fool?" Percival replied, "I come from Queen Guinevere, her pavilion."
Then Sir Boindegardus said, "Does that knight who was there follow me
hitherward?" Unto which Percival made reply: "Nay, but I have followed thee
with intent to punish thee for the affront which thou didst put upon Queen
Guinevere."

Then Sir Boindegardus was very wroth and he said: "Thou fool; I have a very
good intention for to slay thee." Therewith he raised his spear and smote
Percival with it upon the back of the neck so terrible a blow that he was
flung violently down from off his horse. Upon this Percival was so angry
that the sky all became like scarlet before his eyes. Wherefore, when he
had recovered from the blow he ran unto Sir Boindegardus and catched the
spear in his hands and wrestled with such terrible strength that he plucked
it away from Sir Boindegardus. And having thus made himself master of that
spear, he brake it across his knee and flung it away.

[Sidenote: Percival slays Sir Boindegardus] Then Sir Boindegardus was in
furious rage, wherefore he drew his bright, shining sword with intent to
slay Percival. But when Percival saw what he would be at, he catched up his
javelin and, running to a little distance, he turned and threw it at Sir
Boindegardus with so cunning an aim that the point of the javelin entered
the ocularium of the helmet of Sir Boindegardus and pierced through the eye
and the brain and came out of the back of the head. Then Sir Boindegardus
pitched down from off his horse all into a heap upon the ground, and
Percival ran to him and stooped over him and perceived that he was dead.
Then Percival said: "Well, it would seem that I have put an end to a
terribly discourteous knight to ladies."

[Sidenote: King Arthur sends Sir Launcelot and Sir Lamorack in quest of
Percival] Now a little after Percival had quitted the pavilion of Queen
Guinevere, King Arthur and eleven noble knights of the court returned
thither from hawking, and amongst those knights was Sir Launcelot of the
Lake and Sir Lamorack of Gales. Then those who were of the Queen's court
told King Arthur what had befallen, and thereat the King felt great
displeasure toward Sir Kay. And he said: "Kay, not only hast thou been very
discourteous in not assuming this quarrel of the Queen's, but I believe
that thou, a well-approved knight, hast in thy fear of Sir Boindegardus
been the cause of sending this youth upon an adventure in which he will be
subject to suc