he place of the
fountain.

Here, finding a fair level meadow, they pitched their pavilions around
about the place of the fountain and Sir Launcelot and Sir Percival and
Sir Ector and their knights armed themselves in all wise so as to be
ready for any sort of adventure that might befall.

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot poureth water upon the slab._]

Thus being in all ways prepared, Sir Launcelot approached the fountain,
and when he had come to it he found the silver cup chained to the slab
of stone as the gigantic herdsman had said that he would find it. So he
took the silver cup into his hand, and he dipped up the water of the
fountain therein, and he cast that water upon the slab of stone.

Then it befell just as it had aforetime befallen with Sir Sagramore and
Sir Ewaine. For the earth trembled and shook so that all those who were
there were filled with a great terror at the earthquake. Then there
arose a mighty wind, so violent that all the pavilions that had been
erected were overthrown and blown away before the blast. Then the skies
thundered and thick dark clouds gathered over the heavens so that the
light was presently altogether obscured, although it was hardly yet come
to the prime of the day. After that the rain fell in such a deluge that
all they who were there feared for some while that they would be drowned
in that rainfall. And ever, as it rained, they heard, as from a
distance, the voices of many raised, as it were in lamentation. For all
this was just as it had been when Sir Sagramore and Sir Ewaine had come
to that place.

Then after a while it ceased raining and the clouds cleared away from
the sky, and the sun shone forth once more with an extraordinary
brilliancy. And anon there came that multitude of birds flying, as
aforetold of in this history, and these, descending upon the tree by the
fountain, straightway fell to singing with such a piercing rapture of
melody that the hearts of those who listened were altogether ravished
with the charm of their song.

Then, whilst those who were there stood listening to that singing of the
birds, they perceived a great distance away the form of a knight who
came riding toward that place with great speed. And that knight was clad
altogether in black armor and he rode upon a great black horse, and all
the trappings and the furniture of that horse were as black as all the
other things that belonged to that knight. So that knight came violently
riding to where