Then said Sir Gunther: "Meseems Sir Kay hath
grown very proud this morning. Now I will go and bring him back with me, or
else I will bring down his pride to earth." So he made haste and donned his
helmet and ran and took his shield and his spear, and mounted his horse and
rode after Sir Launcelot at a hard gallop. As he drew nigh to Sir Launcelot
he cried out: "Stay, Sir Knight! Turn again, and go with me!" "Why should I
go with you?" said Sir Launcelot. Quoth Sir Gunther: "Because you must
either return with me or do battle with me." "Well," said Sir Launcelot, "I
would rather do battle than return against my will." And at that Sir
Gunther was astonished, for Sir Kay was not wont to be so ready for a
battle. So Sir Launcelot set his shield and spear and took his stand, and
Sir Gunther took his stand. Then, when they were in all ways prepared, each
set spur to his horse and rushed together with terrible speed. So each
knight struck the other in the midst of his shield, but the onset of Sir
Launcelot was so terrible that it was not to be withstood, wherefore both
Sir Gunther and his horse were overthrown in such a cloud of dust that
nothing at all was to be seen of them until that cloud lifted.
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