King Arthur's Knights
before the gateway, and saw two youths with curling auburn hair, clad
richly in garments of yellow satin, with frontlets of gold upon their
forehead. And they had daggers with jewelled hilts, and these they were
shooting at a mark.
'And on a bench a little way from them was a handsome man in the prime
of life, of a proud look, clad in a rich mantle.
'I went forward and saluted him, and he returned my greeting with great
courtesy. And, rising, he led me into the hall, which, however, was but
poorly furnished. And I wondered that the knight and the youths should
be so richly clothed, while the hall was scanty.
'Six maidens came forward, and while three took my horse, the others
unarmed me, and gave me water wherein to wash, and a dining-robe to put
on. And the six maidens were fairer than any I had ever seen. Then we
sat down when the meat was ready, and though the food was good, it was
simple, and the vessels and flagons upon the table were of silver, but
very old and dented, as if they had been long in use.
'And no word was spoken until the meal was ended, and then the knight
asked me my name and whither I was going.
'I told him my name, and he told me his. And he was, he said, Sir Dewin
of Castle Cower. And I told him that I was faring south seeking any
great adventure, so that I might gain glory and renown. "For," I said,
"I wish to find a knight who is stronger and more dexterous in arms
than I."
'At that he looked upon me and smiled.
'"If I did not fear to distress you too much," he said, "I would show
you what you seek!"
'"Tell me," I said, "for I am eager to obtain this adventure."
'"Sleep here to-night," said Sir Dewin, "and in the morning rise early,
and take the road to the wood behind the castle. Follow the path till
you come to a fountain in a glade. There you will see a large cup, with
a chain. Strike the cup with your lance, and you will have the
adventure ye desire."
'And Sir Dewin smiled again as if he thought the adventure was one
which he deemed was beyond me, and I was angered and soon retired to my
pallet. But I could not sleep, for I was eager to rise and meet this
adventure, and to come back and mock Sir Dewin for his laughter.
'Before dawn I arose and equipped myself, and mounted my horse, and
took my way to the wood, as Sir Dewin had told me. And the road was
long and difficult; but at length I came to the glade and found the
fountain. On a stone pillar beside it a chain was fastened, and at the
end of the chain was a large cup.
'With my lance I struck the cup, and instantly there was a great peal
of thunder, so that I trembled for fear. And instantly there came a
great storm of rain and of hail. The hailstones were so large and so
hard that neither man nor beast could live through that storm, for they
would have slain them, so fiercely did they beat. And the way that I
escaped was this. I placed the beak of my shield over the head and neck
of my horse, while I held the upper part over my own head. Thus did we
withstand the storm, though the flanks of my horse were sore wounded.
'Then the sky cleared, the sun came out, and a flock of birds began to
sing on a tree beside the fountain. And surely no one has heard such
entrancing music before or since. So charmed was I with listening, that
I noticed not at first a low rumbling which seemed to come nearer and
nearer.
'And suddenly I heard a voice approaching me, and I looked round just
as a big knight in sky-blue armour rode swiftly up the valley.
'"O knight," cried he, "what ill have I done to thee, that thou usest
me so evilly? Knowest thou not that the storm which thou hast sent by
evil magic hath slain my best flocks on the hills, and beaten to death
all my men that were without shelter?"
'He came at me furiously. I put my lance in rest and spurred towards
him, and we came together with so great an onset that I was carried far
beyond the crupper of my horse.
'Then the knight, taking no further notice of me, passed the shaft of
his lance through the bridle of my horse, and so rode swiftly away. And
it moved me to anger to think he despised me so much as not even to
despoil me of my sword.
'Very depressed of spirit was I as I took my way back to the castle of
Sir Dewin. And as I passed through the wood I came to a glade, in the
midst of which was a green mound. And as I passed it I heard laughter,
which seemed to come from the earth. And I heard a voice sneering and
mocking me. And I guessed it was the voice of a troll or moundman whom
I could not see, who lived in the hillock, and I wonder I did not go
mad with the shame of his derision.
'And I had not the spirit to go to try to break into the mound, lest he
should work magic and more disaster upon me. So I left that glade, with
the sound of his hoarse laughter ringing in my ears.
'I reached the castle of Sir Dewin, and well entertained was I, and
rested for the remainder of that day. And full of courtesy was Sir
Dewin and his household, for none of them referred to my encounter, and
to the fact that I had come back without a horse. And when I rose next
day, there was a dark bay palfrey, ready saddled, waiting in the
courtyard for me. That horse I still possess, though the sight of him
ever brings back the memory of my defeat.
'Verily it seems strange to me that neither before nor since have I
ever heard of any person besides myself who knew of this adventure, and
that the subject of it should exist within the bounds of the lands of
King Arthur, without any other person lighting upon it.'
'It would be well, indeed,' said Sir Owen, 'to go to try to discover
that valley and that fountain.'
'Well, indeed,' said Sir Kay sourly, for he had ever been jealous of
Sir Owen, even when he had been but a page, 'if thy mouth were not more
ready to say more than thou ever carest to do.'
'Thou art worthy of punishment, Sir Kay,' said Gwenevere sharply, 'in
that thou speakest thus of a man so tried in prowess and brave deeds as
Owen.'
