Then there came a lady running from the castle, who cried, as she approached,--
"Oh, Lancelot, Lancelot, as thou art the flower of knights, help me to get my hawk, lest my lord destroy me! The hawk escaped me, and if my husband finds it gone, he is so hasty that I fear he will kill me."
"His name is Phelot. He is a knight of the king of Northgalis."
"Well, fair lady, since you know my name so well, and ask me on my knighthood to help you, I will try to get your hawk. But I am a poor climber, and the tree is high, with few boughs to help me."
"I trust you may," she replied, "for my life depends on your success."
Then Lancelot alighted and tied his horse to the tree, and begged the lady to help him remove his armor. When he was fully unarmed he climbed with much difficulty into the tree, and at length succeeded in reaching the hawk. He now tied the lines to a rotten branch and threw it and the bird down to the lady.
But as she picked it up with a show of joy, there suddenly came from a grove an armed knight, who rode rapidly up, with his drawn sword in his hand.
"Now, Lancelot du Lake," he cried, "I have you as I wanted you. Your day has come."
And he stood by the trunk of the tree, ready to slay him when he should descend.
"What treason is this?" demanded Lancelot. "False woman, why have you led me into this?"
"She did as I bade her," said Phelot. "I hate you, Lancelot, and have laid this trap for you. You have fought your last fight, my bold champion, for you come out of that tree but to your death."
"That would be a shameful deed," cried Lancelot, "for you, an armed knight, to slay a defenceless man through treachery."
"Help yourself the best you can," said Phelot; "you get no grace from me."
"You will be shamed all your life by so base an act," cried Lancelot. "If you will do no more, at least hang my sword upon a bough where I may get it, and then you may do your best to slay me."
"No, no," said Phelot. "I know you too well for that. You get no weapon if I can hinder you."
Lancelot was now in the most desperate strait he was likely ever to endure. He could not stay forever in the tree, and if he should attempt to descend there stood that armed villain awaiting him with ready sword. What to do he knew not, but his eyes glanced warily round, till he saw just above him a big leafless branch, which he broke off close to the body of the tree. Thus armed, he climbed down to a lower bough, and looked down to note the position of the knight and his own horse.