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Chapter XIII
”ThenwasSirBorsashamed,andtookhishorseandrodetotheendofthelists.
ButerehecouldmeetSirMadorhewaswareofaknightuponawhitehorse,armedatallpoints,andwithastrangeshield,whorodetohimandsaid,“Iprayyouwithdrawfromthisquarrel,foritismine,andIhaveriddenfartofightinit.”
ThereatSirBorsrodetoKingArthur,andtoldhimthatanotherknightwascomewhowoulddobattleforthequeen.
“Whoishe?”saidKingArthur.
“Imaynottellyou,”saidSirBors;“buthemadeacovenantwithmetobehereto-day,whereforeIamdischarged.”
Thenthekingcalledthatknight,andaskedhimifhewouldfightforthequeen.
“ThereforecameIhither,Sirking,”answeredhe;“butletustarrynolonger,foranonIhaveothermatterstodo.Butwityewell,”saidhetotheKnightsoftheRoundTable,“itisshametoyeforsuchacourteousqueentosufferthisdishonour.”
Andallmenmarvelledwhothisknightmightbe,fornoneknewhimsaveSirBors.
ThenSirMadorandtheknightrodetoeitherendofthelists,andcouchingtheirspears,ranoneagainsttheotherwithalltheirmight;andSirMador’sspearbrokeshort,butthestrangeknightborebothhimandhishorsedowntotheground.Thenlightlytheyleapedfromtheirsaddlesanddrewtheirswords,andsocameeagerlytothebattle,andeithergavetheothermanysadstrokesandsoreanddeepwounds.
Thustheyfoughtnighanhour,forSirMadorwasafullstrongandvaliantknight.Butatlastthestrangeknightsmotehimtotheearth,andgavehimsuchabuffetonthehelmaswellnighkilledhim.
