e; and in the grove there is a cromlech, do thou there challenge a
man three times to fight, and thou shalt have my friendship."

So Peredur proceeded onward, and came to the side of the grove, and
challenged any man to fight. And a black man arose from beneath the
cromlech, mounted upon a bony horse, and both he and his horse were clad
in huge rusty armour. And they fought. And as often as Peredur cast the
black man to the earth, he would jump again into his saddle. And Peredur
dismounted, and drew his sword; and thereupon the black man disappeared
with Peredur's horse and his own, so that he could not gain sight of him
a second time. And Peredur went along the mountain, and on the other
side of the mountain he beheld a castle in the valley, wherein was a
river. And he went to the castle; and as he entered it, he saw a hall,
and the door of the hall was open, and he went in. And there he saw a
lame grey-headed man, sitting on one side of the hall, with Gwalchmai
beside him. And Peredur beheld his horse, which the black man had taken,
in the same stall with that of Gwalchmai. And they were glad concerning
Peredur. And he went and seated himself on the other side of the hoary-
headed man. Then, behold a yellow-haired youth came, and bent upon the
knee before Peredur, and besought his friendship. "Lord," said the
youth, "it was I that came in the form of the black maiden to Arthur's
Court, and when thou didst throw down the chessboard, and when thou didst
slay the black man of Ysbidinongyl, and when thou didst slay the stag,
and when thou didst go to fight the black man of the cromlech. And I
came with the bloody head in the salver, and with the lance that streamed
with blood from the point to the hand, all along the shaft; and the head
was thy cousin's, and he was killed by the sorceresses of Gloucester, who
also lamed thine uncle; and I am thy cousin. And there is a prediction
that thou art to avenge these things." Then Peredur and Gwalchmai took
counsel, and sent to Arthur and his household, to beseech them to come
against the sorceresses. And they began to fight with them, and one of
the sorceresses slew one of Arthur's men before Peredur's face, and
Peredur bade her forbear. And the sorceress slew a man before Peredur's
face a second time, and a second time he forbade her. And the third time
the sorceress slew a man before the face of Peredur, and then Peredur
drew his sword, and smote the sorceress o