have come. For this Sir Nabon whom you seek is accounted to be
the most potent knight in all of the world. Yea; he is held to be a bigger
knight than even Sir Launcelot of the Lake or Sir Tristram of Lyonesse or
Sir Lamorack of Gales. Wherefore I beseech you to turn about and go away
whither you have come whilst there is still the chance for you to escape."

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram sends challenge to Sir Nabon] "Gramercy for your
pity, good fellow," quoth Sir Tristram, "and may God grant that it may not
be deserved. Nevertheless, in spite of the danger in this quest, I am still
of the same mind as I was when I came hither. So do you presently go to
your lord and tell him from me that a knight hath come to do battle with
him upon the behalf of the lady to whom this island by rights belongeth."

Therewith Sir Tristram let the fellow go, and he ran off with great speed
and so away to the postern of the castle and entered in and shut the door
behind him.

Now at that time Sir Nabon le Noir was walking along the wall of the
castle, and his son, who was a lad of seventeen years, was with him. There
the messenger from Sir Tristram found him and delivered his message.
Thereupon Sir Nabon looked over the battlements and down below and he
beheld that there was indeed a tall and noble knight seated upon horseback
in a level meadow that reached away, descending inland from the foot of the
crags whereon the castle stood.

But when Sir Nabon perceived that a stranger knight had dared to come thus
into his country, he was filled with amazement at the boldness of that
knight that he wist not what to think. Then, presently a great rage got
hold upon him, and he ground his teeth together, and the cords on his neck
stood out like knots on the trunk of a tree. For a while he stood as though
bereft of speech; then anon he roared out in a voice like that of a bull,
crying to those who were near him: "Go! Haste ye! Fetch me straightway my
horse and armor and I will go immediately forth and so deal with yonder
champion of ladies that he shall never take trouble upon their account
again."

Then those who were in attendance upon Sir Nabon were terrified at his
words and ran with all speed to do his bidding, and presently fetched his
armor and clad him in it; and they fetched his horse into the courtyard of
the castle and helped him to mount upon it. And lo! the armor of Sir Nabon
was as black as ink; and the great horse upon which he sat was