Bagdemagus now rode forward with a squire, that he might send back tidings of his good or ill fortune, and passed onward for two miles, when he found himself in a valley before a hermitage. Here he saw a stalwart knight in white armor, horse and all, who, in seeing the red-cross shield, rode upon him at the full speed of his charger. Bagdemagus put his spear in rest and rode to meet him, but his spear broke on the white knight, while he was wounded in the right shoulder and borne from his horse, the treacherous shield refusing to cover him. Then the victor knight alighted and took the white shield from him, saying,-- "Sir knight, you have acted with more folly than wisdom, for you should have known that only he who has no peer living can safely bear this shield." Then he went to the squire who had come with King Bagdemagus, and said,-- "Bear this shield to the good knight Sir Galahad, whom you left in the abbey, and greet him from me." "What shall I tell him is your name?" "Take no heed of my name. That is not for you to know, nor for any earthly man. Content yourself with telling Sir Galahad that this shield is for him, and for no other man to wear. And may God aid him to bear it worthily and worshipfully." But the squire went first to Bagdemagus and asked him if he were seriously wounded. "Forsooth, I am," he said. "I shall scarce escape from death." The squire then conveyed him in great pain to the hermitage, and left him in care of the hermit. And as the chronicle tells, he lay there long, and barely escaped with life. [Illustration: Copyright 1895 by E. A. Abbey; from a Copely print copyright 1896 by Curtis and Cameron. OATH OF KNIGHTHOOD.] "Sir Galahad," said the squire, when he had returned to the abbey, "King Bagdemagus has paid dearly for his venture. He lies at a hermitage sorely wounded. As for you, the knight that overthrew him sends you greeting, and bids you to bear this shield, through which marvellous adventures shall come to you." "Then blessed be God and fortune," said Galahad. He now resumed his arms and mounted his horse, hanging the white shield about his neck and commending himself to God. Uwaine offered to bear him company, but this was not to be. "Sir knight," said Galahad, "I thank you for your offer, but I must go alone, save that this squire shall bear me fellowship." With these words the youthful knight rode away, and soon came to where the white knight abode by the hermitage. They saluted each other courteously, and fell into a conversation in which the white knight told Galahad the story of the magical shield.