Dropping his lance, Edgar drew his sword and, as Guilbert came within reach and aimed a blow at him, turned his horse and avoided the stroke by a hairbreadth. The axe, meeting no resistance, swung down nearly to the ground, drawing Guilbert downward with it. Simultaneously Edgar turned in his saddle, and, reaching out, smote his adversary so shrewdly on the wrist that he was compelled to drop his axe. Ere he could draw his sword with his left hand--for his right was bruised and almost useless--Edgar had twice gently smitten him upon headpiece and breastplate, and, acknowledging defeat, Guilbert rode sullenly out of the conflict. Another man on either side had by this time fallen, and of the fourteen men who had entered upon the mêlée only two English and two Gascons remained. Arthur Pomeroy was the second survivor of the English esquires, and in spite of the exertions he had made, was still in good fighting trim. Edgar had not received a scratch, and was virtually as fresh as when he started. The two Gascons, on the other hand, were both bleeding, and one appeared to be scarce fit to continue the combat. "Come now, Edgar," cried Arthur exultingly, "one more charge and the battle is ours. St. George for England! On! on!" Side by side the two esquires rode down upon their adversaries, who, wounded as they were, made ready to meet them right gallantly. Suddenly the earl raised his hand. "Desist, desist!" he cried. At a signal from the marshals the trumpets again blared, and all knew that the conflict was at an end. Cheering and counter-cheering had been well-nigh continuous all the time the stirring encounter had been proceeding, but at the signal for the cessation of hostilities the burst of sound threatened to rend the skies. For some minutes it continued unabated, and it was not until the earl stood up as though about to speak that the volume of sound died gradually away. "Ye have all done right well," cried the earl warmly, "and I have no wish that ye should push matters to extremities in your friendly rivalries. Ye started equal and ye have finished equal; right nobly doth the result speak for the valour of both wings of our army. I hail it as the happiest augury for the campaign that lies before us." Loud and hearty cheers greeted his words. His politic intervention had relaxed the tension between the English and Gascon spectators, and, with the honour of both well saved, they could cheer the well-fought fight without bitterness and without stint. "Let the victors approach," commanded the earl, and the four esquires cantered to the stand and dismounted. Pages assisted them to unhelm, and they were led forward by the marshal up the steps to the platform where the earl stood. It was remarked by all those near enough to observe that while the faces of the two Gascon esquires were pale and blood-streaked, and Pomeroy’s was flushed with exertion, Edgar’s showed no sign of the conflict whatever.