“Well,” said Sir Launcelot, “I believe it would be a good thing for any knight to do to rid the world of such an evil-disposed knight as that, so if I have the good fortune to overcome this Sir Turquine, I give my knightly word that I will undertake this adventure for thy sake, if so be thou wilt go with me for to show me the way to his castle.”

“That I will do with all gladness,” said the damsel, “for it is great pride for any lady to ride with you upon such an adventure.”

Thus they talked, and all was arranged betwixt them.  And thus they rode very pleasantly through that valley for the distance of two leagues or a little more, until they came to that place where the road crossed the smooth stream of water afore told of; and there was the castle of Sir Turquine as afore told of; and there was the thorn-bush and the basin hanging upon the thorn-bush as afore told of.  Then the maiden said:  “Sir Launcelot, beat upon that basin and so thou shalt summon Sir Turquine to battle with thee.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot smites upon the basin] So Sir Launcelot rode to that basin where it hung and he smote upon it very violently with the butt of his spear.  And he smote upon that basin again and again until he smote the bottom from out it; but at that time immediately no one came.

Then, after a while, he was ware of one who came riding toward him, and he beheld that he who came riding was a knight very huge of frame, and long and strong of limb.  And he beheld that the knight was clad entirely in black, and that the horse upon which he rode and all the furniture of the horse was black.  And he beheld that this knight drave before him another horse, and that across the saddle of that other horse there lay an armed knight, bound hand and foot; and Sir Launcelot wist that the sable knight who came riding was that Sir Turquine whom he sought.

[Sidenote:  The sable knight bringeth Sir Gaheris captive] So Sir Turquine came very rapidly along the highway toward where Sir Launcelot sat, driving that other horse and the captive knight before him all the while.  And as they came nearer and nearer Sir Launcelot thought that he should know who the wounded knight was and when they came right close, so that he could see the markings of the shield of that captive knight, he wist that it was Sir Gaheris, the brother of Sir Gawaine, and the nephew of King Arthur, whom Sir Turquine brought thither in that wise.

At this Sir Launcelot was very wroth; for he could not abide seeing a fellow-knight of the Round Table treated with such disregard as that which Sir Gaheris suffered at the hands of Sir Turquine; wherefore Sir Launcelot rode to meet Sir Turquine, and he cried out:  “Sir Knight! put that wounded man down from his horse, and let him rest for a while, and we two will prove our strength, the one against the other!  For it is a shame for thee to treat a noble knight of the Round Table with such despite as thou art treating that knight.”