lear and the moon shone brightly. And Charlemagne,
lying on the grass, thought bitterly of Roland and of Oliver, and
of all the twelve peers of France who lay dead upon the field of
Roncesvalles. But at last, overcome with grief and weariness, he fell
asleep.

As the Emperor slept, he dreamed. He thought he saw the sky grow black
with thunder-clouds, then jagged lightning flashed and flamed, hail
fell and wild winds howled. Such a storm the earth had never seen,
and suddenly in all its fury it burst upon his army. Their lances
were wrapped in flame, their shields of gold were melted, hauberks
and helmets were crushed to pieces. Then bears and wolves from out
the forests sprang upon the dismayed knights, devouring them.
Monsters untold, serpents, fiery fiends, and more than thirty thousand
griffins, all rushed upon the Franks with greedy, gaping jaws.

"Arm! arm! Sire," they cried to him. And Charlemagne, in his dream,
struggled to reach his knights. But something, he knew not what, held
him bound and helpless. Then from out the depths of the forest a lion
rushed upon him. It was a fierce, terrible, and proud beast. It seized
upon the Emperor, and together they struggled, he fighting with his
naked hands. Who would win, who would be beaten, none knew, for the
dream passed and the Emperor still slept.

Again Charlemagne dreamed. He stood, he thought, upon the marble steps
of his great palace of Aix holding a bear by a double chain. Suddenly
out of the forest there came thirty other bears to the foot of the
steps where Charlemagne stood. They all had tongues and spoke like
men. "Give him back to us, Sire," they said, "he is our kinsman, and
we must help him. It is not right that thou shouldest keep him so long
from us."

Then from out the palace there came a hound. Bounding among the savage
beasts he threw himself upon the largest of them. Over and over upon
the grass they rolled, fighting terribly. Who would be the victor, who
the vanquished? Charlemagne could not tell. The vision passed, and he
slept till daybreak.

As the first dim light of dawn crept across the sky, Charlemagne
awoke. Soon all the camp was astir, and before the sun rose high the
knights were riding back over the wide roads to Roncesvalles.

When once again they reached the dreadful field, Charlemagne wandered
over all the plain until he came where Roland lay. Then taking him in
his arms he made great moan. "My friend, my Roland, who shall now le