HOW THE BRIDGE MANTRYBLE WAS WON
When King Charles and his men had hidden themselves in a wood that
was hard by, Duke Richard and his company came to the bridge, driving
pack-horses before them, laden, as has been said, with false
merchandise. But when the knights saw the River Flagot, how swiftly
it ran and with how great a roaring, and the bridge how perilous it
was to pass, and the gates how they were barred with iron, they were
not a little troubled. Richard said, "I will go before. Do you
follow me, and when you have passed the first gate throw off your
cloaks and smite with your swords. And whatever may happen, see that
you fail not one another." And to this they all agreed.
Gallafer, the keeper of the bridge, stood by the first gate holding a
great axe in his hand that had an edge on every side. He was a giant
of great stature, with fiery eyes and skin as black as pitch, more
like to a devil than to a man. The Admiral was his nephew, and loved
him greatly, trusting him so that he made him warder of the bridge
and ruler of all the countryside.
When the French knights came near he said to them, "Strangers, who
are you?" Duke Richard answered, "We are merchants who travel to the
fairs, Mahomet helping us, with drapery and other goods for sale. We
would fain tarry awhile at Aygremore; also we have gifts, many and
precious, for the Admiral. These others that you see are my
servants, and know not your language. Tell me, therefore, what we
had best do and by what way we should go." Gallafer answered, "Know
now that I am appointed by the Admiral of Spain to be keeper of this
bridge. And because there have passed over it certain knights who
paid no toll, and also a messenger who won his way in wonderful
fashion across the river, and slew also my own kinsman King Clarion,
my master has straitly charged me that I should not by any means
suffer any man to pass the bridge unless he be known to me." When
Gallafer had said so much, Duke Richard bowed his head to him right
courteously, and having so done, passed through the first gate, three
others, of whom Duke Reyner was one, following him.
When Gallafer saw them he doubted what this might mean. "You are
overbold," said he, "to come so far without leave of me." And he
drew up the bridge. "And now," said he, "do you four surrender
yourselves. I will send you prisoners to my lord the Admiral, who
will deal with you as he shall please. And now let me see what you
have under your cloaks, for you seem to me to have some evil design."
When he had so spoken he laid hold of one of the four, and turned him
about four times. Then another, Raoul by name, who was cousin to him
on whom Gallafer had laid hands, cried, "Why do you deal so with my
kinsmen?" And he struck at the giant with his sword, but could not
hurt him, save to cut off a portion of his ear. Thereupon the two
dukes, Reyner and Richard, drawing their swords, smote him with all
their might. But they also availed nought, for the giant was clad in
the skin of a serpent, that was harder than any coat of mail. The
giant, on the other hand, smote at Raoul with his axe. But Raoul saw
the stroke coming, and leapt lightly aside, so that the axe fell and
hurt him not; but it cleft a stone of marble on which it lighted into
two parts. Then said Duke Reyner, "What shall we do with this giant,
for a sword avails nothing against him?" And he took in his hand the
great branch of a tree, and smote him to the ground. Thereat the
giant made a great and terrible cry, and the Saracens that followed
him came running. Thereupon Richard let fall the drawbridge, and the
five hundred sought to pass over it.
But the Saracens met them at the gate, and there was a great fight,
wherein many were wounded and many slain. Then Duke Richard sounded
his horn three times. When King Charles heard it he rose up
forthwith from his ambush in the wood, and all the Frenchmen with
him, and made for the bridge with all the speed they might use. And
foremost of all was Ganelon, that was afterwards the traitor.
Foremost he was, and gallantly did he bear himself that day. King
Charles also showed himself a good man-at-arms. They died that day
whomsoever he smote with his good sword Joyous.
The King saw the giant Gallafer on the ground with his great axe in
his hand wherewith he had slain thirty Frenchmen, and he commanded
that he should be slain, for he yet breathed. But not yet was the
bridge won, for a great multitude of Saracens came up to help them
that kept it. Among them was a giant, Amyon by name, who called to
King Charles, saying, "Where is the King? It were better for him,
dotard that he is, to be at Paris than here."
When the King heard this he dismounted in great wrath, and ran at the
giant, and smote him with Joyous so rudely that he fell to the ground
nigh cut in twain. At this the Saracens were not a little
confounded. Nevertheless, they pressed upon the King and his men
with darts and bullets and arrows. Then the King cried to his lords
and knights for help. Many answered his call; nevertheless he was so
hard pressed that there was scarce any hope left to him. Then the
Duke Richard bade him be of good cheer, "for," said he, "if every man
will but do his utmost this day we shall not fail." And he pressed
on, and his comrades with him. Nor did Ganelon hold back, though
there were some that gave him evil counsel, as Aloys, who said to
him, "See, now, how the King is beset. It were well for us if he
should not find deliverance. Leave him now, and let us go back to
France, where we shall be masters without contradiction from any
man." But Ganelon answered, "Now, may God forbid that we should
betray our lord, of whom we hold all that we possess." Aloys said,
"You are but a fool, seeing that you will not take your revenge when
you may." But Ganelon would have none of his counsel.
As these two were talking, Fierabras came up, being now healed of his
wounds, and asked where was the King. Aloys answered, "He is within
the gate, and I take it by this time that he is dead." Fierabras
cried, "What do you standing here? Why do you not help him in his
need?" And he cried out, "Come all of you to the help of the King!"
and a great multitude of Frenchmen came at his call. Great deeds did
Fierabras that day, and Ganelon also, so that they two did more than
any other to win the town.
Nevertheless there yet remained something to be done. For when
Amyot, the giantess that was wife to Amyon, heard the cry of the
townsfolk, she ran forth from her house, having a sharp scythe in her
hand, and fell upon the Frenchmen in a great rage, and slew many of
them. When King Charles saw what destruction she wrought he called
for a cross-bow, and shot a bolt at her, aiming it so nicely that it
struck her between the brows and slew her. It was seen that as she
lay upon the earth she vomited forth fire from her throat, but she
never moved more.
So the town of Mantryble was won. King Charles found much treasure
therein, which the Admiral had laid up there, trusting that it should
never be taken. Of this he made a bountiful distribution to his
army, so that all were well content. This done, he appointed Havel
and Raoul to keep the town, with five thousand men under them. Also
he caused all his army to be assembled, and went to the top of a hill
to survey them. And when he saw how many there were--for there were
a hundred thousand men--he thanked God that had given him such power.
And he made ready to march against the Admiral.