Among those who witnessed with wonder this singular strife were the noble knights Talanque and Maneli, the latter the son of Childadan, king of Ireland. These seeing Norandel so hard pressed by the Amazons, rushed to his aid, and. rained such blows upon the women as they would rain on fiends. Whereupon, down upon these knights like a lioness came Liota, sister of the queen, and drove them back; this to their great discomforture, and brought forth Calafia from their power, and placed her again among her own warriors. All day and until nearly night the battle raged, many falling dead on both sides; nor was the city captured. Close bolted were the gates, all save one, which was opened to admit the wounded and defeated Christians from without. Through this gate about a hundred pagan warriors forced their way, but were driven back. Then fell yet severer slaughter on them all, and more than two hundred of Calafia's women were slain. Finally the fighting ceased for the day, and the queen and her people returned to their ships. A council of war was held that night by the pagans, at which it was resolved to hurl defiance on the Christians in words following: "Radiaro, sultan of Liquia, defender of the law, destroyer of Christians, enemy of the enemies of the gods, and the very radiant and powerful queen Calafia, lady of the island California, where in great abundance gold and precious stones appear; these make known to you, Amadis of Gaul, and to you his son, Esplandian, knight of the Great Serpent, that we have come hither to destroy this city of Constantinople, and the enemies of our holy religion, thereby also to gain distinction in honorable war. Having heard of your chivalry and prowess in arms, we hereby offer you battle, if such be acceptable to you, person to person, in individual combat, all in the presence of the nations, the victors to be victors for all, and the vanquished to be vanquished for all. And if you accept not this challenge, then shall your glories leave you, and your fame become ours forever." To the council-chamber of the Christians this message was carried by one of the queen's maids of honor, a black and beautiful creature, richly attired and riding a fiery beast. The communication was courteously received, and to the messenger, King Amadis thus: "Lady, say to the sultan and to your queen that their proposal is accepted, and they shall choose the arms to be used, the field shall be this field, if so be it pleaseth them, divided in the middle, and the time the present." When the maid returned the queen questioned her closely. "How appeared these men to you; were they handsome, were they noble, were they brave? Who seemed to you the best, speak?" Very handsome and very brave and noble, O queen. And fairest of all was he whom they call Esplandian. O Calafia! he was the most beautiful man I ever saw, or ever will see again. So rare, so elegant, so grand, as if our own gods themselves had made him!" "My friend," replied the queen, "your words are too large; there are no such men." "Nay, queen, what I say is true; but the sight of him alone can properly speak his excellence." "Then that sight of him will I have ", said the queen. "I will not fight such a man until I have seen him, and talked with him." Returning to the city, the queen's messenger approached the council-chamber of the Christians and said: "King Amadis, the queen Calafia requests safe conduct hither on the morrow that she may see your son." Amadis smiled. "Women may be conquered by other weapons than swords," he said. Then to his companions, "How seems this matter to you?" "Let her come," they said, "we should like to see the most wonderful woman in the world". All night long Calafia sat thinking over the approaching interview, when her messenger reëntered and told her what the Christian lords had said. "How shall I appear, how array myself, how meet him?" These and like questions she asked herself many times. "Shall I go armed and accoutred? I am a warrior; aye, that were the best. But I am a woman, and men best like women in the habiliments of their sex." With the morn she rose and arrayed herself in costly robes, and crown adorned with jewels; and mounting her strange beast, likewise brilliantly adorned in trappings of gold and gems, she rode forth to the place appointed by the Christians to receive her. When her eyes fell on Esplandian, "Ah, gods!" she cried, as her hand sought her heart, "what being is this? Never have I seen one so fair". And as he gazed on her she felt his eyes sink into her soul, and her heart melt. She knew that she must go quickly away, or her warrior nature would turn to softness, and never more should she be able to lead armies. "Knight of the Great Serpent" she exclaimed, "I perceive in you two excellences, such as I have never beheld in any other man, comeliness and courage; you shall find in the field this day a worthy foe in the person of the valiant sultan of Liquia, while I shall have the honor to encounter the king your father. If from this battle we both come back alive, we will speak further together." Esplandian, though struck by her beauty, made no reply, because she seemed to him strange, and not like other women. In the battle which ensued, Esplandian and the sultan fought, and Calafia and Amadis, and so hard pressed by the queen of California was the Christian king, that when his horse fell upon him and pinned him down, his son Esplandian rushed to his rescue. All the while King Amadis put not forth his strength; perceiving which the queen exclaimed, "Amadis, how now? Do you disdain to fight me at your best?" "Queen, it is my part to protect women, not to destroy them." "What, then, am I a woman such as that?" So saying she took her sword in both her hands, and struck so strong a blow that the king's shield was cut in twain. He, escaping, disarmed her and bore her down. "Now yield ye my prisoner," cried King Amadis. "Aye" she answered "for naught else can I do." At that moment the sultan surrendered himself to Esplandian. The prisoners were sent by their captors as a present to the infanta, Leonorina, daughter of the Grecian emperor, and betrothed to Esplandian. The infanta received them graciously, healed their wounds, and arrayed them in fresh and costly garments, such as befitted their high station. Calafia was no less surprised at the beauty of Leonorina, than she had been previously captivated by Esplandian, on whom she now saw it was useless to set her heart. But as defeat had been her portion in this campaign, and the spoils of victory had been denied her, she thought she might at least take home with her a husband. And she was quite sure she preferred a Christian to an infidel; and the Christian religion she was ready to accept, for as the pagan gods had abandoned her in the hour of her need, so would she now abandon them. Calling, therefore, together the emperor and his lords, she thus addressed them. "Know all ye here present, that I am the queen of a great country, in which is an abundance of those things which all men hold in highest estimation, gold and precious stones. My lineage is of the proudest; my honor is without a stain. Fortune brought me to these shores, where I had thought to take many captives, but alas! I myself am captive. If by your great goodness I am now permitted to return to my own land, give me, I pray you, for husband, a good knight, a man of valor, and of lineage equal to my own, and I and my people shall become Christians, and he will reign over us.” Then the emperor, taking by the hand Talanque, of large and comely person, said: "Queen, this is my cousin, a king's son, and worthy of your high esteem." She said, "I am content." Then spake Maneli, brother of Talanque, and a knight of good parts: "Your sister, queen, Liota; I love her, and would have her for my wife, and I will go with her to her own land, there to remain forever." Then Calafia called to her Liota, and said, "Shall it be so, my sister?" And Liota answered, "Yes." INDEX ies, 8 Australasia: discovery, 373; vol- ACAPULCO: climate, 430; trade, Auguschuki, river and fisher- 652 re- Aleutian isles: Japan current, Amapala, port of Honduras, 353 Anglo-saxon race: extension of, Anian strait: imaginary geog- | BATTLESHIP, modern outfit, 2 Bering, Vitus, discovery of Alas- Bligh, William, adventures, 700- Bogotá: description, 425; cli- mate, 426; manufactures, 471 British Columbia: railways, 4; |