bird was there and was shouting defiance at them. And worse yet, that
in these shouts of defiance there was laughter and taunt and jest at
their expense.

"What now?" asked the cruel and crafty king.

Nor could one of his men tell him.




CHAPTER SIXTEEN

To The Rescue


"Methinks," said King Arthur on the fourth day of their journey into
Scotland that we will not find this Sir Tristram. What say you
Gawaine?"

"Only that I cannot find it in me to do aught but agree with you," the
latter made reply. "And I advise that we return, for had Tristram made
his journey hitherward we should long ago have had inkling of it."

"So then, we return today, friends," Arthur announced to his knights.
"We have it in us to hope that Percival and Launcelot have had better
fortune than we."

And none loath, the party joyously made preparations for return. It
had been an eventless search for the brave knight, Tristram, and these