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The Big Contest
When Roland, Shelby and their father
arrives at the village green, Mr. Nottingham, the mail-maker, was
setting up a quintain.
The quintain was invented so knights
could practice jousting. This quintain looked like the top half of a
knight. It had an old breastplate and helmet attached. There was a
shield in one arm and a big sandbag on the end of the other. The
half-knight was mounted on a pole and could swing around.
"Do you know 'ow it works?" asked Mr.
Nottingham. He was yawning because he has worked all through the night
to build it. "You must charge toward it fast--yaaawn, excuse
me--with a lance and 'it the shield.
"This is called 'tilting the quintain'--yaaawn,
excuse me again. The quintain will swing around. If you don't get away
quickly enough, you'll be 'it 'ard by the 'eavy sandbag."
Mr. Wright took over.
"Normally you would tilt the quintain on
a horse, but I've asked Mr. Nottingham to make it low so you boys can
run at it. He's also brought you each a lance. But first I want you to
sprint to the far hedge and then return . . . go now!"
Roland wasn't expecting a footrace with
so little warning. Shelby made a much quicker start and his long and
strong legs carried him speedily. But Roland pumped his shorter legs a
quickly as he could, and by the time they arrived at the hedge, he had
nearly caught up.
When they turned--Shelby leaving just as
Roland was arriving--they collided. Roland was sure Shelby had swerved
to get in his way. Roland barely managed to stay on his feet and had to
try twice as hard to catch up again.
Right at the end, Roland dived to try to
get ahead, but Shelby still beat him.
"The freckly redhead loses again,"
laughed Shelby as Roland lay flat on the ground, all the wind knocked
out of him--and out of Nudge.
There had been two tests: Roland had no
idea how he had done in the first one, and he had definitely lost the
second. It wasn't the start he needed. |
