hristian knights
to arrange terms of peace with him. It is time this war were closed."

"The duke hath spoken well!" the Franks exclaimed. The emperor paused,
then said, at length,

"Who, then, amongst you were best to take this mission?"

"I," said the duke, quickly. "I pray thee yield me thy royal grace."

"Nay," answered King Karl; "thou art my wisest counsellor. By my beard I
swear thou shalt not depart from my side."

"I," cried Count Roland, "will go right gladly."

"Not so," said Oliver; "thou art too fiery to play such perilous part. I
shall go myself, if the king so will."

"Silence, I command ye both!" said the king. "Neither of you shall
perform this errand." Then he commanded his knights to make a choice
from among their number for the perilous journey.

Again Roland spoke:

"Be it, then, my step-sire, Ganelon. In vain will ye seek for a meeter
man."

Instantly the Franks echoed Roland's choice, crying,

"So it please the king, it is right and just!"

Ganelon heard, and his rage against Roland was fierce indeed. He flung
his mantle from him, and faced the younger knight in a mighty wrath.

"Thou madman!" he cried. "What meaneth this rage against me? I am thy
step-sire, and thou doomest me to danger like this! So God my safe
return bestow, I promise to work thee ill as long as thou hast the
breath of life." Then Roland answered him haughtily--

"Am I known to reck of the threats of men? But this is work for the
sagest. So it please the king, I will go in thy stead."

At this, Count Ganelon's anger was deep and bitter indeed; and he
spurned the insulting offer of his step-son to go in his stead, after
which he turned to King Karl, saying,

"O righteous emperor! I stand ready to execute thy high command."

Then the emperor bade him go to King Marsilius with the terms of peace,
which were that he, the Moslem, was to hold half of Spain in vassalage
to Charlemagne; that the other half of the conquered territory was to be
ruled by the emperor's well-beloved Roland; and that Marsilius was to
journey to France at Michaelmas and receive Christian baptism.

Bitter indeed it was to Count Ganelon that his enemy should thus profit
by the perilous service to which he himself had been thus condemned, but
he was too proud to retreat in the face of danger.

Now, when all was arranged, the emperor handed Ganelon a missive to
Marsilius; he gave the count his right-hand glove also, in token of the
high aut