commanded them to fight, they would not
fight any more against Sir Launcelot, so the Green Knight had to give
orders for them to cease that battle and to depart from that place. This
they did, leaving Sir Launcelot standing where he was.

Thus Sir Launcelot with his single arm won a battle against all that
multitude of enemies as I have told.

But though Sir Launcelot had thus won that pass with great credit and
honor to himself, fighting as a single man against so many, yet he was
still in a very sorry plight. For there he stood, a full-armed man with
such a great weight of armor upon him that he could hardly hope to walk
a league, far less to reach the castle of Sir Mellegrans afoot. Nor knew
he what to do in this extremity, for where could he hope to find a horse
in that thick forest, where was hardly a man or a beast of any sort?
Wherefore, although he had won his battle, he was yet in no ease or
satisfaction of spirit.

* * * * *

Thus it was that Sir Launcelot went upon that adventure; and now you
shall hear how it sped with him further, if so be you are pleased to
read that which followeth.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: How Sir Launcelot rode errant in a cart.]

[Illustration]

Chapter Second

_How Sir Launcelot rode in a cart to rescue Queen Guinevere and how he
came in that way to the castle of Sir Mellegrans._

Now after Sir Launcelot was thus left by his enemies standing alone in
the road as aforetold of, he knew not for a while what to do, nor how he
should be able to get him away from that place.

As he stood there adoubt as to what to do in this sorry case, he by and
by heard upon one side from out of the forest the sound of an axe at a
distance away, and thereat he was very glad, for he wist that help was
nigh. So he took up his shield on his shoulder and his spear in his hand
and thereupon directed his steps toward where he heard that sound of the
axe, in hopes that there he might find some one who could aid in his
extremity. So after a while, he came forth into a little open glade of
the forest where he beheld a fagotmaker chopping fagots. And he beheld
the fagotmaker had there a cart and a horse for to fetch his fagots from
the forest.

But when the fagotmaker saw an armed knight come thus like a shining
vision out of the forest, walking afoot, bearing his shield upon his
shoulder, and his spear in his hand, he knew not what to think of such a
si