either side. For a moment, they drew rein and eyed each other in silence,
and then one, a great black mailed knight upon a black charger, cried out
something to the other which the boy could not catch. The other knight
made no response other than to rest his lance upon his thigh and with
lowered point, ride toward his ebon adversary. For a dozen paces their
great steeds trotted slowly toward one another, but presently the knights
urged them into full gallop, and when the two iron men on their iron
trapped chargers came together in the center of the glade, it was with all
the terrific impact of full charge.

The lance of the black knight smote full upon the linden shield of his
foeman, the staggering weight of the mighty black charger hurtled upon the
gray, who went down with his rider into the dust of the highway. The
momentum of the black carried him fifty paces beyond the fallen horseman
before his rider could rein him in, then the black knight turned to view
the havoc he had wrought. The gray horse was just staggering dizzily to
his feet, but his mailed rider lay quiet and still where he had fallen.

With raised visor, the black knight rode back to the side of his vanquished
foe. There was a cruel smile upon his lips as he leaned toward the
prostrate form. He spoke tauntingly, but there was no response, then he
prodded the fallen man with the point of his spear. Even this elicited no
movement. With a shrug of his iron clad shoulders, the black knight
wheeled and rode on down the road until he had disappeared from sight
within the gloomy shadows of the encircling forest.

The little boy was spell-bound. Naught like this had he ever seen or
dreamed.

"Some day thou shalt go and do likewise, my son," said the little old