A proud moment for me?I should think so.Yonder was Arthur,King of Britain;yonder was Guenever;yes,and whole tribes of little provincial kings and kinglets;and in the tented camp yonder,renowned knights from many lands;and likewise the selectest body known to chivalry,the Knights of the Table Round,the most illustrious in Christendom;and biggest fact of all,the very sun of their shining system was yonder couching his lance,the focal point of forty thousand adoring eyes;and all by myself,here was I laying for him.Across my mind flitted the dear image of a certain hello-girl of West Hartford,and I wished she could see me now.In that moment,down came the Invincible,with the rush of a whirlwind --the courtly world rose to its feet and bent forward --the fateful coils went circling through the air,and before you could wink I was towing Sir Launcelot across the field on his back,and kissing my hand to the storm of waving kerchiefs and the thunder-crash of applause that greeted me!
Said I to myself,as I coiled my lariat and hung it on my saddle-horn,and sat there drunk with glory,"The victory is perfect --no other will venture against me --knight-errantry is dead."Now imagine my astonishment --and everybody else's,too --to hear the peculiar bugle-call which announces that another competitor is about to enter the lists!There was a mystery here;I couldn't account for this thing.Next,I noticed Merlin gliding away from me;and then I noticed that my lasso was gone!The old sleight-of-hand expert had stolen it,sure,and slipped it under his robe.
The bugle blew again.I looked,and down came Sagramor riding again,with his dust brushed off and is veil nicely re-arranged.I trotted up to meet him,and pretended to find him by the sound of his horse's hoofs.
He said:
"Thou'rt quick of ear,but it will not save thee from this!"and he touched the hilt of his great sword ."An ye are not able to see it,because of the influence of the veil,know that it is no cumbrous lance,but a sword --and I ween ye will not be able to avoid it."His visor was up;there was death in his smile.I should never be able to dodge his sword,that was plain.Somebody was going to die this time.
If he got the drop on me,I could name the corpse.We rode forward together,and saluted the royalties.This time the king was disturbed.He said:
"Where is thy strange weapon?"
"It is stolen,sire."
"Hast another at hand?"
"No,sire,I brought only the one."
Then Merlin mixed in:
"He brought but the one because there was but the one to bring.There exists none other but that one.It belongeth to the king of the Demons of the Sea.This man is a pretender,and ignorant,else he had known that that weapon can be used in but eight bouts only,and then it vanisheth away to its home under the sea.""Then is he weaponless,"said the king."Sir Sagramore,ye will grant him leave to borrow.""And I will lend!"said Sir Launcelot,limping up."He is as brave a knight of his hands as any that be on live,and he shall have mine."He put his hand on his sword to draw it,but Sir Sagramor said:
"Stay,it may not be.He shall fight with his own weapons;it was his privilege to choose them and bring them.If he has erred,on his head be it.""Knight!"said the king."Thou'rt overwrought with passion;it disorders thy mind.Wouldst kill a naked man?""An he do it,he shall answer it to me,"said Sir Launcelot.
"I will answer it to any he that desireth!"retorted Sir Sagramor hotly.
Merlin broke in,rubbing his hands and smiling his lowdownest smile of malicious gratification:
