IV. Now were the six combatants left alone in the lists, and each of
them knew now with whom he had to do battle. And they laced their
helmets, and put shield upon the arm, and laid lance in rest. And the
knights of my Cid advanced against the Infantes of Carrion, and they on
their part against the champions of the Campeador. Each bent down with
his face to the saddle-bow, and gave his horse the spur. And they met
all six with such a shock, that they who looked on expected to see them
all fall dead. Pero Bermudez and Ferrando Gonzalez encountered, and the
shield of Pero Bermudez was pierced, but the spear past through on one
side, and hurt him not, and brake in two places; and he sat firm in his
seat. One blow he received, but he gave another; he drove his lance
through Ferrando's shield, at his breast, so that nothing availed him.
Ferrando's breast-plate was threefold: two plates the spear went clean
through, and drove the third in before it, with the _velmes_ and the
shirt, into the breast, near his heart; ... and the girth and the
poitral of his horse burst, and he and the saddle went together over
the horse's heels, and the spear in him, and all thought him dead.
Howbeit Ferrando Gonzalez rose, and the blood began to run out of his
mouth, and Pero Bermudez drew his sword and went against him; but when
he saw the sword Tizona over him, before he received a blow from it, he
cried out that he confessed himself conquered, and that what Pero
Bermudez had said against him was true. And when Pero Bermudez heard
this he stood still, and the twelve true-men came up and heard his
confession, and pronounced him vanquished. This Ferrando did thinking
to save his life; but the wound which he had got was mortal.
V. Martin Antolinez and Diego Gonzalez brake their lances on each
other, and laid hand upon their swords. Martin Antolinez drew forth
Colada, the brightness of which flashed over the whole field, for it
was a marvellous sword; and in their strife he dealt him a back-handed
blow which sheared off the crown of his helmet, and cut away hood and
coif, and the hair of his head and the skin also: this stroke he dealt
him with the precious Colada. And Diego Gonzalez was sorely dismayed
therewith, and though he had his own sword in his hand he could not for
very fear make use of it, but he turned his horse and fled; and Martin
Antolinez went after him, and dealt him another with the flat part of
the sword, for he mist him with the edge, and the Infante began to cry
out aloud, Great God, help me and save me from that sword! And he rode
away as fast as he could, and Martin Antolinez called out after him,
Get out, Don Traitor! and drove him out of the lists, and remained
conqueror.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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