taking, then shall I assuredly do so."

Thus they talked in great amity of many things, and so they travelled
for all that day and the next day and for a part of the day after that.
And somewhat early in the morning of the third day they came to the
summit of a certain highland whence Sir Gareth beheld a great plain,
well tilled and very fertile, spread out beneath that high place where
he stood. And he beheld that the plain was very broad and very long and
that in the midst thereof there was a hill and that upon the hill there
stood a castle and that behind the castle was a town of many fair and
well-built houses.

[Sidenote: _They behold the pavilions of the Red Knight._]

Then Lynette pointed, and she said to Sir Gareth: "See you that castle
and that town? That castle is my sister's castle and that town is her
town. And, yonder, beneath the walls of the town and of the castle, you
may see a number of pavilions spread upon a considerable meadow. Those
are the pavilions of the Red Knight of the Red Lands and of the knights
and esquires attendant upon him. For there he keepeth continual watch
and ward over the castle of my sister, so that no one may either come
out thereof or enter thereinto without his leave for to do so." And Sir
Gareth said, "Let us go down unto yonder place."

So straightway they descended from the highland into the plain, and so
went forward upon their way toward the town and the castle of the Lady
Layonnesse.

Now as they drew more nigh to that place where the pavilions of the Red
Knight of the Red Lands and of his companions at arms had been spread,
they went past a great many pollard willow-trees standing all in a row.
And Sir Gareth beheld that upon each tree there hung either one shield
or two or three shields and that each shield bore some device of
knighthood. At that sight he was greatly astonished, and he said: "Fair
damsel, I prythee tell me what is the meaning of this sight and why
those shields are hung to yonder pollard willow-trees?" Quoth Lynette:
"Sir, each one of those shields is the shield of some knight whom the
Red Knight of the Red Lands hath overthrown. And some of these knights
have been slain in battle by the Knight of the Red Lands, and some have
not been slain, but all those who were not slain have been disgraced in
the encounter which they have fought. For from each knight which he hath
overthrown the Red Knight of the Red Lands hath taken his shield and his
horse an