King Arthurs Knights | Page 5

the grave-mounds to the tent wherein was the sword. He found the place unwatched, and the flashing sword was sticking by the point in the stone.
Lightly he grasped the handle of the sword with one hand, and it came forth straightway!
Then, glad that his brother should not be without a sword, he swiftly gat upon his horse and rode on, and delivered the sword to Sir Kay, and thought no more of aught but the splendid knights and richly garbed lords that were at the jousts.
But Sir Kay looked at the sword, and the writing, and knew it was the sword of the stone, and marvelled how young Arthur had possessed himself thereof; and being of a covetous and sour mind he thought how he might make advantage for himself. He went to his father, Sir Ector, and said:
'Lo, father, this is the sword of the stone, and surely am I rightful king.'
Sir Ector knew the sword and marvelled, but his look was stern as he gazed into the crafty eyes of his son.
'Come ye with me,' he said, and all three rode to the church, and alit from their horses and went in.
Sir Ector strode up the aisle to the altar, and turning to his son, said sternly:
'Now, swear on God's book and the holy relics how thou didst get this sword.'
Sir Kay's heart went weak, and he stammered out the truth.
'How gat you this sword?' asked Sir Ector of Arthur.
'Sir, I will tell you,' said Arthur, and so told him all as it had happened.
Sir Ector marvelled what this should mean; for Arthur had been given to him to nourish and rear as a week-old child by Merlin, but the wizard had only told him that the babe was a son of a dead lady, whose lord had been slain by the pagans.
Then Sir Ector went to the stone and bade Arthur put back the sword into the wedge of steel, which the young man did easily.
Thereupon Sir Ector strove with all his strength to draw the sword forth again, but though he pulled till he sweated, he could not stir the sword.
'Now you essay it,' he said to his son. But naught that Sir Kay could do availed.
'Now do you try,' he bade Arthur.
Arthur lightly grasped the handle with one hand, and the sword came out without hindrance.
Therewith Sir Ector sank to his knees, and Sir Kay also. And they bared their heads.
'Alas,' said Arthur, 'my own dear father and brother, why kneel ye so to me?'
'Nay, nay, my lord Arthur, it is not so,' said Sir Ector, 'for I was never your father. I wot well ye are of higher blood than I weened. For Merlin delivered you to me while yet ye were a babe.'
The tears came into Arthur's eyes when he knew that Sir Ector was not his father, for the young man had loved him as if he were of his own blood.
'Sir,' said Ector unto Arthur, 'will ye be my good and kind lord when ye are king?'
'Ah, if this be true as ye say,' cried Arthur, 'ye shall desire of me whatsoever ye may, and I shall give it you. For both you and my good lady and dear mother your wife have kept and loved me as your own.'
'Sir,' said Sir Ector, 'I crave a boon of you, that while you live, your foster-brother, Sir Kay, shall be high seneschal of all your lands.'
'That shall be done, and never man shall have that office but him, while he and I live,' replied Arthur.
Then hastily Sir Ector rode to the archbishop, and told him how and by whom the sword had been achieved from the stone. Thereupon the archbishop let call a great meeting on Twelfth Day of all the kings and barons.
So on the day appointed, all men gathered in the churchyard of St. Paul's, and the tent was removed from about the stone. From day dawn to the evening the kings and princes and lords strove each in his turn to draw the sword from the stone. But none of them availed to move it.
While they stood about, dark of look, gnawing their lips with rage and disappointment, the archbishop turned privily to Sir Ector and bade him bring Arthur.
The young man came, quietly clad in a tunic of brown samite, of medium height, with curly hair above a fair face of noble, though mild mien. As he came among the richly clad nobles, they looked haughtily at him, and wondered who he was and why he came, for as yet none had been told that the sword had been drawn by him.
The archbishop, tall, white-haired and reverend, called Arthur to him and said in grave tones:
'My son, I have heard a strange tale of thee, and whether it