scabbard kept him from
weakness, and a mysterious power lay in the strong, true blade that
none could withstand, until the time came for King Arthur to give back
the sword to the Lady of the Lake and to die of the wounds of a traitor.

So King Arthur and Merlin rode on, and when they came back safe to
Carlion and the court the knights were passing glad. Some wondered
that the king would risk himself abroad so alone, but all men of valour
said it was merry to be under such a chief that would put his person in
adventure as other poor knights did.

[1] Samite: silk stuff

CHAPTER IV

BALIN AND BALAN

On a day there came a messenger to King Arthur saying that King Ryons
of North Wales, a strong man in body, and passing proud, had
discomfited and overcome eleven kings, and each of these to do him
homage had cut his beard clean off as trimming for King Ryons' royal
mantle. One place of the mantle still lacked trimming; wherefore he
sent for Arthur's beard, and if he did not receive it he would enter
England to burn and slay, and never would he leave till he had Arthur,
head and all.

"Well," said Arthur to the messenger, "thou hast said thy message, the
most insolent ever sent unto a king. Thou seest my beard is full young
yet to make a trimming of it. Tell thou thy king I owe him no homage,
but ere long he shall do me homage on both his knees." So the
messenger departed.

Among those who, at Arthur's call, gathered at Camelot to withstand
King Ryons' invasion of the land was a knight that had been Arthur's
prisoner half a year and more for some wrong done to one of the court.
The name of this knight was Balin, a strong, courageous man, but poor
and so poorly clothed that he was thought to be of no honour. But
worthiness and good deeds are not all only in arrayment. Manhood and
honour is hid within man's person, and many an honourable knight is not
known unto all people through his clothing. This Balin felt deeply the
insult of King Ryons, and anon armed himself to ride forth to meet with
him and mayhap to destroy him, in the hope that then King Arthur would
again be his good and gracious lord.

The meanwhile that this knight was making ready to depart on this
adventure, there came to Arthur's court the Lady of the Lake, and she
now asked of him the gift that he promised her when she gave him his
sword Excalibur.

"Ask what ye will," said the King, "and ye shall have it, if it lie in
my power t