by a hound, and when it had
run round the hall, it fled through the doorway again, still
followed by the hound. Then, by Merlin's advice, the quest of the
hart was given to Gawain as a new-made knight, to follow it and see
what adventures it would bring him. So Sir Gawain rode away, taking
with him three couples of greyhounds for the pursuit. At the last,
the hounds caught the hart, and killed it just as it reached the
court-yard of a castle. Then there came forth from the castle a
knight, and he was grieved and wroth to see the hart slain, for it
was given him by his lady; so, in his anger, he killed two of the
hounds. At that moment Sir Gawain entered the court-yard, and an
angry man was he when he saw his greyhounds slain. "Sir Knight,"
said he, "ye would have done better to have taken your vengeance on
me rather than on dumb animals which but acted after their kind."
"I will be avenged on you also," cried the knight; and the two
rushed together, cutting and thrusting that it was wonderful they
might so long endure. But at the last the knight grew faint, and
crying for mercy, offered to yield to Sir Gawain. "Ye had no mercy
on my hounds," said Sir Gawain. "I will make you all the amends in
my power," answered the knight. But Sir Gawain would not be turned
from his purpose, and unlacing the vanquished knight's helmet, was
about to cut off his head, when a lady rushed out from the castle
and flung herself on the body of the fallen knight. So it chanced
that Sir Gawain's sword descending smote off the lady's head. Then
was Sir Gawain grieved and sore ashamed for what he had done, and
said to the knight: "I repent for what I have done; and here I give
you your life. Go only to Camelot, to King Arthur's court, and tell
him ye are sent by the knight who follows the quest of the white
hart." "Ye have slain my lady," said the other, "and now I care not
what befalls me." So he arose and went to King Arthur's court.

Then Sir Gawain prepared to rest him there for the night; but
scarcely had he lain down when there fell upon him four knights,
crying: "New-made knight, ye have shamed your knighthood, for a
knight without mercy is without honour." Then was Sir Gawain borne
to the earth, and would have been slain, but that there came forth
from the castle four ladies who besought the knights to spare his
life; so they consented and bound him prisoner.

The next morning Sir Gawain was brought again before the knights
and their