et us begone, for we are
attacked'; then, turning her rouncey's head, as best she knew, towards
a great wood hard by, she clapped her spurs fast to his flank and held
on to the saddlebow, whereupon the nag, feeling himself goaded, bore
her into the wood at a gallop.

Pietro, who went gazing more at her face than at the road, not having
become so quickly aware as she of the new comers, was overtaken and
seized by them, whilst he still looked, without yet perceiving them,
to see whence they should come. They made him alight from his hackney
and enquired who he was, which he having told, they proceeded to take
counsel together and said, 'This fellow is of the friends of our
enemies; what else should we do but take from him these clothes and
this nag and string him up to one of yonder oaks, to spite the
Orsini?' They all fell in with this counsel and bade Pietro put off
his clothes, which as he was in act to do, foreboding him by this of
the ill fate which awaited him, it chanced that an ambush of good
five-and-twenty footmen started suddenly out upon the others, crying,
'Kill! Kill!' The rogues, taken by surprise, let Pietro be and turned
to stand upon their defence, but, seeing themselves greatly
outnumbered by their assailants, betook themselves to flight, whilst
the others pursued them.

Pietro, seeing this, hurriedly caught up his gear and springing on his
hackney, addressed himself, as best he might, to flee by the way he
had seen his mistress take; but finding her not and seeing neither
road nor footpath in the wood neither perceiving any horse's hoof
marks, he was the woefullest man alive; and as soon as himseemed he
was safe and out of reach of those who had taken him, as well as of
the others by whom they had been assailed, he began to drive hither
and thither about the wood, weeping and calling; but none answered him
and he dared not turn back and knew not where he might come, an he
went forward, more by token that he was in fear of the wild beasts
that use to harbour in the woods, at once for himself and for his
mistress, whom he looked momently to see strangled of some bear or
some wolf. On this wise, then, did the unlucky Pietro range all day
about the wood, crying and calling, whiles going backward, when as he
thought to go forward, until, what with shouting and weeping and fear
and long fasting, he was so spent that he could no more and seeing the
night come and knowing not what other course to take, he di