ase, they ate of the feast prepared and, lying down to
rest, were soon sunk in deep slumber.

While they slept, the little ship floated away from the land, and
it came to pass that a great wonder befell; for when they woke in
the morning, King Uriens found himself at home in his own land, and
Sir Accolon was in his own chamber at Camelot; but the King lay a
prisoner, bound and fettered and weaponless, in a noisome dungeon
that echoed to the groans of hapless captives.

When he was come to himself, King Arthur looked about him and saw
that his companions were knights in the same hard case as himself;
and he inquired of them how they came to be in that plight. "Sir,"
said one of them, "we are in duresse in the castle of a certain
recreant knight, Sir Damas by name, a coward false to chivalry.
None love him, and so no champion can he find to maintain his cause
in a certain quarrel that he has in hand. For this reason, he lies
in wait with a great company of soldiers for any knights that may
pass this way, and taking them prisoners, holds them in captivity
unless they will undertake to fight to the death in his cause. And
this I would not, nor any of my companions here; but unless we be
speedily rescued, we are all like to die of hunger in this
loathsome dungeon." "What is his quarrel?" asked the King. "That we
none of us know," answered the knight.

While they yet talked, there entered the prison a damsel. She went
up to the King at once, and said: "Knight, will ye undertake to
fight in the cause of the lord of this castle?" "That I may not
say," replied the King, "unless first I may hear what is his
quarrel." "That ye shall not know," replied the damsel, "but this I
tell you: if ye refuse, ye shall never leave this dungeon alive,
but shall perish here miserably." "This is a hard case," said the
King, "that I must either die or fight for one I know not, and in a
cause that I may not hear. Yet on one condition will I undertake
your lord's quarrel, and that is that he shall give me all the
prisoners bound here in this dungeon." "It shall be as ye say,"
answered the damsel, "and ye shall also be furnished with horse and
armour and sword than which ye never saw better." Therewith the
damsel bade him follow her, and brought him to a great hall where
presently there came to him squires to arm him for the combat; and
when their service was rendered, the damsel said to him: "Sir
Knight, even now there has come one who greets y