a way out, and rushed upon the young men, and instantly slew them.
So Luned was saved from being burned.

Then Owain returned with Luned to the dominions of the Countess of
the Fountain. And when he went thence he took the Countess with him
to Arthur's Court, and she was his wife as long as she lived.


And then he took the road that led to the Court of the savage black
man, and Owain fought with him, and the lion did not quit Owain until
he had vanquished him. And when he reached the Court of the savage
black man he entered the hall, and beheld four-and-twenty ladies, the
fairest that could be seen. And the garments which they had on were
not worth four-and twenty pence, and they were as sorrowful as death.
And Owain asked them the cause of their sadness. And they said, "We
are the daughters of Earls, and we all came here with our husbands,
whom we dearly loved. And we were received with honour and
rejoicing. And we were thrown into a state of stupor, and while we
were thus, the demon who owns this Castle slew all our husbands, and
took from us our horses, and our raiment, and our gold, and our
silver; and the corpses of our husbands are still in this house, and
many others with them. And this, Chieftain, is the cause of our
grief, and we are sorry that thou art come hither, lest harm should
befall thee."

And Owain was grieved when he heard this. And he went forth from the
Castle, and he beheld a knight approaching him, who saluted him in a
friendly and cheerful manner, as if he had been a brother. And this
was the savage black man. "In very sooth," said Owain, "it is not to
seek thy friendship that I am here." "In sooth," said he, "thou