An outburst of shouts and acclamations greeted this feat of arms, but without pausing to recover breath the two champions wheeled and, sword in hand, rode to continue the encounter.
Sparks flashed as steel met steel. It was mainly cut and parry, though now and again a lightning-like thrust was given and smartly caught upon the shield of the opponent.
At length, from sheer exhaustion, both knights began to relax their efforts, while the crowds, unmindful of the presence of the Lord of Malevereux in their excitement, shouted encouragement and applause. Several of the spectators on the daïs begged Sir Yves to throw down his warder and declare the combat a drawn one, but grimly the Tyrant refused.
"They have a private quarrel, methinks; therefore à l'outrance, let it be."
But Sir Yves was to be disappointed. With their shields riven asunder the knights continued the fight, till the sword of one was broken close to the hilt. Instantly he grasped his mace, and, with all his energy thrown into the stroke, dashed his opponent's weapon from his grasp.
The latter instantly seized his mace, but on urging their steeds up to the barrier to renew the encounter neither warrior could put forward sufficient strength to raise his ponderous weapon. There they sat, their eyes flashing behind their visors in speechless rage, till at a signal from Sir Yves their squires ran in and led them back to their respective tents.
The next bout was betwixt two knights armed with blunted lances. In the encounter their weapons proved more dangerous than the naked steel; one of the combatants caught his opponent fairly on the gorget, while the latter's weapon glanced harmlessly from the former's shield. Wedged in betwixt the high-peaked tilting saddle, the knight of the slippery lance was bent backwards till he fell sideways from the saddle, crippled for life.
Then two champions armed with battle-axes took their places, the intervening barrier in this instance being removed. Both were short, broad-shouldered men of immense strength, and each was actuated by a desire to advance the claims of his lady, since a saffron-coloured glove adorned their casques. In this encounter it seemed as if the result would be similar to the first, for neither gained any great advantage, although they fought vigorously for a considerable time.
At length one of the two champions tripped and fell, his opponent immediately standing over him with his miserecorde at the bars of his visor. Once more Sir Yves' warder descended, and the vanquished knight was assisted to his feet by his lacqueys and taken off the field, while the victor, proud of his achievement, and in the knowledge that he was the richer by a suit of brazen armour—for by the rules of the tournament the harness of the conquered became the property of the conqueror—stalked slowly round the field with open visor that all might see and acclaim him.
For the space of over three hours the tourney continued, not without much shedding of blood, till there remained only one who had not as yet engaged in the contest.