g Pellam. Woe to thee for this dread deed! Thou hast
escaped alive, yet doubt not but the vengeance of heaven will fall on
thee at last!"

Great was the grief and suffering with which the good knight heard these
words, and glad at heart was he when at length he left behind him that
land of woe and ruin, to which his innocent hand had wrought such deadly
harm.

But as he rode onward the feeling came to him that his end was at hand,
though this grieved him little, for he felt as one set apart to do
heaven's work of destiny. And for eight days thereafter he rode over
many leagues of strange country without adventure.

At length came a day when he saw before him, by the roadside, a cross,
on which in letters of gold was written, "It is not wise for any knight
alone to ride towards this castle," Then he saw a white-haired old man
approach, who said,--

"Balin le Savage, you pass your bounds to come this way. Turn again, if
you would leave this place in safety."

With these words he vanished, and as he did so there rang on the air a
bugle-blast like that blown for the death of a beast of the chase.

"That blast is blown for me," said Balin. "I am the prize of the
invisible powers. I am not yet dead, but they claim me for their own."

As he stood lost in deep thought there came trooping from the castle,
which he now saw in the distance, a hundred fair ladies and many
knights, who welcomed him with great show of gladness, and led him with
them to the castle, where he found dancing and minstrelsy, and all
manner of sport and pleasure. As he stood observing all this the chief
lady of the castle said to him,--

"Knight of the two swords, there is a custom of this castle which all
who come here must keep. Hereby is an island which is held by a knight,
and no man can pass this way unless he joust with him."

"That is an unhappy custom," said Balin. "Why should every traveller be
forced to fight?"

"You shall have to do with but one knight," said the lady.

"That troubles me little," said Balin. "I and my horse are both weary
from our journey, but I am not weary at heart, and, if fight I must, I
am ready to do it now. If death comes to me, it will not come
unwelcome."

"Your shield does not seem to be a good one," said a knight. "Let me
lend you a larger one."

Balin took the proffered shield and left his own, and rode to the
island, where he and his horse were taken over in a great boat. On
reaching the island shore