Against all this advice, the next day Maugis set out with his four brothers, followed by the ten lords of King Yon, to meet the Emperor Charlemagne. By this time King Yon, who had never before lost his honor, was half-tempted to regret the villainous action he was about to commit, but the abbé and Godefroy, ever at his side, confirmed his purpose by representing to him the enormous benefits to him of the action, and his heart was hardened and he remained silent. At the head of the little troop, marching slowly onward, Maugis was confronted by a presentiment which caused him to fear there might be reason in the doubts expressed by his brothers and his wife. He, however, by an effort of will cast it aside, they, meanwhile, having arrived at the plain of Vancouleurs. It was a forbidding spot, being surrounded by dense forests, and had no possible issue for them in case of flight; besides, the river Gironde, which traversed it, four roads led from it; the road to France, the road to Portugal, the road to Spain, and road to the kingdom of Acquitaine; but these roads were now all guarded by ambuscades of five hundred men belonging to Charlemagne. Surprised at not finding any one on the plain, Maugis and his little company proceeded across it and placed themselves at the foot of a steep rock, which was pierced by a narrow opening. Alard had by this time persuaded Maugis that they were betrayed, and that they were wise if they immediately retraced their steps; when, however, they attempted to do this, they suddenly encountered Foulques de Morillon at the head of three hundred men. “We are betrayed!” shouted Maugis, then turning quickly to the knights of his escort, he cried: “Ah, gentlemen, you whom King Yon has sent to accompany us, you will give us your aid now?” Then Godefroy, who was of the escort and who had hated Maugis from the time of his arrival at the court of Yon, responded, saying: “Not we, we have been forced to accompany you against our will and neither myself nor any of these other lords are willing to give thee any assistance.” These half-defiant and half-sneering words had hardly died upon his lips when Maugis, seeing at last the trap into which they had been lured, turned upon him and with incredible quickness, with one stroke of his sword, cleft his head to the chin. The other knights then fled for safety and joined the side of the enemy. “Come on, dear friends!” cried Maugis, “until we are taken we will defend ourselves like men of heart; we will fight here back to back, and will never submit to be taken alive.” All four brothers embraced as if for a final adieu, and rolling their cloaks around their left arms to parry the blows, they grimly awaited the enemy, firm of foot and sword in hand. Struck by their courage and coolness, Foulques de Morillon cried out to them: “Yield thee; resistance is useless, King Yon hath given thee up, thou art surrounded on every hand, therefore surrender, for assistance is impossible.”