aughed, and he said: "Messire, how will you stay me
against my will?" The Green Knight said: "We will stay you by force of
our numbers." "Well," quoth Sir Launcelot, "for the matter of that, I
have made my way against greater odds than those I now see before me. So
your peril will be of your own devising, if you seek to stay me."

[Sidenote: _How Sir Launcelot assailed his enemies._ ]

Therewith he cast aside his spear and drew his sword, and set spurs to
his horse and rode forward against them. And he rode straight in amongst
them with great violence, lashing right and left with his sword, so that
at every stroke a man fell down from out of his saddle. So fierce and
direful were the blows that Sir Launcelot delivered that the terror of
his rage fell upon them, wherefore, after a while, they fell away from
before him, and left him standing alone in the centre of the way.

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot, his horse is slain._]

Now there were a number of the archers of Sir Mellegrans lying hidden in
the rocks at the sides of that pass. These, seeing how that battle was
going and that Sir Launcelot had driven back their companions,
straightway fitted arrows to their bows and began shooting at the horse
of Sir Launcelot. Against these archers Sir Launcelot could in no wise
defend his horse, wherefore the steed was presently sorely wounded and
began plunging and snorting in pain so that Sir Launcelot could hardly
hold him in check. And still the archers shot arrow after arrow until by
and by the life began to go out of the horse. Then after a while the
good steed fell down upon his knees and rolled over into the dust; for
he was so sorely wounded that he could no longer stand.

But Sir Launcelot did not fall, but voided his saddle with great skill
and address, so that he kept his feet, wherefore his enemies were not
able to take him at such disadvantage as they would have over a fallen
knight who lay upon the ground.

So Sir Launcelot stood there in the midst of the way at the end of the
bridge, and he waved his sword this way and that way before him so that
not one of those, his enemies, dared to come nigh to him. For the terror
of him still lay upon them all and they dreaded those buffets he had
given them in the battle they had just fought with him.

Wherefore they stood at a considerable distance regarding Sir Launcelot
and not daring to come nigh to him; and they stood so for a long time.
And although the Green Knight