t
without armor. But the king was not there; nor would Gawaine show
himself at that shameful scene.

Then fire was set to the fagots that surrounded the stake. But as the
flames began to curl upwards there came a shrill bugle-blast from a
neighboring wood, and of a sudden Lancelot and his knights broke from
their ambush, and rode upon those about the fire, striking right and
left at all who bore arms and withstood them.

Down went the guard of knights before this fierce onset, till full
twenty of them lay dead on the field. But by sad fortune, as Lancelot,
in his warlike fury pressed hither and thither, cutting and slashing
with the hot rage of the berserker, he by mishap struck the two unarmed
knights, Gareth and Gaheris, and stretched them dead upon the field.

This was in the thick of the fray, and he knew not what he had done, for
rather would he have slain himself than harmed these, his faithful
friends. A few minutes sufficed to kill or disperse all the guard. Then
Lancelot sprang from his horse, scattered the blazing fagots with his
foot, and with a blow of his sword severed the bonds that fastened
Guenever to the stake.

The unhappy lady fell, weeping, into his arms, thanking him in broken
accents. With all due haste he mounted her on a horse that had been
provided, and rode off with her and his following of gallant knights to
Joyous Gard, strong of heart and stout of frame, and resolved to fight
for her to the death, for more than ever he felt himself her chosen
knight.

And when word went through the country round that Arthur and Lancelot
were at odds, many a good knight rode in all haste to his castle, bent
on taking his side in the coming war.

But when the news was brought to Arthur of how Lancelot had rescued the
queen, and slain many of his knights, and in particular Gareth and
Gaheris, his anger turned to such bitter sorrow and regret that he
swooned from pure grief. And when he came to his senses again he deeply
moaned, and reproached himself for the evil that had befallen.

"Alas! that I ever wore the crown!" he bewailed. "Within these two days
I have lost forty knights, and, above all, the noble fellowship of
Lancelot and his kindred, and all because I listened to the tongue of
foul detraction. Alas! that ever this fatal thing began! Fair friends,
see that none of you tell Gawaine of what has happened, for he loves
Gareth so deeply that I fear, when he hears of his death, he will go out
of hi