At this juncture Foulques de Morillon appeared. His presence in the middle of the royal army reanimated the troops and they attacked Maugis in their turn. Surprised at this sudden movement, Maugis rested a moment in indecision. His soldiers had become massed together in confusion. To retire was impossible. Alard, his brother, seeing the dangerous position of Maugis from the château, took all the men that could be spared and went to his assistance, rallied the fugitives and joined the battalions of Maugis. These two then, at the head of their army, attacked shoulder to shoulder, striking down all who resisted, killing and wounding. Even before this unexpected succor came, Maugis had charged into the _mêlée_ uttering his cry of war, which resounded over the battlefield. Every stroke of his gigantic arm told. It was death to be before him. Nothing could withstand the mad onward rush of his great form. It was but a few moments before Maugis stood behind a rampart of men whom he had slain. In their endeavors to capture him alive the enemy vainly tried to crush Maugis down with sheer force of numbers, but with a rare courage and prudence he at last cut through them and rejoined his brother, and then the two, supported by their soldiers, turned upon the forces of the king with a renewed frenzy and wrought upon them a fearful carnage. The royal army becoming panic-stricken, fled through their burning camp, and Richard, who pursued them, took a number of prisoners—the rout was complete. If the victory was a glorious one the pursuit must not be carried too far, or in forgetting discretion, a few moments might lose all that had been so dearly gained. This is why Maugis deemed it wise to stop and rally his troops. He re-entered the château, his rear being guarded by his three brothers. The battle did not, however, pass without an extraordinary episode. Of the army of the king only the old Duke d’Aymon was followed and disturbed in his retreat. The four brothers, respecting his oath of fidelity, followed him and sought to take him prisoner. Maugis, finally becoming impatient at the barren result of the pursuit, placed himself and his brother in front of the duke and sought to arrest his progress by striking his horse over the head. But this did not stop the escort, which came up and attacked the four brothers. They in their turn returned the attack, and they would have been inevitably cut to pieces had not Charlemagne, who had in the meantime come up and saw the situation and lost in admiration of the bravery of Maugis, and with that rare chivalry so characteristic of that great monarch, he raised his voice and ordered the conflict to cease. Maugis stopped immediately at the command of the king, and followed by his men and the prisoners they had taken, retired into the fortress.