described:

The sun was just about to kiss the top of the most
gigantic of that race of Titans, though the long shadows still lay on
the rough grass, which crisped under the young man's feet with a
strong intimation of frost. But Arthur looked not round on the
landscape however lovely, which lay waiting one flash from the orb of
day to start into brilliant existence. He drew the belt of his trusty
sword which he was in the act of fastening when he left the house, and
ere he had secured the buckle, he was many paces on his way towards
the place where he was to use it.

Having hastily traversed the fields and groves which separated the
Landamman's residence from the old castle of Geierstein, he entered
the court-yard from the side where the castle overlooked the land; and
nearly in the same instant his almost gigantic antagonist, who looked
yet more tall and burly by the pale morning light than he had seemed
the preceding evening, appeared ascending from the precarious bridge
beside the torrent, having reached Geierstein by a different route
from that pursued by the Englishman.

The young champion of Berne had hanging along his back one of those
huge two-handed swords, the blade of which measured five feet, and
which were wielded with both hands. These were almost universally used
by the Swiss; for, besides the impression which such weapons were
calculated to make upon the array of the German men-at-arms, whose
armour was impenetrable to lighter swords, they were also well
calculated to defend mountain passes, where the great bodily strength
and agility of those who bore them, enabled the combatants, in spite
of their weight and length, to use them with much address and effect.