.

So fierce, indeed, was the fighting through all that land, that the
peasants forsook the fields and hid themselves; and the pagans from the
northern wilderness came over the walls and wandered, killing and
burning and robbing. And thus in many parts the crops were not sown or
reaped, the wheat stood unharvested and wild, and the grass and weeds
grew tall on the very hearths of the poor peasants and husbandmen.

The heart of Sir Galahad grew sick, seeing the evil which was come into
the land, and he feared that soon the Holy Graal would be taken from
the island of Britain, and that then ruin would stalk throughout the
length and breadth of the realm.

Once, at the dawning, Sir Galahad looked from the door of a little
hermitage where he had passed the night, and was aware of a great
company of men coming over the moor. They were all horsed, and were
going towards the sea, which was on the right hand, where steep and
fearful cliffs fell sheer to the thundering surf beneath. And in their
midst he saw they held captive a full noble knight, who seemed wounded,
and whose armour was all broken and cracked, as if he had fought
valiantly before he had been overcome. Him they were going to hurl
headlong down the cliffs.

Sir Galahad began to arm himself full hastily to meet them. But as he
dressed his armour he was aware of a knight coming swiftly from a
little wood that lay towards the sea-edge. Then was the heart of Sir
Galahad exceeding joyful when he saw that the knight was all in white
armour, and that on his shield was the device of a heart; for he knew
that this was Sir Perceval.

Sir Perceval spurred towards the band of knights, and in a loud voice
called on them to release their captive.

'Who art thou?' they cried.

'I am a knight of the Pendragon of these islands, King Arthur,'
answered Perceval, 'and thy captive is my friend, Sir Bors of
Brittany.'

'Ha! ha!' the others laughed, and spurred furiously towards him. 'Slay
him!' they shouted. 'We own no Arthur here. We are our own lords.'

With spears in rest, seven of the knights thundered against Sir
Perceval. But by this time Sir Galahad was upon his horse, and, making
no outcry, he spurred upon the others.

Three knights he dashed to the ground with one lance-thrust; but then
the spear broke. Therewith he drew his sword, and smote in the thick of
them so furiously on the left and on the right that they could not
abide him, but fled from about Sir Bors,