in having his own way, they began a murderous combat.
The lamp was thrown over, and amid yells and imprecations the battle
rolled in the darkness from corner to corner.

"Have you lost your senses?" shouted another voice athwart them: "you
are letting the stranger get off; knock him down first, and then fight
your quarrel out."

But blind with fury they heard him not. Already the first grey
uncertain gleam of early morning was dawning. Antonio now felt a
murderer's fist at his breast; but quickly and strongly he struck the
assailer down.

"I am slain!" cried he, falling upon the floor: "Madmen, blockade the
doors; don't let him run away."

Meanwhile Antonio had found the way out; he sprang through the little
garden and over the fence; the robbers, who by this time had come to
their senses, hurried after him. He was only a few paces before them,
and they tried to cut him off. One of them threw stones after him; but
they missed their mark. Amid hollowing and threatening they had reacht
the wood.

Here the path split into sundry directions, and Antonio was at a loss
which to choose. He lookt back, and saw the robbers separated; he
attackt the nearest, and wounded him so that he let his sword drop.
But at the same moment he heard shouts, and saw new forms along a
by-path hastening thither; his road would soon be blockt up.

In this extremity of need he met with his horse again on a little plot
of grass in the wood. It seemed to have recovered from yesterday's
over-fatigue. He leapt upon it, after rapidly seizing and righting the
bridle; and with its utmost speed, as if the animal had felt his
danger, it bore him along a foot-track out of the forest.

By degrees the cries of his pursuers sounded more and more distant;
the wood grew lighter; and when he had reason to trust that there was
nothing more to be afraid of, he saw the city lying before him in the
glory of the rising sun.

People met him; countrymen were going the same road toward the city;
travellers joined company with him; and in this way he came back to
Padua, making little answer to the manifold questions and inquiries,
why his dress was in such disorder, and why he had no hat. The
citizens stared in wonder at him as he dismounted before the great
house of the Podesta.

* * * * *

In the city on that same night strange things had been going on, which
as yet were a secret to everybody. Scarcely had the darkness spread