around him and saw a man carrying off Teresa,
as Nessus, the centaur, carried Dejanira. This man, who was hastening
towards the wood, was already three-quarters of the way on the road from
the grotto to the forest. Vampa measured the distance; the man was at
least two hundred paces in advance of him, and there was not a chance
of overtaking him. The young shepherd stopped, as if his feet had
been rooted to the ground; then he put the butt of his carbine to his
shoulder, took aim at the ravisher, followed him for a second in his
track, and then fired. The ravisher stopped suddenly, his knees bent
under him, and he fell with Teresa in his arms. The young girl rose
instantly, but the man lay on the earth struggling in the agonies of
death. Vampa then rushed towards Teresa; for at ten paces from the dying
man her legs had failed her, and she had dropped on her knees, so that
the young man feared that the ball that had brought down his enemy, had
also wounded his betrothed. Fortunately, she was unscathed, and it was
fright alone that had overcome Teresa. When Luigi had assured himself
that she was safe and unharmed, he turned towards the wounded man. He
had just expired, with clinched hands, his mouth in a spasm of agony,
and his hair on end in the sweat of death. His eyes remained open and
menacing. Vampa approached the corpse, and recognized Cucumetto. From
the day on which the bandit had been saved by the two young peasants, he
had been enamoured of Teresa, and had sworn she should be his. From that
time he had watched them, and profiting by the moment when her lover had
left her alone, had carried her off, and believed he at length had her
in his power, when the ball, directed by the unerring skill of the young
herdsman, had pierced his heart. Vampa gazed on him for a moment
without betraying the slightest emotion; while, on the contrary, Teresa,
shuddering in every limb, dared not approach the slain ruffian but
by degrees, and threw a hesitating glance at the dead body over the
shoulder of her lover. Suddenly Vampa turned toward his mistress:--'Ah,'
said he--'good, good! You are dressed; it is now my turn to dress
myself.'

"Teresa was clothed from head to foot in the garb of the Count of
San-Felice's daughter. Vampa took Cucumetto's body in his arms and
conveyed it to the grotto, while in her turn Teresa remained outside.
If a second traveller had passed, he would have seen a strange thing,--a
shepherdess watching her