s horse were overthrown. But Bors refused to
fight with Tristram, through the contempt he felt for Cornish knights.
Yet the honor of Cornwall was soon retrieved, for Sir Bleoberis and Sir
Driant now came up, and Bleoberis proffered to joust with Tristram, who
quickly smote him to the earth.

This done, Tristram and Dinadan departed, leaving their opponents in
surprise that such valor and might could come out of Cornwall. But not
far had the two knights-errant gone when they entered a forest, where
they met a damsel, who was in search of some noble knights to rescue Sir
Lancelot. Morgan le Fay, who hated him bitterly since his escape from
her castle, had laid an ambush of thirty knights at a point which
Lancelot was approaching, thinking to attack him unawares and so slay
him.

The damsel, who had learned of this plot, had already met the four
knights whom Tristram and Dinadan had encountered, and obtained their
promise to come to the rescue.

She now told her story of crime and treachery to the two wanderers, with
the same request.

"Fair damsel," said Tristram, "you could set me no more welcome task.
Guide me to the place where those dastards lie in ambush for Lancelot."

"What would you do?" cried Dinadan. "We cannot match thirty knights. Two
or three are enough for any one knight, if they be men. I hope you don't
fancy that I will take fifteen to my share!"

"Come, come, good comrade," said Tristram. "Do not show the white
feather."

"I would rather wear the white feather than the fool's cap," said
Dinadan. "Lend me your shield if you will; for I had sooner carry a
Cornish shield, which all men say only cowards bear, than try any such
foolhardy adventure."

"Nay; I will keep my shield for the sake of her who gave it to me,"
answered Tristram. "But this I warn you, if you will not abide with me
I shall slay you before we part, for a coward has no right to cumber
the earth. I ask no more of you than to fight one knight. If your heart
is too faint for that, then stand by and see me meet the whole crew."

"Very well," said Dinadan, "you can trust me to look on bravely, and
mayhap to do something to save my head from hard knocks; but I would
give my helmet if I had not met you. Folks say you are cured of your mad
fit, but I vow if I have much faith in your sound sense."

Tristram smiled grimly at Dinadan's scolding, and kept on after the
damsel. Not far had they gone before they met the thirty knights. These