f
Morgan le Fay, and he wondered very much where Arthur was. He
went to the lady, who said to him:

"My dear lord, the day has come when you can have great power if
you want it. Should you like to be king of this land, instead of
Arthur?"

Now Sir Accalon was a traitor at heart. He wanted very much to be
king, even if the good Arthur was to be killed; so he said:

"Yes, truly."

Then she said:

"You shall be king, and I shall be your queen. All you need to do
is to fight a great battle, which you shall win. I have been
using my magic. It was I who sent the ship of silk to you and
Arthur. I had him put into prison, and I had you brought here."

Sir Accalon wondered very much. Then she told him of the fight
King Arthur was to make against Sir Ontzlake.

"But I have caused Sir Ontzlake to fall sick," she said, "and he
cannot fight. I shall go with you to his castle and you can offer
to fight for him."

"I to fight with the king!" cried Sir Accalon. "He would surely
overthrow me."

"He cannot," said Morgan le Fay, "because you are to fight with
his sword. A little while ago he sent to me for Excalibur and the
scabbard, but I returned him a false sword which looks like
Excalibur, and a false scabbard. You shall take the true ones,
and then you shall surely overcome him and rule this land."

Then Sir Accalon was glad, and he hastened with the lady to the
castle of Sir Ontzlake. They found him groaning because he was
ill and because Sir Damas had sent him a challenge to fight with
a knight, and he could not accept it. He was much relieved when
Morgan le Fay told him that Sir Accalon would fight in his place.

Early in the afternoon, King Arthur and Sir Accalon rode into the
field where the combat was to be held. Arthur did not know who
Sir Accalon was, nor did any one else, except Morgan le Fay. Two
sides of the field were full of people who came to watch, half of
whom were friends of Sir Damas, and the other half were friends
of Sir Ontzlake.

Arthur and Sir Accalon rode at each other so furiously that at
the shock of the meeting both fell off their horses. Then they
began to fight fiercely with their swords. The king could make no
headway with his false steel, but whenever Sir Accalon struck at
Arthur he drew blood.

The king was much amazed. He grew weaker and weaker, but still he
kept on his feet. Those who watched him were sorry for him; they
thought they had never seen a man fight so bravely. At last