ot with his sword. This Lancelot
parried, and returned so fierce a stroke with his own good blade, that
he cut through the helmet and skull of the knight, and stretched him
dead upon the floor.

Then, with all his great strength, he dragged the bleeding corpse within
the chamber, closed the door against the pressure of all who bore upon
it, and replaced the bars. "So much for this daring fool," he cried.
"Thank heaven, I have an armor now! I shall not be quite a sheep at the
shambles."

As he spoke he was hastily stripping the armor from the body of the dead
knight. This done, he quickly arrayed himself in it, with the aid of the
queen and her ladies.

Meanwhile the assault on the door continued, and Mordred and Agravaine
kept up their cry,--

"Traitor knight! come out of the queen's chamber!"

"Hold your peace," cried Lancelot. "You shall not prison me here, I
promise you that, and if you take my counsel, you will depart. I am
ready to agree on my knighthood to appear to-morrow before the king, and
answer there that I came not to the queen with any evil purpose; and
this I stand ready to prove by word or deed."

"Out on you, traitor!" cried Mordred. "Have you, we will, and slay you
if we wish, for the king has given us the choice to save you or slay
you."

"Is that your last word, sirrahs? Then keep yourselves, for I am not of
the breed that die easily."

As he spoke, he flung down the bars and threw the door wide open. Then
he strode proudly and mightily among them, sword in hand and clad in
full armor, and at the first blow from his mighty hand stretched
Agravaine dead upon the floor. Like a maddened lion that charges upon a
herd of sheep, he now rushed upon them, striking fiercely to right and
left, and felling men with every blow, till in a little while twelve
more of his assailants lay cold in death, for there was not a man of
them all could stand one blow from his powerful arm.

Of the whole party only Mordred remained alive, and he fled wounded with
craven haste. Then Lancelot, leaning on his blood-dripping sword, turned
to the queen, who stood looking at his deeds of might, with white lips
and starting eyes.

[Illustration: Copyright by Frederick Hollyer, London, England.

SIR LANCELOT IN THE QUEEN'S CHAMBER.]

"All is at an end now," he said. "Henceforth King Arthur is my foe, and
I am like a wolf at bay. Yet I fear your enemies will work you fatal
harm, and would have you go with me, and let m