BROIEFORT, THE BLACK ARABIAN 1 67 



" If we only had Ogier to lead us ! " said some. 



And the cry was echoed by many others : " If 

 we only had Ogier to lead us ! " 



" Ogier is not dead. He is still in the prison 

 at Rheims," said a young knight, a kinsman of 

 the late archbishop. " Let every brave French- 

 man petition the king to set him free ! " 



Thereupon, three hundred knights, all sons of 

 counts, dukes, or princes, marched in a body to 

 Charlemagne's tent, crying: "Ogier! Ogier! 

 Give us Ogier the Dane for our leader ! " 



The king was angry at first, but seeing that 

 something must be done, he said at last : " I know 

 not whether Ogier be alive or dead. If, however, 

 he be still alive, I will fetch him and make him 

 your leader as you desire." 



He sent at once to Rheims to inquire if Ogier 

 were still in prison. Yes, the keeper thought that 

 there was some such man shut up in one of the 

 lower dungeons. The squires who had brought 

 the king's message fancied that they heard him 

 in his dismal cell, fighting the snakes and water- 

 rats which had come into the place from the river. 

 They called to him, and he answered. Then 

 ropes were let down and he was drawn up into 

 the daylight to which he had been for a long time 



