Arthur's sword broke, and fell in two pieces on the ground. When
Sir Accalon saw this, he cried:

"Now, yield to me."

"I will never yield," said the king, "and if you do not get me
another sword, you will be shamed before all men, for it is an
unknightly thing to fight with a defenseless man."

"I do not care," said Sir Accalon. "If you will not yield, defend
yourself with your shield as best you can."

He rushed at the king. Arthur was so weak that he could hardly
stand, but he guarded himself as well as he could with his
shield. Soon he could do no more, and fell to the ground.

At this moment the Lady of the Lake, who had given Arthur his
sword, came upon the field. She was invisible, but anyone who had
listened intently could have heard a sound like the ripple of
water as she walked. She caused Excalibur to fall out of the hand
of Sir Accalon and drop near Arthur.

When it fell, Arthur saw that it was his own Excalibur. He
grasped its handle and some of his strength came back. He
struggled to his feet, and rushing up to Sir Accalon, seized the
scabbard of Excalibur and threw it far over the field.

"Now," he said, "send for a second sword and fight with me."

Then Sir Accalon was afraid. Yet he thought that Arthur was so
weak that he could still be overcome. So he sent for a second
sword, and they began to fight again. Arthur's strength, however,
had largely returned, and in a short time he gave Sir Accalon a
mortal stroke.

Sir Accalon fell to the ground, and the king, leaning over him,
cried:

"Tell me who you are."

Then Sir Accalon was filled with remorse, and he said:

"Oh, my king, I have been a traitor to you, but now I am dying,
and I am sorry for what I have done. I deserve my death."

He told the king his name, and all about his treachery, and that
of Morgan le Fay.

King Arthur was sad.

"It is very hard to be deceived in a friend," he said, "but I
forgive you freely. I will try to cure your wound, and sometime I
shall trust you again."

"You cannot cure me," said Sir Accalon. "I am dying. Let them
carry me off the field."

So he was taken to a neighboring abbey, while the people crowded
about the king to congratulate him, but Arthur said:

"I am sad at heart. My victory is no comfort to me, for to-day I
have lost a friend whom I believed true."

Then he called the two brothers, Sir Damas and Sir Ontzlake, and
judged their cause. He decided that their property must be
divided