lowed him
free entrance. In the same way he passed the other doors to the rich
saloon where the great Sultan was at dinner with his tributary princes.
At sight of the ring the chief attendant led Huon to the head of the
hall, and introduced him to the Sultan and his princes as the
ambassador of Charlemagne. A seat was provided for him near the royal
party.

The Prince of Hyrcania, the same whom Huon had rescued from the lion,
and who was the destined bridegroom of the beautiful Clarimunda, sat on
the Sultan's right hand, and the princess herself on his left. It
chanced that Huon found himself near the seat of the princess, and
hardly were the ceremonies of reception over before he made haste to
fulfill the commands of Charlemagne by imprinting a kiss upon her rosy
lips, and after that a second, not by command, but by good will. The
Prince of Hyrcania cried out, "Audacious infidel! take the reward of
thy insolence!" and aimed a blow at Huon, which, if it had reached him,
would have brought his embassy to a speedy termination. But the ingrate
failed of his aim, and Huon punished his blasphemy and ingratitude at
once by a blow which severed his head from his body.

So suddenly had all this happened that no hand had been raised to
arrest it; but now Gaudisso cried out, "Seize the murderer!" Huon was
hemmed in on all sides, but his redoubtable sword kept the crowd of
courtiers at bay. But he saw new combatants enter, and could not hope
to maintain his ground against so many. He recollected his horn, and
raising it to his lips, blew a blast almost as loud as that of Roland
at Roncesvalles. It was in vain. Oberon heard it; but the sin of which
Huon had been guilty in bearing, though but for a moment, the character
of a believer in the false prophet, had put it out of Oberon's power to
help him. Huon, finding himself deserted, and conscious of the cause,
lost his strength and energy, was seized, loaded with chains, and
plunged into a dungeon.

His life was spared for the time, merely that he might be reserved for
a more painful death. The Sultan meant that, after being made to feel
all the torments of hunger and despair, he should be flayed alive.

But an enchanter more ancient and more powerful than Oberon himself
interested himself for the brave Huon. The enchanter was Love. The
Princess Clarimunda learned with horror the fate to which the young
prince was destined. By the aid of her governante she gained over the
keeper