her since we arose.' The
good wife replied that she knew not and went looking for her,
whereupon the girl, hearing that the rogues were gone, came forth of
the hay, to the no small contentment of her host, who, rejoiced to see
that she had not fallen into their hands, said to her, it now growing
day, 'Now that the day cometh, we will, an it please thee, accompany
thee to a castle five miles hence, where thou wilt be in safety; but
needs must thou go afoot, for yonder ill folk, that now departed
hence, have carried off thy rouncey.' The girl concerned herself
little about the nag, but besought them for God's sake to bring her to
the castle in question, whereupon they set out and came thither about
half tierce.

Now this castle belonged to one of the Orsini family, by name Lionello
di Campodifiore, and there by chance was his wife, a very pious and
good lady, who, seeing the girl, knew her forthright and received her
with joy and would fain know orderly how she came thither. Agnolella
told her all and the lady, who knew Pietro on like wise, as being a
friend of her husband's, was grieved for the ill chance that had
betided and hearing where he had been taken, doubted not but he was
dead; wherefore she said to Agnolella, 'Since thou knowest not what is
come of Pietro, thou shalt abide here till such time as I shall have a
commodity to send thee safe to Rome.'

Meanwhile Pietro abode, as woebegone as could be, in the oak, and
towards the season of the first sleep, he saw a good score of wolves
appear, which came all about his hackney, as soon as they saw him. The
horse, scenting them, tugged at his bridle, till he broke it, and
would have fled, but being surrounded and unable to escape, he
defended himself a great while with his teeth and his hoofs. At last,
however, he was brought down and strangled and quickly disembowelled
by the wolves, which took all their fill of his flesh and having
devoured him, made off, without leaving aught but the bones, whereat
Pietro, to whom it seemed he had in the rouncey a companion and a
support in his troubles, was sore dismayed and misdoubted he should
never avail to win forth of the wood. However, towards daybreak, being
perished with cold in the oak and looking still all about him, he
caught sight of a great fire before him, mayhap a mile off, wherefore,
as soon as it was grown broad day, he came down from the oak, not
without fear, and making for the fire, fared on till he came to