of Atlantes,
covered with its veil.

He then selected a horse from the stables of Alcina, without exciting
her suspicions; but he left the Hippogriff, by the advice of Melissa,
who promised to take him in charge, and train him to a more manageable
state. The horse he took was Rabican, which belonged to Astolpho. He
restored the ring to Melissa.

Rogero had not ridden far when he met one of the huntsmen of Alcina,
bearing a falcon on his wrist, and followed by a dog. The huntsman was
mounted on a powerful horse, and came boldly up to the paladin,
demanding, in a somewhat imperious manner, whither he was going so
rapidly. Rogero disdained to stop or to reply; whereupon the huntsman,
not doubting that he was about making his escape, said, "What if I,
with my falcon, stop your ride?" So saying, he threw off the bird,
which even Rabican could not equal in speed. The huntsman then leapt
from his horse, and the animal, open-mouthed, darted after Rogero with
the swiftness of an arrow. The huntsman also ran as if the wind or fire
bore him, and the dog was equal to Rabican in swiftness. Rogero,
finding flight impossible, stopped and faced his pursuers; but his
sword was useless against such foes. The insolent huntsman assailed him
with words, and struck him with his whip, the only weapon he had; the
dog bit his feet, and the horse drove at him with his hoofs. At the
same time the falcon flew over his head and over Rabican's and attacked
them with claws and wings, so that the horse in his fright began to be
unmanageable. At that moment the sound of trumpets and cymbals was
heard in the valley, and it was evident that Alcina had ordered out all
her array to go in pursuit. Rogero felt that there was no time to be
lost, and luckily remembered the shield of Atlantes, which he bore
suspended from his neck. He unveiled it, and the charm worked
wonderfully. The huntsman, the dog, the horse, fell flat; the trembling
wings of the falcon could no longer sustain her, and she fell senseless
to the ground. Rogero, rid of their annoyances, left them in their
trance, and rode away.

Meanwhile Alcina, with all the force she could muster, sallied forth
from her palace in pursuit. Melissa, left behind, took advantage of the
opportunity to ransack all the rooms, protected by the ring. She undid
one by one all the talismans and spells which she found, broke the
seals, burned the images, and untied the hagknots. Thence, hurrying
through the field