slew their
horses underneath them. Then were they all three on foot, and ever
they saw the hart afore them passing weary and hard bestead[1]. "Let
us go on foot," said King Uriens, "till we meet with some lodging."

Then were they ware of the hart that lay on a great water bank, and a
dog biting on his throat, and more other hounds came after. King
Arthur now blew the prize[2] and dight[3] the hart.

But the three knights were in sore straits, so far from home, and
without horses, and they began to look about the world. Then Arthur
saw afore him in a great lake a little ship, all apparelled with silk
down to the water, coming right unto them, and it landed on the sands.
They went on board, all three, to see what was in the ship. Soon it
was dark night, and there suddenly were about them an hundred torches
set upon all the sides of the ship boards, and it gave great light.

Therewithal there came out twelve fair damsels, and they set forth for
the knights a supper of all meats that they could think. Then they
showed them richly beseen[4] chambers for the night, where the three
huntsmen slept marvellously. But when they awoke next morning,
everything had been changed through the sorcery of Morgan le Fay, that
was secretly plotting against her brother, to destroy him. King Uriens
awoke in his own bed in Camelot, and Arthur found himself in a dark
prison, with many woeful knights complaining about him, and they soon
told him for what cause they were there.

The lord of the castle where they were prisoners was the falsest knight
alive, a treacherous, cowardly man, named Sir Damas. He had a younger
brother, Sir Ontzlake, a good knight of prowess, well beloved of all
people, from whom he was keeping back unjustly a full fair manor.
Great war had been betwixt these brothers. Ontzlake was a far better
fighter than the cowardly Damas, and yet he could not bring the elder
to give over the younger brother's inheritance. He offered to fight
for it, and wished Sir Damas to find a knight to fight in his stead, if
he himself dared not engage. But Sir Damas was so hated that there was
never one would fight for him, though he had by force taken all the
knights of that whole region and brought them to his prison for to make
them willing to take up his cause. Many had died there, and the twenty
that were yet alive were lean and spent with hunger, but no one of them
would stand against Sir Ontzlake.

Anon there came a dam