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.
"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."