No More Learning

Now do not shame me; I said you would win. Strike! strike! and the wind
will change again. "

Gareth struck harder, he hewed great pieces of armor from the old
knight, but clashed in vain with his sword against the hard skin, until
at last he lashed the Evening-star's sword and broke it at the hilt. "I
have you now! " he shouted, but the cowardly knight of the Evening-star
writhed his arms about the lad till Gareth was almost strangled. Yet
straining himself to the uttermost he finally _tossed his foe headlong
over the side of the bridge_ to sink or to swim as the waves allowed.

"Lead and I follow," Gareth said to Lynette.

"No, it is lead no longer," the maiden replied. "Ride beside me the
knightliest of all kitchen knaves. Sir I am ashamed that I have treated
you so. Pardon me. I do wonder who you are, you knave. "

"You are not to blame for anything," Gareth said, "except for your
mistrusting of the king when he sent you some one to defend you.
You
said what you thought and I answered by my actions. "

At that moment he heard the hoofs of a horse clattering in the road
behind him. "Stay! " cried a knight with a veiled shield, "I have come to
avenge my friend, Sir Kay. "

Gareth turned, and in a thrice had closed in upon the stranger, but when
he felt the touch of the stranger knight's magical spear, which was the
wonder of the world he fell to the earth. As he felt the grass in his
hands he burst into laughter.

[Illustration: TOSSED HIS FOE OVER THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. ]

"Why do you laugh? " asked Lynette.

"Because here am I, the son of old King Lot and good Queen Bellicent,
the victor of the three bridges, and a knight of Arthur's thrown by no
one knows whom. "

"I have come to help you and not harm you," said the strange knight,
revealing himself. It was Lancelot, whom King Arthur had sent to keep a
guardian eye upon young Gareth in this his first quest, to prevent him
from being killed or taken away.

"And why did you refuse to come when I wanted you, and now come just in
time to shame my poor defender just when I was beginning to feel proud
of him? " asked Lynette.

"But he isn't shamed," Lancelot answered. "What knight is not overthrown
sometimes?