thou
art a prize that it is very well worth while fighting for! And lo! I have
won thee." Therewith he catched her and lifted her up, shrieking and
screaming and struggling, and sat her upon the saddle before him and held
her there maugre all her struggles. Then straightway he rode away into the
forest, carrying her with him; and all that while Sir Tristram stood as
though in a maze, gazing with a sort of terror upon what befell and not
rightly knowing what it all meant. For there lay Sir Daynant as though dead
upon the ground, and he could yet hear the shrieks of the lady sounding out
from the forest whither Sir Tauleas had carried her.

Then the chief of the swineherds came to Sir Tristram, and said: "Fellow,
as thou hast a sword, let us see if thou canst use it. If thou art a hero
as that knight said of thee a while since, and not a pure madman, then
follow after that knight and bring that lady back hither again."

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram follows Sir Tauleas] Then Sir Tristram awoke from
that maze and said, "I will do so." And therewith he ran away very rapidly
into the forest, pursuing the direction that Sir Tauleas had taken. And he
ran for a great distance, and by and by, after a while, he beheld Sir
Tauleas before him where he rode. And by that time the lady was in a deep
swoon and lay as though dead across the saddle of Sir Tauleas. Then Sir
Tristram cried out in a great voice: "Stay, Sir Knight, and turn this way,
for I come to take that lady away from thee and to bring her back unto her
friend again!"

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram slays Sir Tauleas] Then Sir Tauleas turned him and
beheld a naked man running after him with a sword in his hand, whereupon he
was seized with a great rage of anger, so that he put that lady he carried
down to the ground. And he drew his sword and rushed at Sir Tristram very
violently with intent to slay him. And when he came nigh to Sir Tristram he
arose up on his stirrups and lashed so terrible a blow at him that, had it
met its mark, it would have cloven Sir Tristram in twain. But Sir Tristram
leaped aside and turned the blow very skilfully; and therewith a memory of
his knightly prowess came upon him and he, upon his part, lashed a blow at
Sir Tauleas that Sir Tauleas received very unexpectedly. And that blow
struck Sir Tauleas so terrible a buffet upon the head that the brain of Sir
Tauleas swam, and he swayed about and then fell down from off his horse.
Therewith Sir Tristram ran t