! yes, silence!" murmured Griffi; "I am to hold my tongue and
let my fellow-citizens die of hunger! Before I announced to you the
presence of this girl, I should have reflected on the folly of which I
was guilty in speaking of her."

The chief looked at the little man calmly, as if he thought that, after
all, he might be right; and taking out a purse, he handed its
glittering contents to his attendant.

"Here! don't get angry, Cocco! At least you cannot say that you have
ever done me a service without receiving a reward for it."

"Great service, worthy reward, upon my word!" said Cocco, weighing the
purse. "I must smother my intelligence, in order to look at things in
the same light as you do. We will see whether our marauders will ever
reach the city. I am afraid that they are in mortal danger of falling
into Hesso's clutches!"

The knight ordered his men to follow him as silently as possible, and
they crept forward to where Erwin and the lady were talking with
Hedwige. Suddenly Hedwige uttered a piercing shriek, and at the same
moment, Rechberg was thrown backwards upon the ground. Wido put his
knee upon his chest, and the other varlets tied him hand and foot, so
that he could not move. Hermengarde had scarcely time to understand
what had happened, when the Unknown seized her by the arm and dragged
her through the wood. Behind them ran Hedwige, screaming with terror,
and Gero, who came up to his master's aid, was speedily put in a
condition to make no resistance.

Still it was no easy matter to tie up the knight, whose powerful arm
resisted manfully; and could he have but gained his feet, his sword
would have rendered the success of the attempt at least doubtful.

"Thunder!" exclaimed Wido, "are not eight valiant Lombards a match
for this German wild boar? Nozi, pass that strap under his left
arm,--good!--now pull tight, comrade! Slip this one more to the right!
Come, I think he is well tied up now--we will see whether he can break
these triple knots. Be careful about the feet too, for you can never
tell when these wild beasts are securely fastened!"

"And now, I think we can let him wriggle, like a fish out of water."

"Wretches, caitiffs, scoundrels!" cried Erwin.

"Hold your tongue!" said one of the soldiers; "it won't untie you, and
it is only a useless fatigue. Try to die quietly."

"Is my life threatened?"

"What a question! our master never spares any Germans who fall into his
hands. It is a real p