u watched me falsely," cried Arthur, in hasty passion.

"What could we do?" they answered. "We dared not disobey your sister's
command."

"Fetch me at once the best horse that can be found," he ordered, "and
bid Sir Ontzlake arm himself in all haste, and come here well mounted to
ride with me."

By the hour's end these commands had been obeyed, and Arthur and
Ontzlake rode from the abbey in company, well armed and on good horses,
though the king was yet feeble from his wounds. After riding some
distance they reached a wayside cross, by which stood a cowherd, whom
they asked if any lady had lately ridden that way.

"Yes, your honors," said the cowherd. "Not long ago a lady passed here
at easy speed, followed by about forty horsemen. They rode into yonder
forest."

Arthur and Ontzlake at this news put spurs to their horses and followed
fast on the track of the fugitives. An hour of this swift pursuit
brought them in sight of Morgan's party, and with a heart hot with anger
Arthur rode on at the utmost pace of his horse.

The fugitives, seeing themselves thus hotly chased, spurred on their own
steeds, soon leaving the forest and entering a neighboring plain, beside
which was a lake. When Morgan saw that she was in danger of being
overtaken she rode quickly to the lake-side, her heart filled with
spiteful hatred of her brother.

"Whatsoever may happen to me," she cried, "I vow that Arthur shall
never again wear this scabbard. I here consign it to the lake. From the
water it came; to the water it returns."

And with a strong hand she flung it far out over the deep waters, into
which it sank like a stone, for it was heavy with gold and precious
stones.

Then she rode on, followed by her train, till they entered a valley
where there were many great stones, and where they were for the moment
out of sight of their pursuers. Here Morgan le Fay brought her deepest
powers of enchantment to work, and in a trice she and her horse were
changed into marble, while each of her followers became converted into a
statue of stone.

Hardly had this been done when Arthur and Ontzlake entered the valley,
where they beheld with starting eyes the marvellous transformation. For
in place of the fugitives they saw only horses and riders of solid
stone, and so changed that the king could not tell his sister from her
men, nor one knight from another.

"A marvel is here, indeed!" cried the king. "The vengeance of God has
fallen upon our f