aynant regards Sir Tristam] Whilst they ate, Sir Tristram
came and sat nigh to Sir Daynant and his lady and smiled upon them, for he
loved them very greatly because of their nobility and beauty. Then Sir
Daynant looked upon Sir Tristram and beheld how strong and beautiful of
body and how noble of countenance he was, and he saw that beautiful shining
sword that Sir Tristram carried ever with him. And Sir Daynant said, "Fair
friend, who are you, and where gat ye that sword?"

"I know not who I am," said Sir Tristram, "nor know I whence I came nor
whither I go. As for this sword, I had it from a gentleman who came hither
to us no great while ago."

Then the chiefest of the swineherds said: "Lord, this is a poor madman whom
we found naked and starving in the forest. As for that sword, I may tell
you that he took it away from a knight who came hither to threaten his
life, and he soused that knight into the well so that he was wellnigh
drowned."

Sir Daynant said: "That is a very strange story, that a naked madman should
take the sword out of the hands of an armed knight and treat that knight as
ye tell me. Now maybe this is some famous hero or knight who hath lost his
wits through sorrow or because of some other reason, and who hath so come
to this sorry pass."

(So said Sir Daynant, and it may here be said that from that time those
rude swineherds began to look upon Sir Tristram with different eyes than
before, saying amongst themselves: "Maybe what that knight said is true,
and this is indeed no common madman.")

Now whilst Sir Daynant sat there with his lady, holding converse with the
swineherds concerning Sir Tristram in that wise, there came a great noise
in the forest, and out therefrom there came riding with great speed that
huge savage knight Sir Tauleas aforetold of. Then Sir Daynant cried out,
"Alas, here is misfortune!" And therewith he made all haste to put his
helmet upon his head.

[Sidenote: Sir Tauleas strikes down Sir Daynant] But ere he could arm
himself in any sufficient wise, Sir Tauleas drave down very fiercely upon
him. And Sir Tauleas rose up in his stirrups and lashed so terrible a blow
at Sir Daynant that it struck through Sir Daynant's helmet and into his
brain-pan, wherefore Sir Daynant immediately fell down to the ground as
though he had been struck dead.

[Sidenote: Sir Tauleas bears away the lady] Then Sir Tauleas rode
straightway to where the lady of Sir Daynant was, and he said: "Lady,