Advised by Ganelon, Charlemagne departed from Spain at the head of his army, leaving Roland to bring up the rear.

The main part of the army passed through the Pyrenees unmolested, but the rear guard of twenty thousand men, under Roland, was attacked by a superior force of Saracens in ambush, as it was passing through the denies of Roncesvalles.

A terrible encounter took place here.
"The Count Rolland rides through the battlefield And makes, with Durendal's keen blade in hand, A mighty carnage of the Saracens.
Ah! had you then beheld the valiant Knight Heap corse on corse; blood drenching all the ground; His own arms, hauberk, all besmeared with gore, And his good steed from neck to shoulder bleed!" _Chanson de Roland_ (Rabillon's tr.).
[Illustration: THE DEATH OF ROLAND .-- Keller.] All the Christians were slain except Roland and a few knights, who succeeded in repulsing the first onslaught of the painims.

Roland then bound a Saracen captive to a tree, wrung from him a confession of the dastardly plot, and, discovering where Marsiglio was to be found, rushed into the very midst of the Saracen army and slew him.

The Saracens, terrified at the apparition of the hero, beat a hasty retreat, little suspecting that their foe had received a mortal wound, and would shortly breathe his last.
During the first part of the battle, Roland, yielding to Oliver's entreaty, sounded a blast on his horn Olivant, which came even to Charlemagne's ear.
Fearing lest his nephew was calling for aid, Charlemagne would fain have gone back had he not been deterred by Ganelon, who assured him that Roland was merely pursuing a stag.
"Rolland raised to his lips the olifant, Drew a deep breath, and blew with all his force.
High are the mountains, and from peak to peak The sound reechoes; thirty leagues away 'Twas heard by Carle and all his brave compeers.
Cried the king: 'Our men make battle!' Ganelon Retorts in haste: 'If thus another dared To speak, we should denounce it as a lie.' Aoi" _Chanson de Roland_ (Rabillon's tr.).
[Sidenote: Steed Veillantif slain.] Wounded and faint, Roland now slowly dragged himself to the entrance of the pass of Cisaire,--where the Basque peasants aver they have often seen his ghost, and heard the sound of his horn,--and took leave of his faithful steed Veillantif, which he slew with his own hand, to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy.
"'Ah, nevermore, and nevermore, shall we to battle ride! Ah, nevermore, and nevermore, shall we sweet comrades be! And Veillintif, had I the heart to die forgetting thee?
To leave thy mighty heart to break, in slavery to the foe?
I had not rested in the grave, if it had ended so.
Ah, never shall we conquering ride, with banners bright unfurl'd, A shining light 'mong lesser lights, a wonder to the world.'" BUCHANAN, _Death of Roland_.
[Sidenote: Sword Durandana destroyed.] Then the hero gazed upon his sword Durandana, which had served him faithfully for so many years, and to prevent its falling into the hands of the pagans, he tried to dispose of it also.