'Fair lady,' said Sir Owen, laughing, 'we take no heed of Kay's raw
words. He ever growls like a surly dog.'
At that the king awoke, and asked whether it was not time for meat. And
the horn was sounded, and men came in from the tilting-ground and the
play-field, and washed, and the king and all his household sat down to
dinner.
On the morrow, before dawn, Sir Owen rose privily, and put on his
armour and took his horse, and rode out of the town, and for many days
rode over mountains, until he saw the sea like a sheet of burnished
lead lying on his left hand.
Then he turned his horse's head away, and rode far through wild and
distant places, into the heart of the land. And at length he arrived at
the valley which Conan had described to him, whereat he rejoiced
greatly.
He descended to the path beside the river, and journeyed along it till
he came to the castle of Sir Dewin, as Conan had described. And the two
youths were on the green before the gate wrestling together, and the
tall knight of proud mien was standing by. To Owen it seemed that he
was fiercer and prouder-looking than Conan had described. Nevertheless,
he returned the salute of Sir Owen courteously and led him into the
castle.
Sir Owen was entertained as well as Conan had been, though the hall
seemed poorer, the food coarser, and the maidens seemed careworn, and
not so fair as his friend had described. After the meal Sir Dewin asked
Sir Owen who he was and whither he wended, and Sir Owen replied:
'I have heard of the Knight of the Fountain, and I would fight him and
overcome him, if I may.'
Whereat Sir Dewin looked at him with keen fierce eyes, and observed
narrowly the build of Sir Owen's body.
'Knowest thou aught of the prize if thou slayest the Knight of the
Fountain?' asked Sir Dewin.
'Naught know I of that,' answered Sir Owen; 'but I would seek the
adventure, and whatever it will bring.'
At this the knight was silent, and seemed to brood for some moments,
with dark and frowning brows. Then he laughed and said:
'Take thou the path thou seest through the wood behind the castle.
Follow that till thou comest to a glade wherein is a great mound. There
ye will see a stone slab. Knock on that three times, and the troll-man
that dwells therein will tell thee thy further way.'
Sir Owen marked how evil was the smile with which Sir Dewin said these
words; but Sir Owen thanked him, and then he was shown to his pallet
and all retired to rest.
When he arose in the morning Sir Owen found his horse already prepared,
and, having put on his armour, he rode forth along the way which the
knight had indicated to him. And he came at last to the glade wherein
he saw the great mound, with grass growing all over it, as if it were a
little hill. In the side he saw a stone slab as if it were a door, and
he struck upon it with the butt of his lance.
Three times he struck, and at the third blow he heard a voice, rough
and loud, from somewhere above his head.
'Get thee gone,' cried the voice, 'darken not the door of my house, or
'twill be worse for thee.'
Sir Owen could not see who was speaking, for no one was visible.
'I would ask thee the way to the fountain,' he replied. 'Tell me, and I
will not trouble thee further, thou surly troll.'
'The fountain?' cried the voice. 'I will save thee thy journey, thou
overbearing knight, as I have saved it for others as proud and as
would-be valiant, whom my master hath sent to me!'
With that Sir Owen received so hard and fierce a blow upon his
headpiece that he was hard put to it to keep his wits and his seat; and
looking round he saw the troll, a fierce dark little man, on the very
top of the mound, wielding a long thick bar of iron, as thick as a
weaver's beam.
Sir Owen thrust at the troll with his lance; but the moundman seized it
below the point of steel, and so strong was he, that though Sir Owen
drew him down from the top of the hillock, he could not loose it from
the little man's hold.
Meanwhile, the troll was beating at Sir Owen with the staff of iron,
which, for all its weight and size, he wielded as if it was no more
than a stout cudgel. And hard bestead was Sir Owen to shield himself
from the smashing blows which rained upon him. At the seventh blow his
shield was cracked across and his shield arm was numbed.
Suddenly he dashed his horse forward, and the little man, still holding
the lance, was thrown backward upon the grassy slope of his own mound.
Swiftly Sir Owen leaped from his horse and drew his sword, and while
the troll was rising he dashed at him and wounded him.
But next moment the troll was up, his dark narrow face terrible with
rage, for the blood ran down the deer-skin tunic which half covered
him. And then the blows of his iron rod came thicker and faster, while
he moved so swiftly round about the knight that Sir Owen, though he
thrust quickly and fiercely, could not strike him again.
Sir Owen was becoming dizzy and weak, and felt that not for long now
could he bear up his dented and broken shield against the blows that
must at length smash his arm.
Suddenly the quick movements of the little troll ceased, and he
staggered. Then he dropped the iron bar and swayed like a drunken man
towards the knight. He fell on his knees before Sir Owen, put his head
upon the ground, and clutched the knight's steel-clad foot as if to put
it upon his neck. But he could do no more, and so lay panting and spent
with exhaustion.
And Sir Owen could not find it in himself to pierce him through with
his sword, for the troll's subjection made pity come into his heart.
'Ah, sir troll!' said the knight, panting also, and very fain to rest.
'A brave troll thou art, seeing thou hast used no magic, but hath
fought me like a very man.'