"Who are you that holds me so tightly?" said Palamides.
"I am a man of this forest, and mean you no harm, but would save you from injury."
"Alas!" said the knight, "I shall never win honor where Sir Tristram is. Where he is not, only Lancelot or Lamorak can win from me the prize. More than once he has put me to the worse."
"What would you do if you had him?"
"I would fight him and ease my heart. And yet, sooth to say, he is a gentle and noble knight."
"Will you go with me to my lodging?"
"No; I will go to the king with the hundred knights. He rescued me from Bors and Hector, or they had slain me treacherously."
But by kind words Tristram got him to his pavilion, where he did what he could to cheer him. But Palamides could not sleep for anguish of soul, and rose before dawn and secretly left the tent, making his way to the pavilions of Gaheris and Sagramour le Desirous, who had been his companions in the tournament.
Not far had the next day's sun risen in the eastern sky, when King Arthur bade the heralds blow the call to the lists, and with warlike haste the knights came crowding in to the last day of the well-fought tournament.
Fiercely began the fray, King Carados and his ally, the king of Ireland, being smitten from their horses early in the day. Then came in Palamides full of fury, and made sad work among his foes, being known to all by his indented shield.