k Lodi and Cremona, and made several attacks upon
the Imperialist forces; and such was the vindictiveness displayed; that
several abortive attempts were made to assassinate the German Emperor,
who was unable to check or punish these acts of hostility. His army was
composed almost entirely of Italians, and although the rebellious city
of Cremona was taken and burned, his reprisals were without result.

This continual strife and its attendant misfortunes, equally disastrous
for both factions, reduced Lombardy almost to a desert. The devastated
fields produced no more crops, and the ground being unable to sustain
even the native population, the foreign troops suffered severely from
famine. Barbarossa convoked again his knights and nobles, thanked and
rewarded them publicly for their devotion to his cause, and disbanded
the Germans, promising to open the campaign with a strong army, early
in the following spring.

_CHAPTER II_.

_THE AMBUSCADE_.

After a winter spent in harassing the enemy and in petty skirmishes
with the Emperor's adherents, the Milanese inaugurated the year 1161,
in a more serious manner, by the capture of several fortresses, some by
assault, others through treachery. Frederic was still unable to make
any serious resistance to his enemy's advance; for the German
reinforcements had not yet arrived, and his own little army, in order
to hasten the fall of Milan, was besieging the towns of Como and
Neulodi, so that his operations were limited almost to a strictly
defensive policy, whilst, in person, he rode at the head of a small
escort, through the province, reassuring his declared allies and
conciliating those whose sentiments were as yet doubtful.

It was a beautiful morning. A small troop of armed men, whose
appearance was that of banditti, were keeping guard at the foot of a
hill, about two days' journey from Milan. The soldiers, wearied by a
long march, were stretched upon the ground, and about a dozen horses,
with heaving flanks, stood close by, showing clearly that they had
shared the fatigue of their riders.

The chief of the band stood a little to their rear, and with his arms
crossed on his breast, appeared to be reflecting profoundly. His costly
armor and proud bearing was not that of a robber, for his shield was
magnificently embossed in silver, the border of his surcoat richly
embroidered, and his sword-belt inlaid with preci