"Ha, damsel," saith he, "Who slew these knights so foully?"
"Sir," saith she, "The Knight of the Galley that singeth in the sea."
"And wherefore hath he hanged them in such wise?"
"For this," saith she, "that they believed in God and His sweet Mother. And so behoveth me to watch them here for forty days, that none take them down of hanging, for and they were taken hence he would lose his castle, he saith, and would cut off my head."
"By my head," saith Meliot, "Such watch is foul shame to damsel, and no longer shall you remain here."
"Ha, Sir," saith the damsel, "Then shall I be a dead woman, for he is of so great cruelty that none scarce might protect me against him."
II.
"Damsel," saith Meliot, "Foul shame would it be and I left here these knights in such wise for the reproach of other knights."
Meliot made them graves with his sword, and so buried them the best he might.
"Sir," saith the damsel, "And you take not thought to protect me, the knight will slay me. To-morrow, when he findeth not the knights, he will search all the forest to look for me."