to
her rescue, might fall beneath his lance. If ye overthrow him, then
are ye the peer of Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram." "Sir Knight,"
answered Gareth, "I can but strive to bear me worthily as one whom
the great Sir Launcelot made knight."

So in the morning they bade farewell to the Blue Knight, who vowed
to carry to King Arthur word of all that Gareth had achieved; and
they rode on, till, in the evening, they came to a little ruined
hermitage where there awaited them a dwarf, sent by the Lady
Liones, with all manner of meats and other store. In the morning,
the dwarf set out again to bear word to his lady that her rescuer
was come. As he drew near the castle, the Red Knight stopped him,
demanding whence he came. "Sir," said the dwarf, "I have been with
my lady's sister, who brings with her a knight to the rescue of my
lady." "It is lost labour," said the Red Knight; "even though she
brought Launcelot or Tristram, I hold myself a match for them."
"He is none of these," said the dwarf, "but he has overthrown the
knights who kept the ford, and the Blue Knight yielded to him."
"Let him come," said the Red Knight; "I shall soon make an end of
him, and a shameful death shall he have at my hands, as many a
better knight has had." So saying, he let the dwarf go.

Presently, there came riding towards the castle Sir Gareth and the
damsel Linet, and Gareth marvelled to see hang from the trees some
forty knights in goodly armour, their shields reversed beside them.
And when he inquired of the damsel, she told him how these were the
bodies of brave knights who, coming to the rescue of the Lady
Liones, had been overthrown and shamefully done to death by the Red
Knight. Then was Gareth shamed and angry, and he vowed to make an
end of these evil practices. So at last they drew near to the
castle walls, and saw how the plain around was covered with the Red
Knight's tents, and the noise was that of a great army. Hard by was
a tall sycamore tree, and from it hung a mighty horn, made of an
elephant's tusk. Spurring his horse, Gareth rode to it, and blew
such a blast that those on the castle walls heard it; the knights
came forth from their tents to see who blew so bold a blast, and
from a window of the castle the Lady Liones looked forth and waved
her hand to her champion. Then, as Sir Gareth made his reverence to
the lady, the Red Knight called roughly to him to leave his
courtesy and look to himself; "For," said he, "she is mine,