecondtimesprungfromtheirstations，andclosedinthecentreofthelists，withthesamespeed，thesamedexterity，thesameviolence，butnotthesameequalfortuneasbefore。
Inthissecondencounter，theTemplaraimedatthecentreofhisantagonist’sshield，andstruckitsofairandforcibly，thathisspearwenttoshivers，andtheDisinheritedKnightreeledinhissaddle。
Ontheotherhand，thatchampionhad，inthebeginningofhiscareer，directedthepointofhislancetowardsBois-Guilbert’sshield，but，changinghisaimalmostinthemomentofencounter，headdressedittothehelmet，amarkmoredifficulttohit，butwhich，ifattained，renderedtheshockmoreirresistible。
FairandtruehehittheNormanonthevisor，wherehislance’spointkeptholdofthebars。
Yet，evenatthisdisadvantage，theTemplarsustainedhishighreputation；andhadnotthegirthsofhissaddleburst，hemightnothavebeenunhorsed。
Asitchanced，however，saddle，horse，andman，rolledonthegroundunderacloudofdust。
Toextricatehimselffromthestirrupsandfallensteed，wastotheTemplarscarcetheworkofamoment；
and，stungwithmadness，bothathisdisgraceandattheacclamationswithwhichitwashailedbythespectators，hedrewhisswordandwaveditindefianceofhisconqueror。TheDisinheritedKnightsprungfromhissteed，andalsounsheathedhissword。Themarshalsofthefield，however，spurredtheirhorsesbetweenthem，andremindedthem，thatthelawsofthetournamentdidnot，onthepresentoccasion，permitthisspeciesofencounter。
``Weshallmeetagain，Itrust，’’saidtheTemplar，castingaresentfulglanceathisantagonist；
``andwheretherearenonetoseparateus。’’
``Ifwedonot，’’saidtheDisinheritedKnight，``thefaultshallnotbemine。Onfootorhorseback，withspear，withaxe，orwithsword，Iamalikereadytoencounterthee。’’
Moreandangrierwordswouldhavebeenexchanged，butthemarshals，crossingtheirlancesbetwixtthem，compelledthemtoseparate。TheDisinheritedKnightreturnedtohisfirststation，andBois-Guilberttohistent，whereheremainedfortherestofthedayinanagonyofdespair。
Withoutalightingfromhishorse，theconquerorcalledforabowlofwine，andopeningthebeaver，orlowerpartofhishelmet，announcedthathequaffedit，``ToalltrueEnglishhearts，andtotheconfusionofforeigntyrants。’’Hethencommandedhistrumpettosoundadefiancetothechallengers，anddesiredaheraldtoannouncetothem，thatheshouldmakenoelection，butwaswillingtoencounterthemintheorderinwhichtheypleasedtoadvanceagainsthim。
ThegiganticFront-de-Buf，armedinsablearmour，wasthefirstwhotookthefield。Heboreonawhiteshieldablackbull’shead，halfdefacedbythenumerousencounterswhichhehadundergone，andbearingthearrogantmotto，_Cave，Adsum_。
OverthischampiontheDisinheritedKnightobtainedaslightbutdecisiveadvantage。BothKnightsbroketheirlancesfairly，butFront-de-Buf，wholostastirrupintheencounter，wasadjudgedtohavethedisadvantage。
Inthestranger’sthirdencounterwithSirPhilipMalvoisin，hewasequallysuccessful；strikingthatbaronsoforciblyonthecasque，thatthelacesofthehelmetbroke，andMalvoisin，onlysavedfromfallingbybeingunhelmeted，wasdeclaredvanquishedlikehiscompanions。
InhisfourthcombatwithDeGrantmesnil，theDisinheritedKnightshowedasmuchcourtesyashehadhithertoevincedcourageanddexterity。DeGrantmesnil’shorse，whichwasyoungandviolent，rearedandplungedinthecourseofthecareersoastodisturbtherider’saim，andthestranger，decliningtotaketheadvantagewhichthisaccidentaffordedhim，raisedhislance，andpassinghisantagonistwithouttouchinghim，wheeledhishorseandrodebackagaintohisownendofthelists，offeringhisantagonist，byaherald，thechanceofasecondencounter。ThisDeGrantmesnildeclined，avowinghimselfvanquishedasmuchbythecourtesyasbytheaddressofhisopponent。
RalphdeVipontsummedupthelistofthestranger’striumphs，beinghurledtothegroundwithsuchforce，thatthebloodgushedfromhisnoseandhismouth，andhewasbornesenselessfromthelists。
TheacclamationsofthousandsapplaudedtheunanimousawardofthePrinceandmarshals，announcingthatday’shonourstotheDisinheritedKnight。
CHAPTERIX