e in his stirrups, his blade flashed, and then
sank in the neck of the felon knight, who swayed in his saddle and then
crashed to the ground.

Then the second horseman attacked him furiously, being wroth at the
death of his companion. But Sir Geraint couched his lance, and caught
the other on the edge of his shield, and the spear passed through his
body.

And by good hap also he slew the other two, one with his lance, the
other with his sword on foot.

Enid, full of fear while the fight was raging, felt gladness and sorrow
when she saw how nobly her husband had smitten these torturers with
justice, and she said that of a truth she had been wrong, and that
there was no sloth in his heart, no weakness in the strong arm of her
lord.

Then Sir Geraint took off the armour from each of the four knights and
piled them on their horses, and tied them together, and bade her drive
them before her.

'And do thou go forward some way,' said he sternly, 'and say not one
word to me unless I speak first unto thee.'

As he mounted his horse, the man that had been tortured came forward
with his people and knelt before him, and kissed the mail-clad shoe in
his stirrup, and in rude few words they thanked him tearfully, asking
for his name, so that they could speak of him in their prayers.

'I am called Sir Slothful,' said Sir Geraint, 'and I deserve not your
worship. But, hark ye, if other evil lords come upon these marches and
seek to oppress thee, tell them that though Sir Geraint sleeps now, he
will soon awake and they shall not stand before his vengeance.'

And so he rode on, leaving the poor folks marvelling but happy.

Then in a little while they came upon a highroad, and the lady went on
first, and for all his anger, Geraint was sorry to see how much trouble
Enid had in driving the four horses before her, yet how patient she
was.

Soon they beheld a wide valley below them, the fairest and richest in
homesteads and farms that they had yet seen. A river ran through the
middle of it, and the road on which they passed ran down to a bridge
over the river, beyond which was a castle and a walled town.

Sir Geraint took the road towards the bridge, and soon a knight came
cantering towards them.

'Fair sir,' said Sir Geraint, 'canst thou tell me who is the owner of
this fair valley and that walled city?'

'Of a truth,' said the other, 'these are the lands of King Griffith,
whom men call the Little King. He holds them of King