smote stoutly to right and left, killing three others and
wounding more.

"Dogs and dastards! know you me not?" he cried in a voice of thunder.
"My name is Lancelot du Lake. Here's for you, cowards and traitors!"

But the name he had shouted was enough. Those who were still able, fled,
followed by the angry knight. By hard riding they escaped his wrath, and
he, hot and furious, turned aside to a lodging where he designed to
spend the night. In consequence of his hard labor in this encounter
Lancelot fought not on the first day of the tournament, but sat beside
King Arthur, who had come hither from Camelot to witness the
passage-at-arms.

CHAPTER III.

AT THE CASTLE OF MAIDENS.

When came the dawn of the first day of the tournament, many ladies and
gentlemen of the court took their seats on a high gallery, shaded by a
rich canopy of parti-colored silk, while in the centre of the gallery
sat King Arthur and Queen Guenever, and, by the side of the king,
Lancelot du Lake. Many other noble lords and ladies of the surrounding
country occupied the adjoining seats, while round the circle that closed
in the lists sat hosts of citizens and country people, all eager for the
warlike sports.

Knights in glittering armor stood in warlike groups outside the entrance
gates, where rose many pavilions of red and white silk, each with its
fluttering pennon, and great war-horses that impatiently champed the
bit, while the bright steel heads of the lances shone like star-points
in the sun.

Within the lists the heralds and pursuivants busied themselves, while
cheery calls, and bugle-blasts, and the lively chat of the assembled
multitude filled the air with joyous sound.

Tristram de Lyonesse still dwelt with the old knight Sir Pellounes, in
company with Sir Persides, whom he yet kept in ignorance of his name.
And as it was his purpose to fight that day unknown, he ordered
Gouvernail, his squire, to procure him a black-faced shield, without
emblem or device of any kind.

So accoutred, he and Persides mounted in the early morn and rode
together to the lists, where the parties of King Carados and the king of
Northgalis were already being formed. Tristram and his companion joined
the side of Carados, the Scottish king, and hardly had they ridden to
their place when King Arthur gave the signal for the onset, the bugles
loudly sounded, and the two long lines of knights rode together with a
crash as of two thunder-clouds meetin