The knight made no answer. They soon reached a clearing, where a dozen soldiers were sleeping on the ground. The knight's horse was fastened to a tree by a long strap, which allowed him to graze at his ease. "Up sleepers!" cried the knight. The soldiers sprang to their feet, and awaited anxiously their leader's instructions. "Come here, Wido!" he continued, speaking to a broad-shouldered young man near him. After Wido had unfastened the horse and tied the strap to the saddle-bow, Cocco Griffi approached. "You will surely not kill them?" he said. "What is that to you?" the knight answered roughly. "And you," he added, turning to one of the troopers, "lead my horse to the road, and wait until you hear my bugle." "But, noble sir," observed Griffi, "we did not come here to commit an evil action, but to help pass in some provisions for the hungry Milanese. It would be terrible if the convoy, deprived of our support, should fall into Hesso's power. He will cut off the right hands of all the people in the train, and the provisions will never get to Milan." "Silence!" "Silence! yes, silence!" murmured Griffi; "I am to hold my tongue and let my fellow-citizens die of hunger! Before I announced to you the presence of this girl, I should have reflected on the folly of which I was guilty in speaking of her." The chief looked at the little man calmly, as if he thought that, after all, he might be right; and taking out a purse, he handed its glittering contents to his attendant. "Here! don't get angry, Cocco! At least you cannot say that you have ever done me a service without receiving a reward for it." "Great service, worthy reward, upon my word!" said Cocco, weighing the purse. "I must smother my intelligence, in order to look at things in the same light as you do. We will see whether our marauders will ever reach the city. I am afraid that they are in mortal danger of falling into Hesso's clutches!" The knight ordered his men to follow him as silently as possible, and they crept forward to where Erwin and the lady were talking with Hedwige. Suddenly Hedwige uttered a piercing shriek, and at the same moment, Rechberg was thrown backwards upon the ground. Wido put his knee upon his chest, and the other varlets tied him hand and foot, so that he could not move. Hermengarde had scarcely time to understand what had happened, when the Unknown seized her by the arm and dragged her through the wood. Behind them ran Hedwige, screaming with terror, and Gero, who came up to his master's aid, was speedily put in a condition to make no resistance. Still it was no easy matter to tie up the knight, whose powerful arm resisted manfully; and could he have but gained his feet, his sword would have rendered the success of the attempt at least doubtful.