Page:Zawis and Kunigunde (1895).djvu/124

 The knight contestant seemed a man of large frame but apparently stiff of movement, and he bore on his helmet a spray of oak leaves. “Now, before the Lord, that is none other than my valiant friend and defender, Lord Boppo!” exclaimed Rudolph. “A braver knight never led his Teutonic brethren. Thrice he accompanied Otakar to Prussia”—but the callous rudeness of this allusion checked all further utterance in presence of the murdered Otakar’s widow. The old knight, for it was he indeed, settling himself for the charge lowered his lance almost to the level, and on the signal urged his great charger with a tremendous rush against his opponent. The latter held his shield straight across his person and the mighty onset drove his antagonist’s spear through shield and steel, and hurled the rider to the earth with the broken lance still imbedded in his body. The victor rode slowly from the ring, while the body of Seyfried was borne hastily away.

Two new knights answered the summons. These aspirants were both in the prime of life, and bore respectively the cognizance of Bernard von Walkersdorf and Zawis of Falkenstein. Steeds were reined up for the charge, lances couched, spurs plied, a desperate onset, a crash, and Von Wolkersdorf falls heavily from the saddle. He lies as dead. His neck is broken by the fall and the body is hastily removed. Rudolph himself claims the right to enter the list against the victor after the discomfiture of his esquire, and the claim is allowed. Again lances are set, a charge, a crash, and the Emperor falls, but un-