ared lest they should come up with her
before she might reach the shelter of the Valley of Stones. But she
had rejoined her company of knights before the King had reached the
narrow mouth of the valley. Quickly she bade her men scatter among
the boulders, and then, by her magic art, she turned them all, men
and horses and herself too, into stones, that none might tell the
one from the other.

When King Arthur and Sir Ontzlake reached the valley, they looked
about for some sign of the presence of the Queen or her knights,
but naught might they see though they rode through the valley and
beyond, and returning, searched with all diligence among the rocks
and boulders. Never again was Queen Morgan le Fay seen at Camelot,
nor did she attempt aught afterwards against the welfare of the
King. When she had restored her knights to their proper form, she
hastened with them back to her own land, and there she abode for
the rest of her days until she came with the other queens to carry
Arthur from the field of the Battle in the West.

Nor would the King seek to take vengeance on a woman, though sorely
she had wronged him. His life long, he guarded well the sword
Excalibur, but the sheath no man ever saw again.

CHAPTER VI

MERLIN

Of Merlin and how he served King Arthur, something has been already
shown. Loyal he was ever to Uther Pendragon and to his son, King
Arthur, and for the latter especially he wrought great marvels. He
brought the King to his rights; he made him his ships; and some
say that Camelot, with its splendid halls, where Arthur would
gather his knights around him at the great festivals of the year,
at Christmas, at Easter, and at Pentecost, was raised by his magic,
without human toil. Bleise, the aged magician who dwelt in
Northumberland and recorded the great deeds of Arthur and his
knights, had been Merlin's master in magic; but it came to pass in
time that Merlin far excelled him in skill, so that his enemies
declared no mortal was his father, and called him devil's son.

Then, on a certain time, Merlin said to Arthur: "The time draws
near when ye shall miss me, for I shall go down alive into the
earth; and it shall be that gladly would ye give your lands to have
me again." Then Arthur was grieved, and said: "Since ye know your
danger, use your craft to avoid it." But Merlin answered: "That may
not be."

Now there had come to Arthur's court, a damsel of the Lady of the
Lake--her whose skill in