and several nobles who had attempted to oppose his band had been
defeated and slain by him. He was known to be English, but his name
was a mystery; and the Black Prince and his knights had long wished to
encounter a man who was a disgrace alike to chivalry and the English
name. When, therefore, Walter saw his banner in the king's division
he urged his horse towards it, and, followed by Ralph and some thirty
men-at-arms, hewed his way through the crowd until he was close to the
banner.

A knight in gray armour spurred forward to meet him, and a desperate
conflict took place.

Never had Walter crossed swords with a stouter adversary, and his
opponent fought with as much vehemence and fury as if the sight of
Walter's banner, which Ralph carried behind him, had aroused in him a
frenzy of rage and hate. In guarding his head from one of his opponent's
sweeping blows Walter's sword shivered at the hilt; but before the Gray
Knight could repeat the blow Walter snatched his heavy battle-axe
from his saddle. The knight reined back his horse for an instant,
and imitated his example, and with these heavy weapons the fight was
renewed. The Knight of the Raven had lost by the change, for Walter's
great strength stood him in good stead, and presently with a tremendous
blow he beat down his opponent's axe and cleft through his helmet almost
to the chin.

The knight fell dead from his horse, and Walter, with his band pressing
on, carried confusion into the ranks of his followers. When these had
been defeated Walter rode back with Ralph to the spot where the Knight
of the Raven had fallen.

"Take off his helmet, Ralph. Let me see his face. Methinks I recognized
his voice, and he fought as if he knew and hated me."

Ralph removed the helmet.

"It is as I thought," Walter said; "it is Sir James Carnegie, a recreant
and villain knight and foul enemy of mine, a disgrace to his name and
rank, but a brave man. So long as he lived I could never say that my
life was safe from his machinations. Thank God, there is an end of him
and his evil doings!"

Walter was twice wounded in the fight, but upon neither occasion
seriously, and he was soon able to take part in the tournaments and
games which the Prince of Wales instituted partly to keep his men
employed, partly for the amusement of the citizens of Burgos, outside
whose walls his army lay encamped.

The prince was now obliged to remind the king of his promise to pay his
troops; but not