Of all who followed Constantine into the field on that occasion,
Dietrich and his men were most worthy of notice; not only because of
the magnificence of their accoutrements, but from their noble
appearance. Chief amongst them were brave Wolfrat of Tegeling in
Bavaria, old Duke Berchther of Meran, his son Leupold of Milan, and
other counts of the West, and lastly huge Asprian and his giants. These
consulted together on the eve of the day fixed on for the great battle,
and determined that when the Greek and Babylonian forces were asleep,
they would quietly slip out of their own camp, and, if possible, into
that of the enemy. At midnight they set out on their dangerous
enterprise. They passed the sentinels by means of the pass-word they
had taken care to find out, and softly made their way to the king’s
tent. It was a warm, but dark summer night; not a star was visible; the
king’s body-guard were asleep at their post. They never awoke again on
earth. Wolfrat stabbed them as they slept, to guard against surprise.
Widolt entered the royal tent, and picking Imelot up in his arms as
though he had been an infant, desired him to be silent as he valued his
life. The giant’s loud voice wakened some servants who slept near, and
they rushed into the tent to save their master, but were speedily
slain. The whole camp was now astir, but the efforts of the soldiery
were in vain. Confused by the darkness and their sudden awakening, many
were killed, while the greater number fled, and sought refuge in their
ships.
[Illustration: GIANT WIDOLT CARRIES OFF KING IMELOT.]
Rother and his handful of followers had thus won a complete victory,
and before daybreak had returned to their tents with Imelot and some
other princes of Desert-Babylon whom they had taken prisoners.
Thoroughly tired with their hard night’s work, they threw themselves on
their couches, and sought well-merited repose.
Not so the Emperor Constantine. Contrary to his usual habit, he was up
and about at a very early hour, and ordered the horns to blow to rouse
the camp. This done, he desired that his troops should pass before him
in companies. All were present except Lord Dietrich and his companions.
“Ha! ha!” laughed the emperor scornfully, “so that fellow’s high talk
was all swagger. I will go and see what keeps him,” and he trotted away
to Dietrich’s tent.
When he got there, he found that all was silent as the grave. Motioning
to his attendants to help him from his horse, he advanced to wake the
sleepers. In the first tent, he saw the grim giant Widolt stretched
upon a panther skin, while in the background a man was tossing about on
a bed of straw, bound hand and foot. The emperor did not dare to wake
the sleeper. He stept over him carefully, and advanced close to the
prisoner. Imelot, in deadly fear lest he should be murdered on the
spot, shrieked out who he was, and offered the half of his kingdom in
exchange for his life. The noise wakened the giant. He sprang to his
feet, and seizing his club, shouted to Dietrich to come, for some
treason was being hatched in their very tents. He would certainly have
killed both monarchs on the spot, had his companions not hastened to
his side and hindered him. When Constantine heard the occurrences of
the previous night, he was filled with surprise and admiration. He gave
a solemn feast in honour of the victory, which in public he ascribed to
himself, for were not Dietrich and his companions in his pay at the
time? In order that the empress and her ladies might not be kept in
ignorance of what had happened, Constantine sent Dietrich and his men
on in advance to bear the news to the capital.