that may befall.'

'Thou mayest do so,' answered Arthur, and Kai threw the water.

Immediately all happened as before; the thunder and the shower of
hail which killed many of Arthur's men; the song of the birds and the
appearance of the black knight. And Kai met him and fought him, and was
overthrown by him. Then the knight rode away, and Arthur and his men
encamped where they stood.

In the morning Kai again asked leave to meet the knight and to try to
overcome him, which Arthur granted. But once more he was unhorsed, and
the black knight's lance broke his helmet and pierced the skin even to
the bone, and humbled in spirit he returned to the camp.

After this every one of the knights gave battle, but none came out
victor, and at length there only remained Arthur himself and Gwalchmai.

'Oh, let me fight him, my lord,' cried Gwalchmai, as he saw Arthur
taking up his arms.

'Well, fight then,' answered Arthur, and Gwalchmai threw a robe over
himself and his horse, so that none knew him. All that day they fought,
and neither was able to throw the other, and so it was on the next day.
On the third day the combat was so fierce that they fell both to the
ground at once, and fought on their feet, and at last the black knight
gave his foe such a blow on his head that his helmet fell from his face.

'I did not know it was thee, Gwalchmai,' said the black knight. 'Take my
sword and my arms.'

'No,' answered Gwalchmai, 'it is thou, Owen, who art the victor, take
thou my sword'; but Owen would not.

'Give me your swords,' said Arthur from behind them, 'for neither of
you has vanquished the other,' and Owen turned and put his arms round
Arthur's neck.

The next day Arthur would have given orders to his men to make ready to
go back whence they came, but Owen stopped him.

'My lord,' he said, 'during the three years that I have been absent from
thee I have been preparing a banquet for thee, knowing full well that
thou wouldst come to seek me. Tarry with me, therefore, for a while,
thou and thy men.'

So they rode to the castle of the countess of the fountain, and spent
three months in resting and feasting. And when it was time for them to
depart Arthur besought the countess that she would allow Owen to go
with him to Britain for the space of three months. With a sore heart she
granted permission, and so content was Owen to be once more with his old
companions that three years instead of three months passed away like a