“I will be on horseback,” answered the stranger. But as the king drew near he sprang from his horse lest it should be slain. Then he also drew his sword, and they fought furiously together, and struck strong strokes, giving each other many wounds; and they both grew at last so wearied that they could scarce stand. It chanced that as their swords clashed together, Arthur’s sword broke in two pieces. Then said the knight,—
“Thou art at my mercy, whether I list to spare thee or slay thee, and if thou do not yield as recreant, thou shalt die.”
“As for death,” answered the king, “welcome be it when it cometh; but rather than be so shamed as to yield recreant, I had liever die.” Then suddenly he leaped upon the other, and took him by the middle, and threw him to the ground But the strange knight was of exceeding strength, and he got the king under him, and raised his sword to slay him. Then Merlin, who had stood by, came up, and said,—
“Sir Knight, hold thy hand, for if thou slayest this knight thou wilt do this kingdom great damage. He is a man of greater rank than thou knowest of.”
“Why, who is he?” said the knight.
“It is King Arthur,” was the answer.
Then the stranger raised his sword again to kill the king, for he dreaded his wrath; but Merlin cast such an enchantment upon him that he fell asleep. After that, Merlin set the king on his horse again, and himself took the knight’s horse, and they rode away together.
“Alas!” cried the king, “what have you done, Merlin? Have you slain that good knight by your crafts? He is the best man of his hands that ever I met, and I would rather lose a year’s rents than that he should die.”
“Fear nothing, sir,” answered Merlin. “He is more whole than you are. He is but asleep, and will wake within these three hours.” And he told the king that the knight was Sir Pellinore—the same that had slain King Lot.
Then they rode to a hermitage where dwelt a holy man that was an excellent leech, and he searched the king’s wounds, and healed them in three days. Then they departed; and as they went Arthur said to Merlin, “I have no sword.”