en years have I
been so sleepy as I am now?"

They thereupon alighted, and tied their horses to neighboring trees, and
Lancelot laid himself down beneath the apple-boughs, with his helmet
under his head for a pillow. Soon he was in deep slumber, though Lionel
kept awake.

As they lay thus three knights came riding by in panic fear, pushing
their horses to the utmost speed, while a single knight followed them in
furious pursuit. So well-made and strong-limbed a man as this Lionel
thought he had never seen nor one in all respects so fully armed.

As he looked, the pursuing knight overtook one of the fugitives, and
with a thrust of his spear flung him prostrate to the ground. Then he
served the other two in the same manner. This done, he alighted and
bound the three knights with their own bridle-reins.

[Illustration: Copyright by Frederick Hollyer, London, England.

DREAM OF SIR LANCELOT.]

When Lionel saw this, anger filled his soul, and he thought to win
honor in a bout of arms with this vigorous champion, so he quietly took
his horse, so as not to waken Lancelot, and rode towards the victor,
loudly bidding him turn and try his fortune in a joust.

But the ambitious young knight soon found that he had let youthful pride
bring him into trouble, for the strong warrior smote him so hard a blow
that horse and man went together to the earth. Then the victor alighted
and served Lionel as he had done the others, binding him and flinging
him athwart his own horse.

He did the same with the three others, and rode away with his prisoners,
until he came to a castle that lay beyond the plain. Here he forced them
to remove their armor, and beat their naked skin with thorns till they
were ready to swoon with the pain. Then he had them thrust into a deep
prison where were many other knights, whose groans and lamentations
filled the air with doleful sounds.

Through all this Lancelot slept on, nor did he waken from his slumber
till another misadventure had taken place. For Sir Hector de Maris, the
brother of Lionel, finding that Lancelot had left the court to seek
adventures, was angry that he had not been asked to keep him company,
and rode hastily after him, hoping to overtake him.

After he had ridden long in the forest he met a man dressed like a
forester, and asked him if any knightly adventures could be found near
by.

"Sir knight," answered the forester, "I know this country well, and can
promise you all, and mayha