man leaned as if spent with a wound. And he was aware
that this was Mordred.

'Now give me my spear,' said the king to Sir Lucan, 'for yonder is the
traitor, and he shall not escape me.'

'Lord,' said Sir Lucan in a weak voice, 'let him bide, for he hath none
with him, while we three are still alive.'

'Now, betide me death, betide me life,' said the king, 'now that I see
him yonder I will slay the serpent, lest he live to work more havoc on
this my poor kingdom.'

'God speed you well,' said Sir Bedevere, and gave the king his spear.

Then the king ran towards Sir Mordred, crying:

'Traitor, prepare, now is thy death-day come!'

When Sir Mordred heard King Arthur he raised his head, then came
towards the king with his sword in his hand.

And there, in the shadow of the great stone, King Arthur smote Sir
Mordred under the shield, with so keen a stroke of his spear that it
went through the body and out beyond. Sir Mordred, feeling that death
was upon him, thrust himself along the spear almost to the butt
thereof, nigh where King Arthur held it, and grasping his sword in both
his hands, he struck his uncle on the side of the head, with so keen
and fierce a blow that the sword pierced the helm and the skull.

With that stroke Sir Mordred fell stark dead to the earth, and the king
sank in a swoon upon his body.

Then Sir Bedevere and Sir Lucan, who were both sore wounded and weakly,
came up, and between them, with many rests upon the way, took the king
to a little combe beside the waters, and there they took off his helm
and bathed his wound and bound it. After which the king felt easier.

'We may do naught else with thee here, lord,' said Sir Lucan, 'and it
were best that we got thee to some town.'

'It would be better so,' said the king, 'but I fear me I have my
death-wound.'

When they had rested Sir Lucan tried to rise, so as to take up the
king.

'I may not rise,' he cried, his hands upon his head, 'my brain works
so.'

Nevertheless, the knight staggered to his feet and lifted up the feet
of the king. But the effort was too much for him, and with a deathly
groan he fell to the ground, and when he had twitched and struggled a
little he lay dead.

'Alas,' said the king, 'this is to me a full heavy sight, to see this
noble knight so die for my sake. He would not complain, so set was he
to help me, and now his heart has broken.'

Then Sir Bedevere went to his brother and kissed him, and closed his
eye