Shortly afterwards Dinadan left the castle, bidding a merry adieu to the lady, and rode so briskly forward that he soon overtook Tristram. He knew him at sight for his yesterday's comrade, and made a sour grimace at beholding him. "So," he said, "here again is my easy-going friend, who wears his armor for a holiday parade. You shall not get off so lightly to-day, fellow. You shall joust with me, despite your head." "Faith, I am not eager," said Tristram, "but a wilful man will have his way; so let us have it over, if fight we must." Then they rode at each other, and Dinadan broke a spear on Tristram's shield, but Tristram purposely missed him. Dinadan now bade him draw his sword. "Not I," he answered. "What makes you so warlike? I am not in the humor to fight." "You shame all knights by your cowardice." "So far as that goes, it troubles me little," said Tristram. "Suppose, my good sir, you take me under your protection. Though I bear arms I shall gladly accept the patronage of so worthy a knight as you." "The devil deliver me of you!" cried Dinadan. "You are a fellow of goodly build, and sit your horse like a warrior; but heaven knows if you have blood or water in your veins. What do you propose to do with those great spears that your squire carries?" "I shall give them to some good knight at the tournament. If you prove the best there, you are welcome to them." As they thus conversed they saw a knight-errant in the road before them, who sat with spear in rest as if eager to joust. "Come," said Tristram, "since you are so anxious for a fight, yonder is your man." "Shame betide you for a dastard," cried Dinadan. "Fight him yourself. You can't get more than a fall." "Not so. That knight seems a shrewish fellow. It will need a stronger hand than mine to manage him." "Good faith, then, here's to teach you a lesson," said Dinadan, and he rode fiercely against the other knight, with the unlucky result that he was thrust from his horse, and fell headlong to the earth. "What did I tell you?" said Tristram. "You had better have taken a lesson from my prudence, and let that good fellow alone." "The fiends take you, coward!" cried Dinadan, as he started to his feet and drew his sword. "Come, sir knight, you are my better on horseback, let us have it out on foot." "Shall it be in love or in anger?" said the other. "Let it be in love. I am saving all my anger for this do-nothing who came with me." "Then I pray you to tell me your name." "Folks call me Dinadan." "Ah, and I am your comrade Gareth. I will not fight with an old friend like Dinadan." "Nor I with you, by my faith!" cried Dinadan, seizing Gareth's hand and giving it a warm pressure. "Beaumains is safe from my spear. Here is a chap now, if you want to try your skill; but if you can get him to fight you must first learn the art of converting a coward into a man of valor."