or's vassals,
You have robbed us of our conquests.
Ah, your valour, Count, is fatal!
Charles must lose his doughty heroes,
And your league with me must finish
With this day in bitter sorrow.'"

Turpin Mediates

Archbishop Turpin heard the dispute, and strove to calm the angry
heroes. "Brave knights, be not so enraged. The horn will not save the
lives of these gallant dead, but it will be better to sound it, that
Charles, our lord and emperor, may return, may avenge our death and
weep over our corpses, may bear them to fair France, and bury them in
the sanctuary, where the wild beasts shall not devour them." "That is
well said," quoth Roland and Oliver.

The Horn is Blown

Then at last Roland put the carved ivory horn, the magic Olifant, to
his lips, and blew so loudly that the sound echoed thirty leagues
away. "Hark! our men are in combat!" cried Charlemagne; but Ganelon
retorted: "Had any but the king said it, that had been a lie."

A second time Roland blew his horn, so violently and with such anguish
that the veins of his temples burst, and the blood flowed from his
brow and from his mouth. Charlemagne, pausing, heard it again, and
said: "That is Roland's horn; he would not sound it were there no
battle." But Ganelon said mockingly: "There is no battle, for Roland
is too proud to sound his horn in danger. Besides, who would dare to
attack Roland, the strong, the valiant, great and wonderful Roland? No
man. He is doubtless hunting, and laughing with the Peers. Your
words, my liege, do but show how old and weak and doting you are. Ride
on, sire; the open country lies far before you."

[Illustration: "Charlemagne heard it again"]

When Roland blew the horn for the third time he had hardly breath to
awaken the echoes; but still Charlemagne heard. "How faintly comes the
sound! There is death in that feeble blast!" said the emperor; and
Duke Naimes interrupted eagerly: "Sire, Roland is in peril; some one
has betrayed him--doubtless he who now tries to beguile you! Sire,
rouse your host, arm for battle, and ride to save your nephew."

Ganelon Arrested

Then Charlemagne called aloud: "Hither, my men. Take this traitor
Ganelon and keep him safe till my return." And the kitchen folk seized
the felon knight, chained him by the neck, and beat him; then, binding
him hand and foot, they flung him on a sorry nag, to be borne with
them till Charles should demand him at their hands again.

C