[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram follows Sir Tauleas] Then Sir Tristram awoke from that maze and said, “I will do so.”  And therewith he ran away very rapidly into the forest, pursuing the direction that Sir Tauleas had taken.  And he ran for a great distance, and by and by, after a while, he beheld Sir Tauleas before him where he rode.  And by that time the lady was in a deep swoon and lay as though dead across the saddle of Sir Tauleas.  Then Sir Tristram cried out in a great voice:  “Stay, Sir Knight, and turn this way, for I come to take that lady away from thee and to bring her back unto her friend again!”

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram slays Sir Tauleas] Then Sir Tauleas turned him and beheld a naked man running after him with a sword in his hand, whereupon he was seized with a great rage of anger, so that he put that lady he carried down to the ground.  And he drew his sword and rushed at Sir Tristram very violently with intent to slay him.  And when he came nigh to Sir Tristram he arose up on his stirrups and lashed so terrible a blow at him that, had it met its mark, it would have cloven Sir Tristram in twain.  But Sir Tristram leaped aside and turned the blow very skilfully; and therewith a memory of his knightly prowess came upon him and he, upon his part, lashed a blow at Sir Tauleas that Sir Tauleas received very unexpectedly.  And that blow struck Sir Tauleas so terrible a buffet upon the head that the brain of Sir Tauleas swam, and he swayed about and then fell down from off his horse.  Therewith Sir Tristram ran to him and rushed his helmet from off his head.  And when he beheld the naked head of Sir Tauleas he catched it by the hair and drew the neck of Sir Tauleas forward.  Then Sir Tauleas cried out, “Spare me, fellow!” But Sir Tristram said, “I will not spare thee for thou art a wicked man!” And therewith he lifted his sword on high and smote off the head of Sir Tauleas so that it rolled down upon the ground.

After that, Sir Tristram went to the Lady and he chafed her hands and her face so that she revived from her swoon.  And when she was revived, he said:  “Lady, take cheer; for look yonder and thou wilt see thy enemy is dead, and so now I may take thee back again unto thy friend.”  And therewith the lady smiled upon Sir Tristram and catched his hand in hers and kissed it.

Then Sir Tristram lifted the lady upon the horse of Sir Tauleas, and after that he went back again to where he had left Sir Daynant and the swineherds; and he led the horse of Sir Tauleas by the bridle with the lady upon the back thereof and he bore the head of Sir Tauleas in his hand by the hair.

But when those swineherds saw Sir Tristram come forth thus out of the forest bringing that lady and bearing the head of Sir Tauleas, they were amazed beyond measure, and they said to one another:  “Of a certainty what this young knight hath just said is sooth and this madman is indeed some great champion in distress.  But who he is no one may know, since he himself doth not know.”