arvellous that a single man could hold his own so bravely
against such odds. He had slain half their horses, and unhorsed the
remaining knights, so that their chargers ran free in the field. The ten
had then assailed him on foot, and he was bearing up bravely against
them.

"Cease that battle!" cried Tristram, loudly, as he came up. "Ten to one
are cowards' odds." And as he came nearer he saw by his shield that the
one knight was Sir Palamides.

"You would be wise not to meddle," said the leader of the ten, who was
the villanous knight called Breuse San Pite. "Go your way while your
skin is whole. As for this knight, he is our prey."

"Say you so!" cried Tristram. "There may be two words to that."

As he spoke he sprang from his horse, lest they should kill it, and
attacked them on foot with such fury that with every stroke a knight
fell before him.

This was more than they had bargained for, and Breuse fled hastily to
the tower, followed by all that were able, while Tristram hotly pursued.
But they quickly closed and barred the door, shutting him out. When he
saw this he returned to Palamides, whom he found sitting under a tree,
sorely wounded.

"Thanks for your timely aid," said the Saracen. "You have saved my
life."

"What is your name?" asked Tristram.

"It is Sir Palamides."

"Then have I saved my greatest enemy; and I here challenge you to
battle."

"What is your name?" asked Palamides.

"I am Tristram of Lyonesse."

"My enemy indeed! yet I owe you thanks for your rescue, nor am I in
condition for jousting. But I desire nothing better than to meet you in
battle. If you are as eager for it, fix day and place, and I will be
there."

"Well said," answered Tristram. "Let it be in the meadow by the river at
Camelot, there where Merlin set the tombstone."

"Agreed. I shall not fail you."

"How came you in battle with these ten dastards?"

"The chance of journeying brought me into this forest, where I saw a
dead knight with a lady weeping beside him. I asked her who slew her
lord, and she told me it was the most villanous knight in the world,
named Breuse Sans Pite. I then took her on my horse and promised to see
that her lord was properly interred. But as I passed by this tower its
rascally owner suddenly rode from the gate and struck me unawares so
hard that I fell from my horse. Before I could recover he killed the
lady. It was thus the battle began, at which you arrived in good time."

"It is