r way to
her castle. And Lyonors longed to see the knight who had fought so
often and so bravely to reach her.

And now there was only the Red Knight between Gareth and the Lady
Lyonors.

On the great tree, outside the castle, Gareth saw hanging the
bodies of forty knights, with their shields round their necks and
their spurs on their heels. As he looked at this terrible sight,
Gareth was afraid.

Then Lynette reminded him of all his victories, and of how even the
Black Knight had yielded to him. But what encouraged Gareth more
than all Lynette said was that, when he looked up to the castle, he
saw a beautiful lady at one of the windows. She smiled and waved
her hands to him, and he knew that this was the Lady Lyonors. Then
all his courage came back.

'This is the fairest lady I have ever seen,' thought Gareth. 'I ask
nothing better than to be allowed to do battle for her, and win her
from the Red Knight.'

Outside the castle, hanging on a sycamore tree, was a great horn,
made of an elephant's bone, and whoever wished to fight the Red
Knight must blow this horn.

Gareth looked again at the window where Lyonors still watched, and
hesitating no longer, blew the horn so piercingly and so long, that
he woke all the echoes of the wood.

Then the Knight of the Red Lands armed himself in great haste, and
his barons brought him a red spear, and a steed covered with red
silk. And the Red Knight rode proudly down into the valley, to slay
Gareth, as he had slain the other forty knights.

'Do not look any longer at the castle window,' said the Red Knight
roughly to Gareth. 'The Lady Lyonors is mine. I have fought many
battles for her.'

'I know that the Lady Lyonors does not love you nor your ways, for
they are cruel,' said Gareth, 'and I will rescue her from you, or
die.'

'Look at the dead knights on those trees, and beware,' said the Red
Knight, 'or soon I will hang your body beside theirs.'

'That is a sight that makes me only more anxious to fight,' said
Gareth, 'for you break the rules of all true knights by your
cruelty.'

'Talk no more,' said the Red Knight, 'but get ready for the
combat.'

Then Gareth told Lynette to go further off, to a place of safety.

And the two knights smote each other so fiercely in the front of
their shields that they both fell off their horses, still holding
the reins in their hands. And they lay stunned on the ground so
long, that those who were watching from the castle thou