A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang - Umnet

Leaving them behind with twenty thousand men, and with Ganelon
commanding the vanguard, Charlemagne started.
"Christ keep you!" he said on parting with Roland--"I betak you to
Crist."
And Roland, clad in his shining armour, his lordly helmet on his head,
his sword Durendala by his side, his horn Olifant slung round him, and
his flower-painted shield on his arm, mounted his good steed Veillantif,
and, holding his bright lance with its white pennon and golden fringe in
his hand, led the way for his fellow-knights and for the other Franks
who so dearly loved him.
Not far from the pass of Roncesvalles he saw, gleaming against the
dark side of the purple mountain, the spears of the Saracens. Ten
thousand men, under Sir Gautier, were sent by Roland to reconnoitre,
but from every side the heathen pressed upon them, and every one of
the ten thousand were slain--hurled into the valley far down below.
Gautier alone, sorely wounded, returned to Roland, to tell him, ere his
life ebbed away, of the betrayal by Ganelon, and to warn him of the
ambush. Yet even then they were at Roncesvalles, and the warning
came too late. Afar off, amongst the beech trees, and coming down
amongst the lonely passes of the mountains, the Franks could see the
gleam of silver armour, and Oliver, well knowing that not even the
most dauntless valour could withstand such a host as the one that came
against them, besought Roland to blow a blast on his magic horn that
Charlemagne might hear and return to aid him. And all the other
Douzeperes begged of him that thus he would call for help. But Roland
would not listen to them.
"I will fight with them that us hathe sought And or I se my brest blod
throughe my harnes ryn Blow never horn for no help then."
Through the night they knew their enemies were coming ever nearer,
hemming them in, but there were no night alarms, and day broke fair
and still. There was no wind, there was dew on the grass; "dew dymmd
the floures," and amongst the trees the birds sang merrily. At daybreak
the good Bishop Turpin celebrated Mass and blessed them, and even as