I have strength to warn him." But the villain, with a brutal oath,
struck her so fiercely in the face that the blood gushed out, and she
sank back unconscious.

The robber was not in a position to avenge the cruel act, but he crawled
nearer the couch and caught some of the blood in his gauntlet, for a
sign to the Emperor. When he was once more outside the castle he told
his companion all that had passed and made as though to return.

"I will strike off his head," said he. "The Emperor is no friend of
mine, but I love him still."

"What is the Emperor to us?" cried Charlemagne. "Are you mad that
you risk our lives for the Emperor?" The black knight looked at him
solemnly.

"An we had not sworn friendship," said he, "your life should pay for
these words. Long live the Emperor!" Charlemagne, secretly delighted
with the loyalty of the outlawed knight, recommended him to seek the
Emperor on the morrow and warn him of his danger. But Elbegast, fearing
the gallows, would not consent to this; so his companion promised to
do it in his stead and meet him afterward in the forest. With that they
parted, the Emperor returning to his palace, where he found all as he
had left it.

In the morning he hastily summoned his council, told them of his
dream and subsequent adventures, and of the plot against his life. The
paladins were filled with horror and indignation, and Charlemagne's
secretary suggested that it was time preparations were being made for
the reception of the assassins. Each band of traitors as they arrived
was seized and cast into a dungeon. Though apparently clad as peaceful
citizens, they were all found to be armed. The last band to arrive was
led by Eggerich himself. Great was his dismay when he saw his followers
led off in chains, and angrily he demanded to know the reason for such
treatment.

Charlemagne thereupon charged him with treason, and Eggerich flung
down the gauntlet in defiance. It was finally arranged that the Emperor
should provide a champion to do battle with the traitor, the combat to
take place at sunrise on the following morning.

A messenger rode to summon Elbegast, but he had much difficulty in
convincing the black knight that it was not a plot to secure his
undoing.

"And what would the Emperor with me?" he demanded of the messenger, as
at length they rode toward Ingelheim.

"To do battle to the death with a deadly foe of our lord the
Emperor--Eggerich von Eggermond."

"God bless the E