ake you to be as slothful of
deed as you are of word, and they saw that you were come through the
Forest Perilous whereby pass all the discomfited, as well appeareth by
your arms and your horse."

Therewith the knight departeth, and Messire Gawain hath ridden a great
space sorrowful and sore abashed, until he cometh to a land parched and
poor and barren of all comfort, and therein findeth he a poor castle,
whereinto he cometh and seeth it much wasted, but that within was there
a hall that seemed haunted of folk. And Messire Gawain cometh
thitherward and alighteth, and a knight cometh down the steps of the
hall right poorly clad.

"Sir," saith the knight to Messire Gawain, "Welcome may you be!"

After that, he taketh him by the hand and leadeth him upward to the
hall, that was all waste. Therewithal issue two damsels from a
chamber, right poorly clad, that were of passing great beauty, and make
great cheer to Messire Gawain. So, when he was fain to disarm, behold
you thereupon a knight that entereth into the hall, and he was smitten
with the broken end of a lance through his body. He seeth Messire
Gawain, whom he knoweth.

"Now haste!" saith he, "and disarm you not! Right joyful am I that I
have found you! I come from this forest wherein have I left Lancelot
fighting with four knights, whereof one is dead, and they think that it
is you, and they are of kindred to the knight that you slew at the tent
where you destroyed the evil custom. I was fain to help Lancelot, when
one of the knights smote me as you may see."

Messire Gawain goeth down from the hall and mounteth all armed upon his
horse.

XXIV.

"Sir," saith the knight of the hall, "I would go help you to my power,
but I may not issue forth of the castle until such time as it be
replenished of the folk that are wont to come therein and until my land
be again given up to me through the valour of the Good Knight."

Messire Gawain departeth from the castle as fast as horse may carry
him, and entereth the forest and followeth the track of the blood along
the way the knight had come, and rideth so far in the forest as that he
heareth the noise of swords, and seeth in the midst of the launde
Lancelot and the three knights, and the fourth dead on the ground. But
one of the knights had drawn him aback, for he might abide the combat
no longer, for the knight that brought the tidings to Messire Gawain
had sore wounded him. The two knights beset Lancelot full