Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/242

227 BAOLB FBATHEUS A3 DIAMONDS. 227 ■was stichthat ifc was coneliidod to have six of the men who had taken no part in the tournament to entertain ^th an exhibition of swordsmanship. These three pairs are pitted against each other, Coronado, Alonso and Jaramillo acting as judges. Th6 plan oif action is tot the men to begin at the. same time, thej:e being a judge to keep the liumber of points madp by cither of the contestants; then at a given'signal all are to cease, when the judges are to compare notes and announce the two men having the highest number of marks pitted against each other. The preliminary bout is oyer and our two fencers are doing their best to dis- play their pro|fi,ciency with the foils (single sticks), and both being experts, it causes considerable interest among their, countrymen, if not the natives. The terms "carte," "thrust," "carte over the arm," "low -carte," fiancomade or cotade," "tierce," "primie," "quinte," "half circle," "feints, "etc.* are some of the names for the various plays, but which might just as well be in the Indian lajiguage, for not the slightest conception is there of the meaning of these technical tertas. They were taken from a book on "The Noble Art of Fencing." The soldiers knew the two men to be very proficient and were as excited as are the Philippines during a cock-fight. Atlhe close of the day's festivities Chief Tatar- rax presented Alonso with a beautiful headgear made principally from eagle feathers. This was the very highest compliment he cpuld pay the young man, as it was the sign of their tribe, and more especially, as eagle feathers were as rare and costly as jewels are to the people at this day and age. And thus ended the first day.