Now arose a difficulty to find an executioner. There was a secret admiration for the brave sons of Aymon throughout the camp. This was revealed when no one would volunteer to fill the office. At last a person of the court of bad reputation, one Des Rives by name, who had already made himself conspicuous by his questionable exploits, presented himself for the task, hoping by means of this low action to gain favor in the eyes of the emperor, and Charlemagne at once accepted him. Faithful to his past, and at the cost of his honor, Des Rives then approached Richard and read him the sentence of death. Then he mounted Richard upon a mule, and brought him before the tent of Charlemagne, further humiliating him by taunts and jeers. At all times in France men have fought solely for the desire to conquer, and rarely for the hate of their enemies, therefore the conduct of the cowardly and villainous Des Rives so much affected the assembled knights and soldiers that many a stern eye shed tears to see the treatment suffered by a man so renowned for his bravery and nobility of character. The troops of the escort now surrounded him and conducted him away to the place of execution. All along the road Richard watched anxiously to see if he could see some friendly face that would give to him the promise of a rescue, but seeing none, he commenced to despair, and made the resolve to accept his fate, asking for a priest to assist him in his last moments. This Des Rives refused, but Oger, who formed part of the escort, became indignant and roundly denounced the dastardly nephew of Foulques de Morillon, for he, himself, was honest and upright, and would have granted the request; he was even about to see that it was done, when at this instant they were set upon by the soldiers of Maugis and taken completely by surprise. The cowardly Des Rives then threw himself at the feet of his prisoner and abjectly protested that he had only acted in the manner he had done at the command of his superiors, that he was even forced into doing so upon the penalty of his life. Strange drift of circumstances it was, that he, the executioner, should thus supplicate to Richard as if he himself were the condemned. Meanwhile, Alard and Guichard had hemmed in the imperial troops, but not before Oger, Turpin and Olivier had made their escape, leaving Ganelon and Pinabel, the low companions of Des Rives, to extricate themselves the best they could.