Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/232

219 NOW FOB THE OSDEALi. 219 liu^ads pomting: away from their adversaries, so when tJbe ^ag is fired they will have to "about face" before tBey caa proceed on thrar way to attack, which they ' may do as they see fit, a dead line being drawn on the soxth tmd south over which neither party is allowed to pass over on penalty of expulsion from the contest in ^iSigrace. The herald further proceeds by stating, fbsb after the horses are headed toward the other each paxtj must keep in a body and in line until within ahcnt 200 feet of their opponent, or where the flags are flying in the field, but from that point they may either proceed in a body or singly as they choose, and fche_ test was to see which troop could unhorse with his improvised lance the greatest number of tiie op- pa£4z>g party, and once a contestant's feet or foot toQcdied the ground, he was considered "hors de com- haft," and immediately must vacate the arena with his horse; and he further informed the men that the first attack must be done without any maneuvering, but directly in front, and when each passed the other they mast ride at once to the goal from whence their op- ponents came; in the meantime those who by the rules should leave the field were to immediately do so. - And now comes the ordeal, says the herald, for after those who are entitled to remain in the affray EEte again in line, a shot will be fired as a signal for a plil-mell, go-as-you-please rush at each other, and as ^ose who become unhorsed must desist from further partieiiJafcion, but the remainder to continue the tour- nament until there are none on the opposite side to attack. ^ The. Father then said in a solemn, warning manner, that this was a test of friendship, and not of