n you no harm, but would save you
from injury."

"Alas!" said the knight, "I shall never win honor where Sir Tristram is.
Where he is not, only Lancelot or Lamorak can win from me the prize.
More than once he has put me to the worse."

"What would you do if you had him?"

"I would fight him and ease my heart. And yet, sooth to say, he is a
gentle and noble knight."

"Will you go with me to my lodging?"

"No; I will go to the king with the hundred knights. He rescued me from
Bors and Hector, or they had slain me treacherously."

But by kind words Tristram got him to his pavilion, where he did what he
could to cheer him. But Palamides could not sleep for anguish of soul,
and rose before dawn and secretly left the tent, making his way to the
pavilions of Gaheris and Sagramour le Desirous, who had been his
companions in the tournament.

Not far had the next day's sun risen in the eastern sky, when King
Arthur bade the heralds blow the call to the lists, and with warlike
haste the knights came crowding in to the last day of the well-fought
tournament.

Fiercely began the fray, King Carados and his ally, the king of Ireland,
being smitten from their horses early in the day. Then came in Palamides
full of fury, and made sad work among his foes, being known to all by
his indented shield.

But this day King Arthur, as he had promised, rode in shining armor into
the field, and fought so valorously that the king of Northgalis and his
party had much the worse of the combat.

While the fight thus went on in all its fury, Tristram rode in, still
bearing his black shield. Encountering Palamides, he gave him such a
thrust that he was driven over his horse's croup. Then King Arthur
cried,--

"Knight with the black shield, make ready for me!"

But the king met with the same fate from Tristram's spear that Palamides
had done, and was hurled to the earth. Seeing this, a rush of the
knights of his party drove back the foe, and Arthur and Palamides were
helped to their saddles again.

And now the king, his heart burning with warlike fury, rushed fiercely
on Tristram, and struck him so furious a blow that he was hurled from
his horse. As he lay there Palamides spurred upon him in a violent rage,
and sought to override him as he was rising to his feet. But Tristram
saw his purpose and sprang aside. As Palamides rode past he wrathfully
caught him by the arm and pulled him from his horse.

"Sword to sword let it be!" cried Tri