eld to me."

"I will never yield," said the king, "and if you do not get me another
sword, you will be shamed before all men, for it is an unknightly thing
to fight with a defenseless man."

"I do not care," said Sir Accalon. "If you will not yield, defend
yourself with your shield as best you can."

He rushed at the king. Arthur was so weak that he could hardly stand,
but he guarded himself as well as he could with his shield. Soon he
could do no more, and fell to the ground.

At this moment the Lady of the Lake, who had given Arthur his sword,
came upon the field. She was invisible, but anyone who had listened
intently could have heard a sound like a ripple of water as she walked.
She caused Excalibur to fall out of the hand of Sir Accalon and drop
near Arthur.

When it fell, Arthur saw that it was his own Excalibur. He grasped its
handle and some of his strength came back. He struggled to his feet, and
rushing up to Sir Accalon, seized the scabbard of Excalibur and threw it
far over the field.

"Now," he said, "send for a second sword and fight with me."

Then Sir Accalon was afraid. Yet he thought that Arthur was so weak that
he could still be overcome. So he sent for a second sword, and they
began to fight again. Arthur's strength, however, had largely returned,
and in a short time he gave Sir Accalon a mortal stroke.

Sir Accalon fell to the ground, and the king, leaning over him, cried:

"Tell me who you are."

Then Sir Accalon was filled with remorse, and he said:

"Oh, my King, I have been a traitor to you, but now I am dying, and I am
sorry for what I have done. I deserve my death."

He told the king his name, and all about his treachery, and that of
Morgan le Fay.

King Arthur was sad.

"It is very hard to be deceived in a friend," he said, "but I forgive
you freely. I will try to cure your wound, and sometime I shall trust
you again."

"You cannot cure me," said Sir Accalon. "I am dying. Let them carry me
off the field."

So he was taken to a neighboring abbey, while the people crowded about
the king to congratulate him, but Arthur said:

"I am sad at heart. My victory is no comfort to me, for to-day I have
lost a friend whom I believed true."

Then he called the two brothers, Sir Damas and Sir Ontzlake, and judged
their cause. He decided that their property must be divided equally
between them, and that they must be friends. They promised never to
quarrel again. Arthur told them that