Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 101: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Moor of Milan Lodovico and his lady, Beatrice, and their court. At one end a triple tent was hung with three shields, for the order of the fight was that three of Lodovico’s captains defied all who came against them. At the other end gathered those ready to venture, and heralds took their names and ranks. Each man might choose which shield his squire should strike, which captain he would chal- lenge and attack. When Silvain gave his name he asked which of the three was accounted the best knight. The heralds answered him that all were great champions. ‘“‘God be thanked,’ said he. ‘‘Go forward, brother, and strike upon each shield and all.”’ Then the marshals of the lists whispered together and the other knights who had come to the joust, flashing Italian soldiers of fortune, stared at him and one cried out— “Who are you, sir, that you should go first?” “Sir, I am a stranger and claim to go be- fore no man. But I crave leave to answer any man who hangs up his shield to fight.” The end of that was that others began the joust, and with ill fortune. For the three captains, Ercole of Mantua and Gottfried the Saxon and Basil of Rhodes, were nobly mounted and equipped, and, though none of them had the vigor of youth, they were heavy men and strong in the saddle and ready with all the devices of the tilt-yard. Man after man went down before their lances, and the only point they lost in a dozen courses was by chance, when a youth from Genoa on a wild horse broke his lance on Basil, though Basil missed him as he swerved The townspeople were cheering the three champions of Milan, the great folks under the canopy whispering and yawning, and the Lord Lodovico was heard to swear that there was no young blood in Italy, when Thibaut rode down the lists and made a lance-head chime on each of the three shields. Lodovico bent a dark brow to stare at him and sent to ask who his master might be, and the ladies tittered and called Mes- sire Thibaut a splendid scarecrow. “Like master, like man,” quoth Lodovico. ‘‘Here is some mad knight-errant.”’ ‘Then he is very welcome, my lord,” said the Lady Beatrice. ‘‘God have mercy, we need a madman in Milan. Here is nothing but cold sanity,” and she made believe to shiver. Oi Lodovico smiled at her. “Tam condemned. You live in romance, Lady, and I in this dull world. It is my misfortune.” A herald came to Lodovico and said that the challenger was a Frenchman, Silvain de St. Lo. “TI was in the right, Beatrice,’’ Lodovico laughed. “A madman it is—the knight- errant of Novara.” “That man! Look to me well, my lord, I lost my heart to him long ago. Oh, I pray that he will go down!” ‘What? Why should you want him beaten if you love him?” She laughed. “Oh man, man! I would have him de- feated that I might comfort him. And I know he would be divine in defeat.” But she was not to see Silvain beaten that day. WHEN he rode against Ercole, who was accounted the stronger of the —ims three champions, each man broke his first lance fairly with no advantage and at the second, Silvain, riding faster and com- ing forward sharply in the saddle at the shock, struck Ercole upon the helmet and hurled him down. Then Gottfried came out and tried to use Silvain’s own tactics against him, but rode so fast that his aim at Silvain’s head was wild and Silvain swayed from it, and the point missed while Gottfried crashed upon Silvain’s lance and was brought up with shattered shield and the lancehead in his arm. Basil, the knight from Rhodes, was cun- ning and in the first course swerved and crossed Silvain and struck him on the body, a foul stroke. The marshals spoke together, conferred with Lodovico and proclaimed that Basil was vanquished. Silvain de- manded a second course. Basil was sullen and yielded only when Lodovico sent to bid him win back his honor. He rode out like a beaten man. He was hurled from the saddle, bent and whirling. And Silvain turned his horse and came back to the heralds and bade them proclaim that Sir Silvain de St. Lo would ride a course against any knight who sought to win honor that day. Ercole, the vanquished Ercole, sent a herald to ask that Silvain would ride an- other course with him. It was against the rule and the marshals came to confer with Lodovico. micloool C© in