pected him of being Tristram, but
held their peace. To him the judges awarded the prize of the day's
combat, though they named him only the knight of the black shield, not
knowing by what other name to call him.

When the second day of the tournament dawned, and the knights prepared
for the combat, Palamides, who had fought under Northgalis, now joined
King Arthur's party, that led by Carados, and sent to Tristram to know
his name.

"As to that," answered Tristram, "tell Sir Palamides that he shall not
know till I have broken two spears with him. But you may tell him that I
am the same knight that he smote down unfairly the day before the
tournament, and that I owe him as shrewd a turn. So whichever side he
takes I will take the opposite."

"Sir," said the messenger, "he will be on King Arthur's side, in company
with the noblest knights."

"Then I will fight for Northgalis, though yesterday I held with
Carados."

[Illustration: TRISTRAM THEREUPON DEPARTED TO HIS PAVILION.]

When King Arthur blew to field and the fray began, King Carados opened
the day by a joust with the king with the hundred knights, who gave him
a sore fall. Around him there grew up a fierce combat, till a troop of
Arthur's knights pushed briskly in and bore back the opposite party,
rescuing Carados from under the horses' feet. While the fight went on
thus in one part of the field, Tristram, in jet-black armor, pressed
resistlessly forward in another part, and dealt so roughly and grimly
with Arthur's knights that not a man of them could withstand him.

At length he fell among the fellowship of King Ban, all of whom bore
Cornish shields, and here he smote right and left with such fury and
might that cries of admiration for his gallant bearing went up from
lords and ladies, citizens and churls. But he would have had the worse
through force of numbers had not the king with the hundred knights come
to his rescue, and borne him away from the press of his assailants, who
were crowding upon him in irresistible strength.

Hardly had Tristram escaped from this peril than he saw another group of
about forty knights, with Kay the seneschal at their head. On them he
rode like a fury, smote Kay from his horse, and fared among them all
like a greyhound among conies.

At this juncture Lancelot, who had hitherto taken little part, met a
knight retiring from the lists with a sore wound in the head.

"Who hurt you so badly?" he asked.

"That knight with