little turret or castle; and underneath that
castle they saw a knight standing upon foot fighting with two knights;
and so Sir Tristram beheld them, and at the last the two knights smote
down the one knight, and that one of them unlaced his helm to have slain
him. And the Lady Annowre gat King Arthur's sword in her hand to have
stricken off his head. And therewithal came Sir Tristram with all his
might, crying: Traitress, traitress, leave that. And anon there Sir
Tristram smote the one of the knights through the body that he fell
dead; and then he rashed to the other and smote his back asunder; and
in the meanwhile the Lady of the Lake cried to King Arthur: Let not
that false lady escape. Then King Arthur overtook her, and with the same
sword he smote off her head, and the Lady of the Lake took up her head
and hung it up by the hair of her saddle-bow. And then Sir Tristram
horsed King Arthur and rode forth with him, but he charged the Lady of
the Lake not to discover his name as at that time.

When the king was horsed he thanked heartily Sir Tristram, and desired
to wit his name; but he would not tell him, but that he was a poor
knight adventurous; and so he bare King Arthur fellowship till he met
with some of his knights. And within a while he met with Sir Ector de
Maris, and he knew not King Arthur nor Sir Tristram, and he desired to
joust with one of them. Then Sir Tristram rode unto Sir Ector, and smote
him from his horse. And when he had done so he came again to the king
and said: My lord, yonder is one of your knights, he may bare you
fellowship, and another day that deed that I have done for you I trust
to God ye shall understand that I would do you service. Alas, said King
Arthur, let me wit what ye are? Not at this time, said Sir Tristram. So
he departed and left King Arthur and Sir Ector together.

CHAPTER XVII. How Sir Tristram came to La Beale Isoud, and how Kehydius
began to love Beale Isoud, and of a letter that Tristram found.

AND then at a day set Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak met at the well; and
then they took Kehydius at the forester's house, and so they rode with
him to the ship where they left Dame Bragwaine and Gouvernail, and
so they sailed into Cornwall all wholly together. And by assent and
information of Dame Bragwaine when they were landed they rode unto Sir
Dinas, the Seneschal, a trusty friend of Sir Tristram's. And so Dame
Bragwaine and Sir Dinas rode to the court of King Mark, and t