castle, and as soon as he had been thus relieved the sable knight rode very
violently up to where Sir Ector was. As soon as he had come to the water's
edge he cried out: "Sir Knight, come forth from out of that water and do me
battle."

"Very well," said Sir Ector, "I will do so, though it will, I think, be to
thy very great discomfort."

[Sidenote: Sir Ector essays battle with the sable knight] With that he
came quickly out from the ford, the water whereof was all broken and
churned into foam at his passing, and straightway he cast aside his spear
and drew his sword and, driving against that sable knight, he smote him
such a buffet that his horse turned twice about.

"Ha," said the black knight, "that is the best blow that ever I had struck
me in all of my life." Therewith he rushed upon Sir Ector, and without
using a weapon of any sort he catched him about the body, underneath the
arms, and dragged him clean out of his saddle, and flung him across the
horn of his own saddle. Thereupon, having accomplished this marvellous
feat, and with Sir Ector still across his saddle-bow, he rode up unto his
castle, nor stopped until he had reached the court-yard of the keep. There
he set Sir Ector down upon the stone pavement. Then he said: "Messire, thou
hast done to me this day what no other knight hath ever done to me before,
wherefore, if thou wilt promise to be my man from henceforth, I will let
thee go free and give thee great rewards for thy services as well."

But Sir Ector was filled very full of shame, wherefore he cried out
fiercely, "Rather would I lie within a prison all my life than serve so
catiff a knight as thou, who darest to treat other knights as thou hast
just now treated me."