A Knight of the Cumberland [26]
``Shame!'' said the little sister and the Blight both at once so severely that the Hon. Sam quickly raised his hand.
``Hold on,'' he said, and with hand still uplifted he waited till Marston was mounted again. ``Now!''
The Discarded came on, using his spurs with every jump, the red of his horse's nostrils showing that far away, and he swept on, spearing off the rings with deadly accuracy and holding the three aloft, but having no need to pull in his panting steed, who stopped of his own accord. Up went a roar, but the Hon. Sam, covertly glancing at his watch, still smiled. That watch he pulled out when the Knight of the Cumberland started and he smiled still when he heard the black horse's swift, rhythmic beat and he looked up only when that knight, shouting to his horse, moved his lance up and down before coming to the last ring and, with a dare-devil yell, swept it from the wire.
``Tied--tied!'' was the shout; ``they've got to try it again! they've got to try it again!''
The Hon. Sam rose, with his watch in one hand and stilling the tumult with the other. Dead silence came at once.
``I fear me,'' he said, ``that the good knight, the Discarded, has failed to make the course in the time required by the laws of the tournament.'' Bedlam broke loose again and the Hon. Sam waited, still gesturing for silence.
``Summon the time-keeper!'' he said.
The time-keeper appeared from the middle of the field and nodded.
``Eight seconds!'' ``The Knight of the Cumberland wins,'' said the Hon. Sam.
The little sister, unconscious of her own sad face, nudged me to look at the Blight --there were tears in her eyes.
Before the grandstand the knights slowly drew up again. Marston's horse was so lame and tired that he dismounted and let a darky boy lead him under the shade of the trees. But he stood on foot among the other knights, his arms folded, worn out and vanquished, but taking his bitter medicine like a man. I thought the Blight's eyes looked pityingly upon him.
The Hon. Sam arose with a crown of laurel leaves in his hand:
``You have fairly and gallantly won, Sir Knight of the Cumberland, and it is now your right to claim and receive from the hands of the Queen of Love and Beauty the chaplet of honor which your skill has justly deserved. Advance, Sir Knight of the Cumberland, and dismount!''
The Knight of the Cumberland made no move nor sound.
``Get off yo' hoss, son,'' said the Hon. Sam kindly, ``and get down on yo' knees at the feet of them steps. This fair young Queen is a-goin' to put this chaplet on your shinin' brow. That horse'll stand.''
The Knight of the Cumberland, after a moment's hesitation, threw his leg over the saddle and came to the steps with a slouching gait and looking about him right and left. The Blight, blushing prettily, took the chaplet and went down the steps to meet him.
``Unmask!'' I shouted.
``Yes, son,'' said the Hon. Sam, ``take that rag off.''
Then Mollie's voice, clear and loud, startled the crowd. ``You better not, Dave Branham, fer if you do and this other gal puts that thing on you, you'll never--'' What penalty she was going to inflict, I don't know, for the Knight of the Cumberland, half kneeling, sprang suddenly to his feet and interrupted her. ``Wait a minute, will ye?'' he said almost fiercely, and at the sound of his voice Mollie rose to her feet and her face blanched.
``Lord God!'' she said almost in anguish, and then she dropped quickly to her seat again.
The Knight of the Cumberland had gone back to his horse as though to get something from his saddle. Like lightning he vaulted into the saddle, and as the black horse sprang toward the opening tore his mask from his face, turned in his stirrups, and brandished his spear with a yell of defiance, while a dozen voices shouted:
``The Wild Dog!'' Then was there an uproar.
``Goddle mighty!'' shouted the Hon. Sam. ``I didn't do it, I swear I didn't know it. He's tricked me--he's tricked me! Don't shoot--you might hit that hoss!''
There was no doubt about the Hon.