e this sword, for which I fervently thank her. When saw you my
lady queen?"

"I am just from her."

"Recommend me to her, and tell her I shall do all I have promised, or
die for it. These crafts and enchantments that have happened--are they
of her making?"

"That you may well believe. She has prepared them to bring on this
battle."

"Who, then, is the knight with whom I shall fight? It seems to me he
should be a noble one, for such preparation."

"That my lady has not told me."

As they spoke there came to them a knight and a lady, with six squires,
who asked Sir Accolan why he lay there, and begged him to rise and come
with them to a neighboring manor, where he might rest in better ease. As
fortune willed it, this manor was the dwelling of Sir Ontzlake, the
brother of the traitor Damas.

Accolan gladly accepted the invitation, but not long had he been in the
manor when word came from Damas, saying that he had found a knight who
was ready to do battle to the death for their claims, and challenging
Ontzlake to make ready without delay for the field, or to send a knight
to take his side in the combat.

This challenge troubled Ontzlake sorely. Not long before he had been
sadly hurt in a joust, and was still weak from his wound. Accolan, to
whom all this was made known, at once came, with the generous impulse of
a true knight, to his host, and offered to do battle in his stead. In
his heart, too, he felt that this might be the combat of which Morgan
had warned him, and with the aid of Arthur's sword and scabbard he could
not fail to win.

Ontzlake thanked him deeply for his generous offer, and without delay
sent word to Damas that he would be ready with a champion at the hour
appointed, and trust to God's grace for the issue of the combat.

When morning came, Arthur was arrayed in a suit of chain mail and
provided with a strong horse, which he viewed with knightly ardor.

"When shall we to the field?" he asked Damas.

"As soon as you have heard Mass."

Mass was scarcely ended when a squire rode up from Ontzlake, to say that
his knight was already in the field, and to bid Damas bring his champion
to the lists, for he was prepared to do battle to the utterance.

Then Arthur mounted his war-horse and rode to the field, attended by all
the knights and commons of the country round; twelve good men of the
district having been chosen to wait upon the two knights, and see that
the battle was conducted fairly and a