tune."

Then he rode again into the forest, and in a short space met a damsel
who knew him well, for his visor was up and his face shown.

"You are well found, my lord Lancelot," she said. "I beg you of your
knighthood to help my brother, who lies near by sorely wounded, and
never stops bleeding. He fought to-day with Sir Gilbert and slew him in
fair battle, and now is dying through foul enchantment. Not far from
here dwells a lady sorceress, who has wrought this harm, and who told me
to-day that my brother's wounds would never heal till I could find a
knight who would go into the Chapel Perilous, and bring thence the sword
of the slain knight and a piece of the bloody cloth that he is wrapped
in. My brother will die unless his wounds are touched with that sword
and that cloth, for nothing else on earth will stop their bleeding."

"This is a marvellous tale," said Lancelot. "Who is your brother?"

"His name is Meliot de Logres."

"Then he is one of my fellows of the Round Table, and I will do all I
can to help him. What and where the Chapel Perilous is I know not, but I
do not fear its perils."

"This highway will bring you to it, and at no great distance," she
replied. "I shall here await your return. I know no knight but you who
can achieve this task, and truly you will find it no light one, for you
have enchantment and sorcery to encounter."

Little was Lancelot downcast by these words, and he rode on to the
Chapel Perilous with no dread in his bold heart. Reaching the building
indicated, he alighted and tied his horse beside the gate. Then he
entered the church-yard, and there he saw on the chapel front many
shields hung upside down, some of them being well known to him.

But his eyes were quickly drawn from these, for suddenly there appeared
before him thirty gigantic knights, all clad in jet-black armor, and
every man of them a foot higher than common men. All bore swords and
shields, and as they stood there they grinned and gnashed at him with
baleful faces.

Dread came into Lancelot's heart on seeing this frightful throng of
black warriors, with their demon-like countenances. But commending his
soul to God, he took his sword in hand and advanced resolutely upon
them. Then, to his surprise and gladness, when they saw this bold
advance they scattered right and left before him, like dead leaves
before the wind, and gave him open passage to the chapel, which he
entered without further opposition.

Here w