Thereupon, lo you, where two knights come in front of the tent on their
horses, all armed, and see Messire Gawain that was mounted and had his
shield on his neck and his spear in his fist, as he that thinketh to go
without doing aught further. And the knights come before him: "Sir,"
say they, "Pay for your lodging! Last night did we put ourselves to
misease on your account and left you the tent and all that is therein
at your pleasure, and now you are fain to go in this fashion."
"What pleaseth it you that I should do?" saith Messire Gawain.
"It is meet I should requite you of my victual and the honour of the
tent."
Thereupon, lo you, where the two damsels come that were of right great
beauty. "Sir Knight," say they, "Now shall we see whether you be King
Arthur's nephew!"
"By my faith," saith the dwarf, "Methinketh this is not he that shall
do away the evil custom whereby we lose the coming hither of knights!
Albeit if he may do it, I will forego mine ill will toward him."
Messire Gawain thus heard himself mocked by day as well as by night and
had great shame thereof. He seeth that he may not depart without a
fight. One of the knights drew to backward and was alighted; the other
was upon his horse all armed, his shield on his neck and grasping his
spear in his fist. And he cometh toward Messire Gawain full career and
Messire Gawain toward him, and smiteth him so wrathfully that he
pierceth his shield and pinneth his shield to his arm and his arm to
his rib and thrusteth his spear into his body, and hurtleth against him
so sore that he beareth him to the ground, him and his horse together
at the first blow.
"By my head! Look at Messire Gawain the counterfeit! Better doth he
to-day than he did last night!"
He draweth back his spear, and pulleth forth his sword and runneth upon
him, when the knight crieth him mercy and saith that he holdeth himself
vanquished. Messire Gawain bethinketh him what he shall do and whether
the damsels are looking at him.
"Sir knight," saith the elder, "Need you not fear the other knight
until such time as this one be slain, nor will the evil custom be done
away so long as this one is on live. For he is the lord of the other
and because of the shameful custom hath no knight come hither this
right long space."
"Hearken now," saith the knight, "the great disloyalty of her! Nought
in the world is there she loved so well in seeming as did she me, and
now hath she adjudged me my death!"
"Again I tell you plainly," saith she, "that never will it be done away
unless he slay you."
Thereupon Messire Gawain lifteth the skirt of his habergeon and
thrusteth his sword into his body. Thereupon, lo you, the other
knight, right angry and sorrowful and full of wrath for his fellow that
he seeth dead, and cometh in great rage to Messire Gawain and Messire
Gawain to him, and so stoutly they mell together that they pierce the
shields and pierce the habergeons and break the flesh of the ribs with
the points of their spears, and the bodies of the knights and their
horses hurtle together so stiffly that saddle-bows are to-frushed and
stirrups loosened and girths to-brast and fewtres splintered and spears
snapped short, and the knights drop to the ground with such a shock
that the blood rayeth forth at mouth and nose. In the fall that the
knight made, Messire Gawain brake his collar-bone in the hurtle.
Thereupon the dwarf crieth out: "Damsel, your counterfeit Gawain doth
it well!"
"Our Gawain shall he be," say they, "so none take him from us!"
Messire Gawain draweth from over the knight and cometh toward his
horse, and right fain would he have let the knight live had it not been
for the damsels. For the knight crieth him mercy and Messire Gawain
had right great pity of him. Howbeit the damsels cry to him; "And you
slay him not, the evil custom will not be overthrown."
"Sir," saith the younger damsel, "And you would slay him, smite him in
the sole of his foot with your sword, otherwise will he not die yet."
"Damsel," saith the knight, "Your love of me is turned to shame! Never
more ought knight to set affiance nor love on damsel. But God keep the
other that they be not such as you!"
Messire Gawain marvelleth at this that the damsel saith to him, and
draweth him back, and hath great pity of the knight, and cometh to the
other side whither the horses were gone, and taketh the saddle of the
knight that was dead and setteth it on his own horse and draweth him
away. And the wounded knight was remounted, for the dwarf had helped
him, and fleeth toward the forest a great gallop. And the damsels cry
out, "Messire Gawain, your pity will be our death this day! For the
Knight without Pity is gone for succour, and if he escape, we shall be
dead and you also!"