Then Sir Andred came and stood in front of Sir Tristram and taunted him, saying:  “Ha, Tristram, how is it with thee now?  Lo! thou camest like a spy into this place, and now thou art taken with all thy treason upon thee.  So thou shalt die no knightly death, but, in a little while, thou shalt be hanged like a thief.”

Then he came close to Sir Tristram, and he laughed and said:  “Tristram where is now the glory of thy strength that one time overcame all thine enemies?  Lo! thou art helpless to strike a single blow in defence of thine honor.”  And therewith Sir Andred lifted his hand and smote Sir Tristram upon the face with the palm thereof.

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram slays Sir Andred] At that blow the rage of Sir Tristram so flamed up in him that his eyes burned as with pure green fire.  And in an instant, so quickly that no man wist what he did, he turned with amazing suddenness upon that knight who stood at his left hand, and he lifted up both hands that were bound, and he smote that knight such a blow upon the face that the knight fell down upon the ground and his sword fell out of his hand.  Then Sir Tristram snatched the sword and, turning with astonishing quickness, he smote the knight upon his right hand such a buffet that he instantly fell down upon his knees and then rolled over upon the ground in a swoon.  Then Sir Tristram turned upon Sir Andred, and lifting high the sword with both hands tied, he smote him so terrible a blow that the blade cut through his epulier and half through his body as far as the paps.  At that great terrible blow the breath fled out of Sir Andred with a deep groan, and he fell down upon the ground and immediately died.

Now all this had happened so suddenly that they who beheld it were altogether amazed and stood staring as though bewitched by some spell.  But when they beheld Sir Tristram turn upon them and make at them with that streaming sword lifted on high, the terror of his fury so seized upon them that they everywhere broke from before him and fled, yelling, and with the fear of death clutching them in the vitals.  And Sir Tristram chased them out of that place and into the courtyard of the castle, and some he smote down and others escaped; but all who could do so scattered away before him like chaff before the wind.

Then, when they were gone, Sir Tristram stood panting and glaring about him like a lion at bay.  Then he set the point of his sword upon the pavement of the court and the pommel thereof he set against his breast, and he drew the bonds that held his wrists across the edge of the sword so that they were cut and he was free.

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram defends the chapel] But Sir Tristram wist that in a little the whole castle would be aroused against him, and that he would certainly be overwhelmed by dint of numbers, wherefore he looked about him for some place of refuge; and he beheld that the door of the chapel which opened upon the courtyard stood ajar.  So he ran into the chapel and shut to that door and another door and locked and bolted them both, and set a heavy bar of wood across both of them so that for a while he was safe.