Stories of the Days of King Arthur

by Charles Henry Hanson

Afterwards the king and queen and all the knights went to dinner; and as they sat, a white hart came running into the hall, and close after him a white hound, and behind, thirty couples of black hounds that made a great cry. The hart ran round the tables, and as he came near the door again the white hound leaped up at him and bit him sorely. Then the hart gave a great bound, and overthrew a knight that sat near the door, and so escaped out of the hall. Immediately the knight arose, took the white hound in his arms, mounted his horse, and rode away with it. Then a lady mounted on a white palfrey came into the hall, and cried aloud to the king—

“Sir, suffer me not to have this despite, for the white hound that was taken by that knight is mine.”

“I will not meddle in the matter,” said King Arthur. Then suddenly a knight well armed rode into the hall, and seized the lady, and carried her away, albeit she made a great outcry. When she was gone, Merlin said that unless these adventures were taken up, it would be a great dishonour; and at his advice Sir Gawaine was appointed to follow the hart, and bring it to the court; Sir Tor, the knight with the hound; and King Pellinore, the knight with the lady. Each of the three knights, at the king’s command, undertook the quest that was given him; and they armed themselves, and set forth without delay.

Sir Gawaine followed at a hard pace after the hart, and his brother Gaheris, who was not yet made knight, went with him as his squire. When they had gone some little way, they came to where two knights were fighting very stoutly on horseback. Sir Gawaine rode between them, and asked what their quarrel was.

“It is in truth a simple matter,” answered one of the knights, “the more as we are brothers bom; but it happened that as we were riding forth this morning we saw a white hart pass, with a white hound in full cry after him. Both of us desired to go after them, to take up the adventure. I claimed it because I am the elder; but my brother said it should belong to him, because he was the better knight; and thereupon we fought, to determine whether he or I was the better.”

“That is not a quarrel on which two brothers ought to fight,” said Gawaine. “But you must understand that the quest of the hart has been given to me by King Arthur; and if you will not yield to me, and do according to my ordinance, you shall have to do with me.”

Then the brothers yielded to him, for they were wearied with fighting, and had lost much blood. And Gawaine bade them go and yield themselves to King Arthur, and tell him that they had been sent by the knight who followed the quest of the white hart. Their names were Sir Surluse and Sir Brian of the Forest.

Sir Gawaine and Gaheris went on their way, and presently they came within sight of the white hart, that ran but slowly, because the hound had wounded him; and the black hounds were still following him in full cry. In front there was a great river, and the hart sprang into it, and swam across. Gawaine was preparing to follow; but on the other side of the river there stood an armed knight, who called out to Sir Gawaine that if he came over the river after the hart, he must needs joust with him.

“As for that,” answered Gawaine, “I will not fail to undertake whatever may befall in the quest I am in.”

So he and Gaheris swam their horses over the river, and on the farther side the knight and Gawaine met in full course, and Gawaine smote the other off his horse. Then he bade him yield; but the knight drew his sword, and dared him to fight on foot. Gawaine got off his horse, and both fought together furiously; but Gawaine struck the stranger so hard on the helm that the sword edge pierced even to his brain, and he fell down dead.