eat.

The dense foliage of the trees stretched above them like a dome of
verdure, in which the birds were chirping their gay songs. Through an
opening of the forest could be seen the towers and spires of Milan, but
all around the forest was thickly planted, and the eye could penetrate
with difficulty through the underbrush.

Scarcely had the young girl seated herself, when two men began to creep
up silently and cautiously towards the little group, and concealing
themselves behind a tree, listened eagerly to the conversation. One of
them was in complete armor, and wore his visor down, but his eyes
glared fiercely through the bars of his helmet. The other had only a
cuirass, and beneath his hat appeared the cunning face of the Milanese
Cocco Griffi.

"You have chosen a beautiful spot," said Hermengarde; "and this
perspective is admirable."

"Yes; and it was in some degree on that account I selected this wild
site----"

At this moment the man in armor uttered an angry exclamation through
his visor, and disappeared in the thicket, followed by his companion.

_CHAPTER XXV_.

_THE CAPTURE_.

"What say you of this adventure?" asked Griffi of the knight, with whose
long strides he could scarcely keep pace; "I know that you are entirely
disinterested in the question."

The knight made no answer. They soon reached a clearing, where a dozen
soldiers were sleeping on the ground. The knight's horse was fastened
to a tree by a long strap, which allowed him to graze at his ease.

"Up sleepers!" cried the knight. The soldiers sprang to their feet, and
awaited anxiously their leader's instructions.

"Come here, Wido!" he continued, speaking to a broad-shouldered young
man near him.

After Wido had unfastened the horse and tied the strap to the
saddle-bow, Cocco Griffi approached.

"You will surely not kill them?" he said.

"What is that to you?" the knight answered roughly. "And you," he
added, turning to one of the troopers, "lead my horse to the road, and
wait until you hear my bugle."

"But, noble sir," observed Griffi, "we did not come here to commit an
evil action, but to help pass in some provisions for the hungry
Milanese. It would be terrible if the convoy, deprived of our support,
should fall into Hesso's power. He will cut off the right hands of all
the people in the train, and the provisions will never get to Milan."

"Silence!"

"Silence