The prancing animal reared, brought
one of his hoofs down upon the fallen lance with considerable force,
and sent a broken piece of it flying over the railing opposite the
grand stand, into the middle of a group of spectators standing there.
The flying fragment was dodged by those who saw it coming, but brought
up with a resounding thwack against the head of a colored man in the
second row, who stood watching the grand stand with an eager and
curious gaze. He rubbed his head ruefully, and made a good-natured
response to the chaffing of his neighbors, who, seeing no great harm
done, made witty and original remarks about the advantage of being
black upon occasions where one's skull was exposed to danger. Finding
that the blow had drawn blood, the young man took out a red bandana
handkerchief and tied it around his head, meantime letting his eye roam
over the faces in the grand stand, as though in search of some one that
he expected or hoped to find there.

The knights, having reached the end of the lists, now turned and rode
back in open order, with such skillful horsemanship as to evoke a storm
of applause from the spectators. The ladies in the grand stand waved
their handkerchiefs vigorously, and the men clapped their hands. The
beautiful girl seated by Warwick's side accidentally let a little
square of white lace-trimmed linen slip from her hand. It fluttered
lightly over the railing, and, buoyed up by the air, settled slowly
toward the lists. A young rider in the approaching rear rank saw the
handkerchief fall, and darting swiftly forward, caught it on the point
of his lance ere it touched the ground. He drew up his horse and made
a movement as though to extend the handkerchief toward the lady, who
was blushing profusely at the attention she had attracted by her
carelessness. The rider hesitated a moment, glanced interrogatively at
Warwick, and receiving a smile in return, tied the handkerchief around
the middle of his lance and quickly rejoined his comrades at the head
of the lists.

The young man with the bandage round his head, on the benches across
the lists, had forced his way to the front row and was leaning against
the railing. His restless eye was attracted by the falling
handkerchief, and his face, hitherto anxious, suddenly lit up with
animation.

"Yas, suh, yas, suh, it's her!" he muttered softly. "It's Miss Rena,
sho's you bawn. She looked lack a' angel befo', but now, up dere
'mongs' all de