from his own casque and fastened them in. "Will you want a light sword
and battle-ax?"

"No," Cuthbert said, "my arms are pretty well used to those of the
men-at-arms. I could wield my father's sword, and that was a heavy
one."

The lightest of the earl's weapons were chosen, and it was agreed that
all was now ready for the conflict to-morrow.

In the morning there was a slight bustle in the camp.

The news that a fight was to take place between an English and a Brabant
page, by the permission of the kings of England and France, that their
majesties were to be present, and that all was to be conducted on
regular rules, caused a stir of excitement and novelty in the camp.

Nowhere is life duller than among a large body of men kept together for
any time under canvas, and the thought of a combat of this novel kind
excited general interest.

In a meadow at a short distance from the camp a body of King Richard's
men-at-arms marked off an oval space of about an acre. Upon one side of
this a tent was pitched for the kings, and a small tent was placed at
each end for the combatants. Round the inclosure the men-at-arms formed
the ring, and behind them a dense body of spectators gathered, a place
being set aside for nobles, and others of gentle blood.

At the hour fixed the kings of England and France arrived together. King
Richard was evidently in a state of high good humor, for he preferred