nd that he was near the top of the tower, and thought that now
he must surely be slain, for no weapon had he found.

Suddenly he came upon a door, and bursting it open he found himself in
a large room marvellously bright and richly dight, and with a bed
arrayed with cloth of gold, and one old and white and reverend lying
therein. And by the side of the bed was a table of virgin gold on
pillars of pure silver, and on it stood a spear, strangely wrought.

Balin seized the spear, and turned upon King Pellam, who stood still in
the doorway with terror in his eyes. But, marking naught of this, Balin
thrust at him with the spear, and struck it in his side, and King
Pellam with a great cry fell to the ground.

With that stroke the walls of the castle drove together and fell in
ruins to the ground, and a great cry of lamentation beat to and fro
from far and near, and Balin lay under the stones as one dead.

After three days Merlin came and drew out Balin from the ruins, and
nourished and healed him. He also recovered his sword and got him a
good horse, for his own was slain. Then he bade him ride out of that
country without delay.

'And never more shall you have ease,' said Merlin. 'For by the stroke
of that spear with intent to slay King Pellam thou hast done such a
dolorous deed that not for many years shall its evil cease to work.'

'What have I done?' said Balin.

'Thou wouldst have slain a man with the very spear that Longius the
Roman thrust into the side of our Lord Jesus when He suffered on the
Rood; and by that thou hast defiled it, and caused such ill that never
shall its tale be ended until a stainless knight shall come, one of
those who shall achieve the Holy Graal.'

'It repents me,' said Balin heavily, 'but the adventure was forced upon
me.'

As he rode through the land, he saw how it seemed that a dire
pestilence had swept over it; for where he had seen the golden corn
waving in miles of smiling fields, he saw it now blackened along the
ground; the trees were stripped of their leaves and fruit, the cattle
lay dead in the meads, and the fish rotted in the streams, while in the
villages lay the people dead or dying in shattered or roofless
cottages.

As he passed, those that were alive cursed him, and called down upon
him the wrath of Heaven.

'See, see,' they cried, 'thou murderous knight, how the evil stroke
thou gavest to King Pellam by that hallowed spear hath destroyed this
happy land! Go! thou f