Horn and Athulf set out at midnight
to endeavour to obtain news of the foe, and soon found a solitary
knight sleeping. They awoke him roughly, saying, "Knight, awake! Why
sleepest thou here? What dost thou guard?" The knight sprang lightly
from the ground, saw their faces and the shining crosses on their
shields, and cast down his eyes in shame, saying, "Alas! I have served
these pagans against my will. In time gone by I was a Christian, but
now I am a coward renegade, who forsook his God for fear of death at
the hands of the Saracens! I hate my infidel masters, but I fear them
too, and they have forced me to guard this district and keep watch
against Horn's return. If he should come to his own again how glad I
should be! These infidels slew his father, and drove him into exile,
with his twelve comrades, among whom was my own son, Athulf, who loved
the prince as his own life. If the prince is yet alive, and my son
also, God grant that I may see them both again! Then would I joyfully
die."

The Recognition

Horn answered quickly: "Sir Knight, be glad and rejoice, for here are
we, Horn and Athulf, come to avenge my father and retake my realm from
the heathen." Athulf's father was overcome with joy and shame; he
hardly dared to embrace his son, yet the bliss of meeting was so great
that he clasped Athulf in his arms and prayed his forgiveness for the
disgrace he had brought upon him. The two young knights said nothing
of his past weakness, but told him all their own adventures, and at
last he said: "What is your true errand hither? Can you two alone slay
the heathen? Dear Childe Horn, what joy this will be to thy mother
Godhild, who still lives in a solitary retreat, praying for thee and
for the land!" Horn broke in on his speech with "Blessed be the hour
when I returned! Thank God that my mother yet lives! We are not alone,
but I have an army of valiant Irish warriors, who will help me to
regain my realm."

The Reconquest of Suddene

Now the king blew his horn, and his host marched out from the wood and
prepared to attack the Saracens. The news soon spread that Childe Horn
had returned, and many men who had accepted the faith of Mahomet for
fear of death now threw off the hated religion, joined the true king's
army, and were rebaptized. The war was not long, for the Saracens had
made themselves universally hated, and the inhabitants rose against
them; so that in a short time the country was purged of the infidels