ay is going to comport himself." "Ah, fair nephew," the King
replied, "you have spoken courteously. And since you have undertaken the
affair, order our horses to be led out bridled and saddled that there
may be no delay in setting out."

(Vv. 247-398.) The horses are at once brought out, all ready and with
the saddles on. First the King mounts, then my lord Gawain, and all the
others rapidly. Each one, wishing to be of the party, follows his own
will and starts away. Some were armed, but there were not a few without
their arms. My lord Gawain was armed, and he bade two squires lead by
the bridle two extra steeds. And as they thus approached the forest,
they saw Kay's horse running out; and they recognised him, and saw that
both reins of the bridle were broken. The horse was running wild, the
stirrup-straps all stained with blood, and the saddle-bow was broken and
damaged. Every one was chagrined at this, and they nudged each other and
shook their heads. My lord Gawain was riding far in advance of the rest
of the party, and it was not long before he saw coming slowly a knight
on a horse that was sore, painfully tired, and covered with sweat. The
knight first saluted my lord Gawain, and his greeting my lord Gawain
returned. Then the knight, recognising my lord Gawain, stopped and thus
spoke to him: "You see, sir, my horse is in a sweat and in such case as
to be no longer serviceable. I suppose that those two horses belong to
you now, with the understanding that I shall return the service and the
favour, I beg you to let me have one or the other of them, either as a
loan or outright as a gift." And he answers him: "Choose whichever you
prefer." Then he who was in dire distress did not try to select the
better or the fairer or the larger of the horses, but leaped quickly
upon the one which was nearer to him, and rode him off. Then the one he
had just left fell dead, for he had ridden him hard that day, so that
he was used up and overworked. The knight without delay goes pricking
through the forest, and my lord Gawain follows in pursuit of him with
all speed, until he reaches the bottom of a hill. And when he had gone
some distance, he found the horse dead which he had given to the knight,
and noticed that the ground had been trampled by horses, and that broken
shields and lances lay strewn about, so that it seemed that there had
been a great combat between several knights, and he was very sorry and
grieved not to have been t