that castle but either he must joust or be
prisoner, or at the least to lose his horse and his harness. And there
came out two knights against them, and Sir Mordred jousted with the
foremost, and that knight of the castle smote Sir Mordred down off his
horse. And then La Cote Male Taile jousted with that other, and either
of them smote other down, horse and all, to the earth. And when they
avoided their horses, then either of them took other's horses. And then
La Cote Male Taile rode unto that knight that smote down Sir Mordred,
and jousted with him. And there Sir La Cote Male Taile hurt and wounded
him passing sore, and put him from his horse as he had been dead. So he
turned unto him that met him afore, and he took the flight towards
the castle, and Sir La Cote Male Taile rode after him into the Castle
Orgulous, and there La Cote Male Taile slew him.

CHAPTER IV. How La Cote Male Taile fought against an hundred knights,
and how he escaped by the mean of a lady.

AND anon there came an hundred knights about him and assailed him; and
when he saw his horse should be slain he alighted and voided his horse,
and put the bridle under his feet, and so put him out of the gate. And
when he had so done he hurled in among them, and dressed his back unto a
lady's chamber-wall, thinking himself that he had liefer die there with
worship than to abide the rebukes of the damosel Maledisant. And in the
meantime as he stood and fought, that lady whose was the chamber went
out slily at her postern, and without the gates she found La Cote Male
Taile's horse, and lightly she gat him by the bridle, and tied him
to the postern. And then she went unto her chamber slily again for to
behold how that one knight fought against an hundred knights. And when
she had beheld him long she went to a window behind his back, and said:
Thou knight, thou fightest wonderly well, but for all that at the last
thou must needs die, but, an thou canst through thy mighty prowess, win
unto yonder postern, for there have I fastened thy horse to abide thee:
but wit thou well thou must think on thy worship, and think not to
die, for thou mayst not win unto that postern without thou do nobly and
mightily. When La Cote Male Taile heard her say so he gripped his
sword in his hands, and put his shield fair afore him, and through the
thickest press he thrulled through them. And when he came to the postern
he found there ready four knights, and at two the first strokes