o the invaders and asked: "What
brings you strangers here? Why have you sought our land?" A Saracen
leader, gigantic of stature, spoke for them all and replied: "We are
here to win this land to the law of Mahomet and to drive out the
Christian law. We will slay all the inhabitants that believe on
Christ. Thou thyself shalt be our first conquest, for thou shalt not
leave this place alive." Thereupon the Saracens attacked the little
band, and though the three Christians fought valiantly they were soon
slain. The Saracens then spread over the land, slaying, burning, and
pillaging, and forcing all who loved their lives to renounce the
Christian faith and become followers of Mahomet. When Queen Godhild
heard of her husband's death and saw the ruin of her people she fled
from her palace and all her friends and betook herself to a solitary
cave, where she lived unknown and undiscovered, and continued her
Christian worship while the land was overrun with pagans. Ever she
prayed that God would protect her dear son, and bring him at last to
his father's throne.

[Illustration: Queen Godhild prays ever for her son Horn]

Horn's Escape

Soon after the king's death the Saracens had captured Childe Horn and
his twelve comrades, and the boys were brought before the pagan emir.
They would all have been slain at once or flayed alive, but for the
beauty of Childe Horn, for whose sake their lives were spared. The old
emir looked keenly at the lads, and said: "Horn, thou art a bold and
valiant youth, of great stature for thine age, and of full strength,
yet I know thou hast not yet reached thy full growth. If we release
thee with thy companions, in years to come we shall dearly rue it, for
ye will become great champions of the Christian law and will slay many
of us. Therefore ye must die. But we will not slay you with our own
hands, for ye are noble lads, and shall have one feeble chance for
your lives. Ye shall be placed in a boat and driven out to sea, and if
ye all are drowned we shall not grieve overmuch. Either ye must die or
we, for I know we shall dearly abide your king's death if ye youths
survive." Thereupon the lads were all taken to the shore, and, weeping
and lamenting, were thrust into a rudderless boat, which was towed
out to sea and left helpless.

Arrival in Westernesse

The other boys sat lamenting and bewailing their fate, but Childe
Horn, looking round the boat, found a pair of oars, and as he saw that
the boa