o harm."

"Put your helmet on again," said Orlando, "and behave just as you have
done. Never will your father's friend be an enemy to the son."

The hero then turned in fury to look for Baldwin, who was hastening
towards him at that moment, with friendliness in his looks.

"'Tis strange," said Baldwin, "I have done my duty as well as I could,
yet nobody will come against me. I have slain right and left, and
cannot comprehend what it is that makes the stoutest infidels avoid me."

"Take off your vest," said Orlando, contemptuously, "and you will soon
discover the secret, if you wish to know it. Your father has sold us to
Marsilius, all but his honorable son."

"If my father," said Baldwin, impetuously tearing off the vest, "has
been such a villain, and I escape dying, I will plunge this sword
through his heart. But I am no traitor, Orlando, and you do me wrong to
say it. Think not I can live with dishonor."

Baldwin spurred off into the fight, not waiting to hear another word
from Orlando, who was very sorry for what he had said, for he perceived
that the youth was in despair.

And now the fight raged beyond all it had done before; twenty pagans
went down for one paladin, but still the paladins fell. Sansonetto was
beaten to earth by the club of Grandonio, Walter d'Amulion had his
shoulder broken, Berlinghieri and Ottone were slain, and at last
Astolpho fell, in revenge of whose death Orlando turned the spot where
he died into a lake of Saracen blood. The luckless Bujaforte met
Rinaldo, and before he could explain how he seemed to be fighting on
the Saracen side received such a blow upon the head that he fell,
unable to utter a word. Orlando, cutting his way to a spot where there
was a great struggle and uproar, found the poor youth Baldwin, the son
of Gan, with two spears in his breast. "I am no traitor now," said
Baldwin, and those were the last words he said. Orlando was bitterly
sorry to have been the cause of his death, and tears streamed from his
eyes. At length down went Oliver himself. He had become blinded with
his own blood, and smitten Orlando without knowing him. "How now,
cousin," cried Orlando, "have you too gone over to the enemy?" "O my
lord and master," cried the other, "I ask your pardon. I can see
nothing; I am dying. Some traitor has stabbed me in the back. If you
love me, lead my horse into the thick of them, so that I may not die
unavenged."

"I shall die myself before long," said Orlando,