Do it then,' they cried, 'and we will give you your life until we take
thee to King Arthur, to be judged for your treason.'

Sir Lancelot unbarred the door and held it open a little way, so that
one knight only might enter at a time. One entered, a big slow man,
named Sir Colgreve, and swiftly Sir Lancelot slammed the door and
fastened it, to keep the others out.

Sir Colgreve turned and struck at Sir Lancelot; but the latter put the
stroke lightly aside with his sword, and gave so swift and keen a blow
upon the other's helm that Sir Colgreve fell down dead.

Then, while the others hammered and yelled outside the door, Sir
Lancelot swiftly took off the armour of the dead knight, and with the
help of the queen and her waiting-women was armed in it.

Again the knights outside had begun to dash at the door to beat it
down. Sir Lancelot, when he was armed, strode to it and cried out:

'Let be your noise, and go away, for ye shall not prison me this night.
And I promise ye, by my knighthood, that I will appear to-morrow before
the king, and then such of ye as dare may accuse me of treason, and I
will then prove that I am a true man and no traitor.'

'Fie on thee, false traitor,' cried Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred, 'but
we will have thee this night and slay thee.'

'Then, sirs,' replied Sir Lancelot, 'if ye will not take my counsel,
look well to yourselves.'

With that Sir Lancelot threw the door open suddenly, and while the
others struggled and tripped over the bench between them he had run two
of them through.

Then in that narrow antechamber there was as fierce a fight as ever
brave knight might wish to see. Sir Mordred from behind urged on the
others with evil words, telling them to slay Sir Lancelot; while he
launched at that knight all manner of foul names.

Fiercely did Sir Lancelot fight, for he was full of rage; and as in the
narrow place in which he stood, no more than two could come at him at
once, he could not be overwhelmed by their numbers. There were ten of
them, and so full of force were his blows and so skilful his thrusts,
that in a little while seven lay slain, two were badly wounded, and the
last, who was Sir Mordred, barely escaped with his life, and bore a
deep wound with him.

Sir Lancelot, sorely wounded, returned to the queen, and said:

'Madam, I know not what is this treason with which they charge me; but
I doubt not it will go ill with me, for I have killed many of the kin
of the kin