[Sidenote:  Renaud and Roland.] The emperor, baffled and angry, suspected that Iwo had warned his son-in-law of the danger and provided him with weapons.  In his wrath he had Iwo seized, and sentenced him to be hanged.  But Renaud, seeing Clarissa’s tears, vowed that he would save his father-in-law from such an ignominious death.  With his usual bravery he charged into the very midst of the executioners, and unhorsed the valiant champion, Roland.  During this encounter, Iwo effected his escape, and Renaud followed him, while Roland slowly picked himself up and prepared to follow his antagonist and once more try his strength against him.

On the way to Montauban, Roland met Richard, one of the four brothers, whom he carried captive to Charlemagne.  The emperor immediately ordered the young knight to be hanged, and bade some of his most noble followers to see the sentence executed.  They one and all refused, however, declaring death on the gallows too ignominious a punishment for a knight.

The discussions which ensued delayed the execution and enabled Malagigi to warn Renaud of his brother’s imminent peril.  Mounted upon Bayard, Renaud rode straight to Montfaucon, accompanied by his two other brothers and a few faithful men.  There they camped under the gallows, to be at hand when the guard came to hang the prisoner on the morrow.  But Renaud and his companions slept so soundly that they would have been surprised had not the intelligent Bayard awakened his master by a very opportune kick.  Springing to his feet, Renaud roused his companions, vaulted upon his steed, and charged the guard.  He soon delivered his captive brother and carried him off in triumph, after hanging the knight who had volunteered to act as executioner.

[Sidenote:  Montauban besieged by Charlemagne.] Charlemagne, still anxious to seize and punish these refractory subjects, now collected an army and began again to besiege the stronghold of Montauban.  Occasional sallies and a few bloody encounters were the only variations in the monotony of a several-years’ siege.  But finally the provisions of the besieged became very scanty.  Malagigi, who knew that a number of provision wagons were expected, advised Renaud to make a bold sally and carry them off, while he, the necromancer, dulled the senses of the imperial army by scattering one of his magic sleeping powders in the air.  He had just begun his spell when Oliver perceived him and, pouncing upon him, carried him off to the emperor’s tent.  Oliver, on the way thither, never once relinquished his grasp, although the magician tried to make him do so by throwing a pinch of hellebore in his face.