Stories of Charlemagne and the Twelve Peers of France by Alfred John Church

When Roland came to himself he looked about him and saw how great was / the calamity that had befallen his army. For now there were left / alive to him two only, Turpin the Archbishop and Walter of Hum. / Walter had but that moment come down from the hills where he had been / fighting so fiercely with the heathen that all his men were dead; now / he cried to Roland for help. "Noble Count, where are you? I am / Walter of Hum, and am not unworthy to be your friend. Help me / therefore. For see how my spear is broken and my shield cleft in / twain, my hauberk is in pieces, and my body sorely wounded. I am / about to die; but I have sold my life at a great price. " When Roland / heard him cry he set spurs to his horse and galloped to him. / "Walter," said he, "you are a brave warrior and a trustworthy. Tell / me now where are the thousand valiant men whom you took from my army. / They were right good soldiers, and I am in sore need of them."

"They are dead," answered Walter; "you will see them no more. A sore / battle we had with the Saracens yonder on the hills; they had the men / of Canaan there and the men of Armenia and the Giants; there were no / better men in their army than these. We dealt with them so that they / will not boast themselves of this day's work. But it cost us dear; / all the men of France lie dead on the plain, and I am wounded to the / death. And now, Roland, blame me not that I fled; for you are my / lord, and all my trust is in you."