dark place. He could see nothing, but all about him he
heard the sound of complaining and weeping. He was much
bewildered, but in a moment he cried:

"What is this? Where am I?"

Then a voice answered:

"You are in prison, as we are."

"Who are you?" asked Arthur.

The voice replied:

"We are twenty knights, prisoners, and some of us have been here
as long as seven years. We are in the dungeons of a wicked lord
named Sir Damas. He has a younger brother, and the two brothers
are enemies, quarreling about their inheritance. Now the younger
brother, Sir Ontzlake, is very strong, but Sir Damas is not
strong, and moreover, he is a coward. So he tries to find a
knight who will fight for him against Sir Ontzlake.

"But Sir Damas is so much hated that no one will fight for him.
So he goes about the country with a body of rough men, and
whenever he sees a knight, he captures him. Then he asks him to
fight with Sir Ontzlake. So far, all the knights have refused,
and have been thrown into prison. We do not have food enough, but
we would rather die here than fight for Sir Damas, who is so
wicked."

At that moment a damsel entered the prison with a torch, which
faintly lighted the dismal place, and advanced to the king.

"Sir," she said, "will you fight for my lord, Sir Damas? If you
will, you shall be taken from this prison. If you will not, you
shall die here."

Arthur considered for some time, and then said:

"I would rather fight than die in prison. If I fight, will you
deliver also all these prisoners?"

The damsel promised, and Arthur consented to fight. While she
went to tell Sir Damas, Arthur said to the other prisoners:

"My friends, I do not know Sir Damas, and I do not know Sir
Ontzlake. I do not know whether they are bad or good. But I will
fight, and then, when I have conquered, I shall judge between
them, and do justice to both."

"That is a good plan," said the knights, "but why are you so sure
that you will conquer?"

"I am Arthur, the King," he replied.

At that the knights set up a great cry of joy, and the king
continued:

"I shall send for my good sword Excalibur and the scabbard, and
with these I shall surely win."

So when Arthur and the knights were led out of prison, the king
sent the damsel who had visited them to Morgan le Fay for his
sword and scabbard.

Meantime, the knight who had accompanied Arthur on the little
ship, Sir Accalon, also awoke. He found himself in the palace o