h great danger that it may very well be that he shall hardly
escape with his life. Now I will that two of you knights shall follow after
that youth for to rescue him if it be not too late; and those two shall be
Sir Launcelot of the Lake and Sir Lamorack of Gales. So make all haste,
Messires, lest some misfortune shall befall this brave, innocent madman."

Thereupon those two knights mounted straightway upon their horses and rode
away in that direction whither Percival had gone.

[Illustration: Sir Percival & Sir Lamorack ride together]

Chapter Second

_How Sir Percival was made knight by King Arthur; how he rode forth with
Sir Lamorack and how he left Sir Lamorack in quest of adventure upon his
own account; likewise how a great knight taught him craft in arms_.

So after a considerable time they came to that meadow-land where Percival
had found Sir Boindegardus.

[Sidenote: How the two knights find Percival in the meadow] But when they
came to that place they perceived a very strange sight. For they beheld one
clad all in armor of wattled willow-twigs and that one dragged the body of
an armed knight hither and thither upon the ground. So they two rode up to
where that affair was toward, and when they had come nigh enough, Sir
Launcelot said: "Ha, fair youth, thou art doing a very strange thing. What
art thou about?"

To him Percival said: "Sir, I would get those plates of armor off this
knight, and I know not how to do it!"

Then Sir Launcelot laughed, and he said: "Let be for a little while, and I
will show thee how to get the plates of armor off." And he said: "How came
this knight by his death."

Percival said: "Sir, this knight hath greatly insulted Queen Guinevere
(that beautiful lady), and when I followed him thither with intent to take
her quarrel upon me, he struck me with his spear. And when I took his spear
away from him, and brake it across my knee, he drew his sword and would
have slain me, only that I slew him instead."

Then Sir Launcelot was filled with amazement, and he said: "Is not that
knight Sir Boindegardus?" And Percival said: "Ay." Then Sir Launcelot said:
"Fair youth, know that thou hast slain one of the strongest and most
terrible knights in all the world. In this thou hast done a great service
unto King Arthur, so if thou wilt come with us to the court of King Arthur,
he will doubtless reward thee very bountifully for what thou hast done."

Then Percival looked up into the