th all speed and
Sir Gareth set spurs to his horse and also drave away at speed, and
Lynette and the dwarf followed with speed after Sir Gareth. So anon they
entered the forest and coursed therethrough for a little ways and then
Sir Gareth perceived where at a short distance there was a knight set
with his back against a tree defending himself against six great and
brawny villains clad in full armor. And Sir Gareth beheld that there
were three other villains who lay dead upon the ground, but that the
knight was in a sorry case, bleeding from several wounds and very weary
with his battle. Thereupon, beholding this, Sir Gareth drew his sword
and cried out in a very loud voice: "Have at ye, villains! Have at ye!"
and therewith drave into the midst of that contest. And the thieves were
astonished at the violence of his coming so that they knew not what to
do, for Sir Gareth drave into their midst without let or pause of any
sort. And ere they recovered from their astonishment, Sir Gareth struck
one of the villains to the earth at a single blow and then he smote down
another. And a third would have defended himself, but Sir Gareth rose up
in his stirrups and he smote him so full and terrible a buffet that he
clave through his morion and through his head to the very teeth of his
head.

[Sidenote: _Sir Gareth slayeth the thieves._]

Then beholding that dreadful terrible blow that Sir Gareth had struck
their companion, the other three villains were adread for their lives,
and fled shrieking away into the forest. But Sir Gareth would not let
them escape but charged after them with great fury. And the three
thieves found that they could not escape, and that there was naught else
for them to do but to turn and stand at bay and so they did. But Sir
Gareth would not be stayed by this, but he drave straightway into their
midst and struck upon this side and upon that, so that maugre their
defence all three of those villains were presently stretched, all bathed
in their blood, upon the ground. Then Sir Gareth rode back again, wiping
his sword very calmly ere he put it back into its sheath.

So anon he came to where was that knight whom he had saved and at that
time Lynette and Axatalese and the esquire were lending such aid to the
wounded man as his case demanded.

But when that knight beheld Sir Gareth returning from his battle, he
broke away from the others and came to Sir Gareth and embraced him about
the knee and said, "Messire