ne. But Arthur had still two knights
with him, Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere.

When King Arthur saw that his army was lost and all his knights
slain but two, he said, 'Would to God I could find Sir Modred, who
has caused all this trouble.'

'He is yonder,' said Sir Lucan, 'but remember your dream, and go
not near him.'

'Whether I die or live,' said the King, 'he shall not escape.' And
seizing his spear he ran to Sir Modred, crying, 'Now you shall
die.'

And Arthur smote him under the shield, and the spear passed through
his body, and he died.

Then, wounded and exhausted, the King fainted, and his knights
lifted him and took him to a little chapel not far from a lake.

As the King lay there, he heard cries of fear and pain from the
distant battle-field.

'What causes these cries?' said the King wearily. And to soothe the
sick King, Sir Lucan said he would go to see.

And when he reached the battle-field, he saw in the moonlight that
robbers were on the field stooping over the slain, and taking from
them their rings and their gold. And those that were only wounded,
the robbers slew, that they might take their jewels too.

Sir Lucan hastened back, and told the King what he had seen.

'We will carry you farther off, lest the robbers find us here,'
said the knights. And Sir Lucan lifted the King on one side and Sir
Bedivere lifted him on the other.

But Sir Lucan had been wounded in the battle, and as he lifted the
King he fell back and died.

Then Arthur and Sir Bedivere wept for the fallen knight.

Now the King felt so ill that he thought he would not live much
longer, and he turned to Sir Bedivere: 'Take Excalibur, my good
sword,' he said, 'and go with it to the lake, and throw it into its
waters. Then come quickly and tell me what you see.'

Sir Bedivere took the sword and went down to the lake. But as he
looked at the handle with its sparkling gems and the richness of
the sword, he thought he could not throw it away. 'I will hide it
carefully here among the rushes,' thought the knight. And when he
had hidden it, he went slowly to the King and told him he had
thrown the sword into the lake.

'What did you see?' asked the King eagerly.

'Nothing but the ripple of the waves as they broke on the beach,'
said Sir Bedivere.

'You have not told me the truth,' said the King. 'If you love me,
go again to the lake, and throw my sword into the water.'

Again the knight went to the water's edge. He drew the