WHEN Angoulaffre saw these new adversaries approaching he frowned.
“Aha! for what do you take me, and why do you send these brats against
me? By my faith, Kingling, I do not thank you. If this be a sample of
your court it is but a poor one, and it is no wonder you are foremost in
it. But, in truth, I believe you are but sending me the refuse of your
knighthood, which you are not sorry to be rid of. You hope thus to tire
me, and to rid yourself of these small fry of warriors. I shall not
satisfy your wishes. I should blush to deal seriously with these puny
creatures. By the Prophet, my father would be astonished to see the task
I have had set me!”
Shrugging his shoulders, Angoulaffre took his post at the end of the
lists. He refused the lance which was brought him by thirty squires.
“It would be a rare jest if I needed arms to fight these pigmies,” said
he, as he rode forward at an easy pace. Ganelon and Wolf charged upon
him, lance in rest, but instead of aiming at the giant they aimed at his
horse.
“Cowards and bunglers!” shouted Angoulaffre. “Oh, Charlemagne, I shall
not do you the pleasure of ridding you of such knights. I intend to
spare them, and let them go in peace for your disgrace for ever after.”
So saying, the giant stooped, and, seizing the two as he had done
Oliver, he looked at them quite unconcernedly.
“Faugh! the wretched Christians! it would be a murder to put them to
death;” and with these words he rode off towards the chapel, still
holding Ganelon and Wolf in his grasp.
[Illustration: 072]
You have, of course, my dear readers, not forgotten the chapel of which
I spoke at the beginning of the story. It was surmounted by a huge iron
cross. Angoulaffre went up to it, and without injuring his prisoners, he
hung them by their belts, one on each limb of the cross, like a couple
of rings on a ringstand.
[Illustration: 073]
“Gallant defenders of the cross,” said the colossus, as he rode back to
his place in the lists; “become its guardians also!”
[Illustration: 074]