“No matter for that,” said Sir Phelot; “as for the shame of it, I take no thought of it.  I tell thee thou shalt have no grace nor mercy from me.  Wherefore make thy peace with Heaven, for thine hour is come.”

“Sir Knight,” said Sir Launcelot, “I ask only one boon of thee; if thou art of a mind to take so much shame upon thee, as appears to be the case, let me not, at least, die like a felon without any weapon.  Let me have my sword in my hand, even if I have no other defence.  For if a knight must die, it is a shame for him to die without weapons.  So hang my sword upon yonder bough, where I may reach it, and then thou mayst slay me.”

“Nay,” said Sir Phelot, “I will not do that, for I know very well how wonderful is thy prowess.  Wherefore I believe that even if thou wert otherwise unarmed thou mightst overcome me if thou hadst thy sword.  So I will give thee no such chance, but will have my will of thee as thou art.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot is put to a sad pass to escape] Then Sir Launcelot was put to a great pass of anxiety, for he wist not what to do to escape from that danger in which he lay.  Wherefore he looked all about him and above him and below him, and at last he beheld a great branch of the elm tree just above his head, very straight and tough.  So he catched this branch and broke it off from the tree and shaped it to a club of some sort.  Then he came lower, and the knight waited to strike him with his sword, when he was low enough; but Sir Launcelot did not come low enough for that.

Then Sir Launcelot perceived that his horse stood below him and a little to one side, so of a sudden he ran out along the branch whereon he stood and he leaped quickly down to the earth upon the farther side of his horse from where the knight stood.

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot overcomes Sir Phelot with a strange weapon] At this Sir Phelot ran at him and lashed at him with his sword, thinking to slay him before he had recovered from his leap.  But Sir Launcelot was quicker than he, for he recovered his feet and put away the blow of Sir Phelot with his club which he held.  Then he ran in upon Sir Phelot under his sword arm, and before he could use his sword he struck Sir Phelot with all his might upon the side of his head.  And he struck him very quickly again, and he struck him the third time, all in the space whilst one might count two.  And those blows he struck were so direful that Sir Phelot fell down upon his knees, all stunned and bedazed, and the strength went out of his thews because of faintness.  Then Sir Launcelot took the sword out of the hand of Sir Phelot and Sir Phelot did not have strength to deny him.  And Sir Launcelot plucked off Sir Phelot’s helm and catched him by the hair and dragged his neck forward so as to have ease to strike his head from off his body.