ere it struck.

Then Arthur rushed toward the giant, waving his good sword
Excalibur. The giant caught him in his arms, in order to squeeze
him to death. The king's armor pressed closer and closer about
him, and he began to lose his strength. But he kept his hand upon
his scabbard, and so did not die.

In a few minutes the monster, making sure that Arthur was dead,
dropped him to the ground. After the king had recovered himself,
he sprang to his feet, and taking his sword, threw it at the
giant. The good steel pierced his neck, and he sank to the
ground, shouting so loudly that Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere at the
foot of the mountain heard, and trembled for their master's
safety.

Then the giant again seized Arthur in his arms, and the two began
to roll down the mountain side. Whenever Arthur was able to, he
struck at the giant with his dagger, wounding him sorely. At
last, still struggling and rolling, they came to the spot where
Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere were. These two loosed the giant's arms
from the king, who then gave one last blow to the monster,
killing him. Then he sent Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere for his sword
Excalibur.

When the people on the seashore heard what Arthur had done, they
fell on their knees and thanked him, offering him all the giant's
treasure. He said, however, that he would leave it with them to
divide among the poor people of the country. For himself, all he
wanted was the giant's iron club.

The people sent fifty men to the top of the mountain to get it
for him. As they had no horses, it was a long time before they
could drag the club to the seashore. There they put it on a
barge. It was so heavy that it pressed the barge down till the
water came almost to the edge of the vessel. Then King Arthur
bade the people good-by, and took ship with his knights. The
grateful men of Brittany stood on the shore, and shouted and
waved until the ship could no longer be seen.

[Illustration: The Shield]

[Illustration] HOW ARTHUR FOUGHT WITH ROME

In the time of the great Roman, Julius Caesar, about five hundred
years before King Arthur was born, the people of Rome conquered
Britain. They made many improvements in the land, building roads
and walls, the remains of which may be seen to this day. But they
also forced the Britons to pay them much money. All the kings did
this up to the time of Arthur. He, however, considered that
England was his own. He had conquered the lesser kings, and made