When Ganelon came again to Charlemagne he told him that Marsilius had yielded every point and was already on his way to Aachen, where he would give up his religion and be baptized into the Christian faith. Then was the great Charles filled with joy at this bloodless end to his long campaign, and right willingly he went before his warriors and told them the great news. At last night fell upon the camp of rejoicing Christians, and Charles retired to his pavilion to sleep. But it was for him a terrible night filled with dreams and dark forebodings. He thought he was in a narrow pass closely pressed by deadly enemies and with no weapon in hand but an ashen spear. Count Ganelon, riding by, snatched the spear from his hand and broke it into splinters. Then again he dreamed that he was back at home in the royal palace, but that a poisonous viper fastened itself upon his hands and in spite of all his efforts he could not remove it; and as he struggled unavailingly a leopard leaped upon him and bore him to the earth and would have killed him but for a favorite hound who rushed between and seized the leopard by the throat. Viciously the two struggled, and Charles watched the terrible combat, but try as he might he could not see which animal was the victor. When morning came, and the sun shone over the Christian camp, dispelling the mists of sleep from the brain of Charles, he knew he had been dreaming, but still he was not able to shake off the dread forebodings that weighed on his soul. The camps were struck and the hosts of Charles prepared to march from Spain. "Whom shall I leave in command of the rear guard?" said the emperor to Ganelon. "Leave Roland," replied the traitor; "he is the only man worthy of so important a post." Roland only too willingly accepted the task, saying to Charles, "Give to me, I pray thee, the bow that is in thy hand. Trust me, I shall not let it fall as Ganelon let fall thy glove." The emperor handed the bow to Roland, and thus was he made captain of the rear guard. Oliver, his friend, remained behind with him and the twelve peers and Turpin, the Archbishop, besides twenty thousand picked warriors. "Roland, my dear nephew," said the emperor, "behold, I leave with thee one half my army. Keep them safely for me." "Fear nothing," Roland answered; "a good account shall I render of my charge." Thus the king parted from Roland and marched away with the bulk of his army toward his own land. But ever as he passed over the high mountains and through the deep ravines whose steep sides shut out the light of the sun and seemed about to topple upon him, his heart grew heavy with some strange oppression he could not understand. Ever and anon he turned to his bodyguard and said, "I much fear me that some terrible danger awaiteth our beloved Roland and the noble rear guard. I feel that some treachery will be practised against them."