Then Sir Morgadour bethought him of another wile. The Soudan had sworn
to kill every Christian found in his camp, without regard to flag of
truce or ambassage. So Sir Morgadour persuaded Ernis to send Sir Guy to
the Soudan saying, that, since the war seemed likely to come to no
speedy issue, it should be settled by single combat between two
champions chosen from the Christian and the Saracen hosts. The counsel
seemed good to Ernis, but yet he liked not to risk his son-in-law's
life; wherefore he called his Parliament together and asked for some
bold knight to go and bear this message. When all the others held their
peace, Sir Guy demanded to be sent upon the business, neither could the
prayers and entreaties of Ernis cause him to forego the enterprise. He
clad himself in iron hose and a trusty hauberk, set a helm of steel,
gold-circled, on his head, and having girt his sword about him, leapt on
his steed without so much as touching stirrup, and rode up to the
Soudan's pavilion. He well knew it from the rest, since on the top
thereof flashed a great carbuncle stone.

There were feasting the Soudan, ten kings, and many barons, when Sir Guy
walked into the pavilion and delivered his message with great roughness
of speech. "Seize him and slay him!" cried the Soudan. But Sir Guy cut
his way through his assailants and rushing on the Soudan cut off his
head; and while he stooped to pick up the trophy with his left hand,
with his right he slew six Saracens, then fought his passage past them
all to the tent door, and leapt upon his horse. But the whole Saracen
host being roused he never would have got back for all his bravery, but
that Heraud within the city saw in a dream the danger he was in, and
assembling the Greek army and Sir Guy's knights, came to his rescue and
put the Saracens to flight. Then after the battle, Sir Guy came in
triumph to Constantinople and laid the Soudan's head at the feet of the
Emperor Ernis.