come, I have known very well how to
make use of it, and I have done a great service to your masters."

And with that Cesare left him, and, calling his captains about him,
rode down into the town to put an end to the horrors that were being
perpetrated there.

Immediately upon the arrest of the condottieri Cesare had issued orders
to attack the soldiers of Vitelli and Orsini, and to dislodge them from
the castles of the territory where they were quartered, and similarly
to dislodge Oliverotto's men and drive them out of Sinigaglia. This had
been swiftly accomplished. But the duke's men were not disposed to leave
matters at that. Excited by the taste of battle that had been theirs,
they returned to wreak their fury upon the town, and were proceeding to
put it to sack, directing particular attention to the wealthy quarter
occupied by the Venetian merchants, which is said to have been plundered
by them to the extent of some 20,000 ducats. They would have made an
end of Sinigaglia but for the sudden appearance amongst them of the duke
himself. He rode through the streets, angrily ordering the pillage to
cease; and, to show how much he was in earnest, with his own hands he
cut down some who were insolent or slow to obey him; thus, before dusk,
he had restored order and quiet.

As for the condottieri, Vitelli and Oliverotto were dealt with that very
night. There is a story that Oliverotto, seeing that all was lost, drew
a dagger and would have put it through his heart to save himself from
dying at the hands of the hangman. If it is true, then that was his last
show of spirit. He turned craven at the end, and protested tearfully to
his judges--for a trial was given them--that the fault of all the wrong
wrought against the duke lay with his brother-in-law, Vitellozzo. More
wonderful was it that the grim Vitelli's courage also should break down
at the end, and that he should beg that the Pope be implored to grant
him a plenary indulgence and that his answer be awaited.

But at dawn--the night having been consumed in their trial--they were
placed back to back, and so strangled, and their bodies were taken to
the church of the Misericordia Hospital.

The Orsini were not dealt with just yet. They were kept prisoners, and
Valentinois would go no further until he should have heard from Rome
that Giulio Orsini and the powerful cardinal were also under arrest. To
put to death at present the men in his power might be to alarm and so