"Damsel," saith Meliot, "The knight is but a man like as am I."
"Yea, Sir, but stronger is he and more cruel than seem you to be."
Meliot was in the chapel the night until the morrow, and heard the
knight coming like a tempest, and he brought with him the lady of the
castle and reviled her from time to time, and Meliot seeth him come,
and a dwarf that followeth after him a great pace. He crieth out to
him: "Sir, behold there the disloyal knight through whom you have lost
your castle. Now haste! Avenge yourself of him! After that will we go
to the death of Messire Gawain?"
Meliot, so soon as he espieth him, mounteth and maketh his arms ready.
"Is it you," saith the Knight of the Galley, "that hath trespassed on
my demesne and taken down my knights?"
"By my head, yours were they not! Rather were they the knights of God,
and foul outrage have you done herein when you slew them so shamefully."
He goeth toward the knight without more words, and smiteth him so
passing strong amidst the breast that he pierceth the habergeon and
thrusteth all the iron of his spear into his body and afterward draweth
it back to him with a great wrench. And the knight smiteth him so hard
on his shield that he maketh an ell's length pass beyond, for right
wroth was he that he was wounded. The dwarf crieth to him, "Away, then!
The knight endureth against you that have slain so many of them!"
The Knight of the Galley waxeth wood wrath. He taketh his career, and
cometh as fast as his horse may carry him, and smiteth Meliot so
strongly that he breaketh his spear in such sort that he maketh both
him and his horse stagger. But Meliot catcheth him better, for he
thrusteth the spear right through his body and hurleth against him at
the by-passing with such stoutness and force that he maketh him fall
dead to the ground from his horse. The dwarf thought to escape, but
Meliot smote off his head, whereof the damsels gave him great thanks,
for many a mischief had he wrought them.