was prepared even to go the length of
accomplishing it by force of arms should no other way present itself.(1)

1 Sanuto confirms Zurita, in the main, by letters received by the
Venetian Senate.

Another way, however, did present itself, and Benavente and the duke
hatched a plot of evasion in which they had the collaboration of the
chaplain and a servant of the governor's, named Garcia.

One September night a cord was let down from the crenels of the tower,
and by this the duke was to descend from his window to the castle ditch,
where Benavente's men awaited him. Garcia was to go with him since,
naturally, it would not be safe for the servants to remain behind, and
Garcia now let himself down that rope, hand over hand, from the terrible
height of the duke's window. It was only when he had reached the end of
it that he discovered that the rope was not long enough, and that below
him there was still a chasm that might well have appalled even desperate
men.

To return was impossible. The duke above was growing impatient. Garcia
loosed his hold, and dropped the remainder of the distance, breaking
both his legs in the fall. Groaning, he lay there in the ditch, whilst
hand over hand now came the agile, athletic duke, unconscious of his
predecessor's fate, and of what awaited him at the end. He reached it,
and was dangling there, perhaps undecided whether or not to take that
daring leap, when suddenly his doubts were resolved for him. His evasion
was already discovered. The castle was in alarm, and some one above him
cut the rope and precipitated him into the ditch.

Benavente's men--we do not know how many of them were at hand--ran to
him instantly. They found him seriously injured, and that he, too, had
broken bones is beyond doubt. They lifted him up, and bore him with all
speed to the horses. They contrived, somehow, to mount him upon one,
and, holding him in the saddle, they rode off as fast as was possible
under the circumstances. There was no time to go back for the
unfortunate Garcia. The castle was all astir by now to stop the
fugitives, and to have returned would have been to suffer capture
themselves as well as the duke, without availing the servant.

So poor Garcia was left to his fate. He was found by the governor where
he had fallen, and he was immediately put to death.

If the people of Medina organized a pursuit it availed them nothing, for
Cesare was carried safely to Benavente's stronghold at Vi