they were, and perceiving that great court of knights
and ladies who stood there all drenched and wet with the rain, he cried
out in a proud and menacing voice, "Who are ye, and which of ye was it
who meddled with this fountain?"

To this Sir Launcelot replied, "Sir, it was I."

Then the black knight, speaking very fiercely, said: "Know ye that ye
have done a very woeful mischief, for, because you have meddled with
this fountain, ye have brought a deluge upon this land that hath done
great damage to all they that dwell therein. Now make you straightway
ready for battle, for I have great hopes of punishing you for the
mischief you have done to this land by thus meddling with the fountain."

Then Sir Launcelot answered, speaking both with great pride and with
dignity of demeanor. "Messire," quoth he, "never yet have I refused any
call to battle, nor shall I do so at this present. As for that mischief
of which you speak, wit you that I knew not I was making any mischief in
what I did. Ne'theless, now that that mischief is done, I am ready to
defend mine act since you have called upon me to do so."

So saying, Sir Launcelot withdrew to one side in that meadow near to the
fountain as aforetold of; and the Knight of the Fountain likewise
withdrew himself to that same place, and when they had come there each
chose such ground as seemed to him to be best fitted for the encounter.
Meantime, all they who were there gathered in a good place whence they
might onlook that encounter and behold the upshot of the adventure.

So when all was ready for the encounter, as aforesaid, each knight
shouted aloud and drave spur to horse and each charged against the other
with all the fury of two wild bulls.

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot doeth battle with the Knight of the
Fountain._]

So they met in the midst of the course with such a roar of encountering
spears and armor that the ears of those who heard it were stunned with
the noise thereof. In that encounter the spear of each knight was
shattered to splinters up to the hand that held it, and the horse of
each sunk back upon his haunches as though he had encountered a stone
wall. But each knight recovered his horse with spur and voice and with
wonderful skill and dexterity, so that neither horse nor man suffered a
fall from that encounter.

Then each knight voided his horse and leaped to the earth and each
straightway drew his shining sword, all flashing in the bright sunlight.
And each