came they and their host into
Britain, and we not know it, alas?'

'By the arts of that wizard Merlin, I doubt not,' said King Uriens.
'And I doubt not we shall all be sped. Look you, Lot,' he went on,
'whoever that Arthur may be, I'll swear by my head he is not of
low-born breeding, but a very man and a marvellous fighter.'

'If you lose heart now, why, go and swear fealty to him!' sneered King
Lot.

'Keep your sneers,' said Uriens sternly. 'I'll pay the price of
rebellion to my last breath, as I have vowed.'

By now the great mass of King Lot's host was either slain or run away,
and the evening drew on; but the eleven kings, wounded, spent, and full
of anguish at defeat, drew together with a few hundred of their
knights, and vowed to die fighting. When they looked to see where they
stood, they found that Arthur had penned them upon a little bluff of
land that ended steeply over a deep river, and that no way was open for
them to escape from the death of swords, unless they chose to leap on
the rocks below the cliff.

'See!' said Uriens, with a laugh, 'while we fought like wild boars, and
thought of nothing but the killing, this base-born king kept his wits
and moved us like pawns on a chessboard, we all unwitting. First, he
drew us into ambush, and now he thrusts us into a chasm. We war-wise
fighters, grown grey in battle, checkmated by a boy!'

Nevertheless, though wearied, full of dread and shame, and looking
death in the eyes, the little band of men withdrew backwards, waiting
until Arthur should command his lines of glittering knights to dash
upon the remnant of the rebel kings.

'The proud evil men!' said Arthur in anger, looking upon them. 'Though
they know death is upon them, they will not crave mercy of me, a
base-born king, as they name me!'

'Ah, sir king,' said King Ban, 'blame them not, for they do as brave
men ought to do, and they are the best fighting men and the knights of
most prowess that ever I saw. And if they were belonging unto you,
there would be no king under heaven to compare with you for power and
fame and majesty.'

'I cannot love them,' said Arthur sadly, 'for they would destroy me.'

'Now, this is my counsel,' said King Lot to his ten fellows, as he
looked over the field strewn with the dead: 'that we stand together in
a circle and swear to die together--we and our few knights. We have
aimed at a kingdom and a crown, and we have failed. But we will die
like kings and warriors.