APPENDIX. 347 



the request, upon which the bandits, making sure their 

 intentions were discovered, at once attempted to beat in 

 the door, with stones and large pieces of wood. This 

 of course at once alarmed the whole house, and as the 

 window of Signor B.'s bedroom overlooked this door, 

 he instantly fired out of it, at the men who were thus 

 employed below, and, as was afterwards ascertained, 

 shot one of them dead. This, however, in no way 

 deterred their companions, who still continued their 

 most strenuous endeavours to force their way into the 

 house, into which they fired many shots ; fortunately, 

 for a very long time, all their efforts failed. At last they 

 burst it open, and nothing now remained but one slight 

 door to shield the whole family from certain destruction ; 

 their maxim being, that for once having drawn blood, 

 there is then no forgiveness but in blood. This door, 

 then, Signor B., in person, determined to defend, and 

 for that purpose stationed himself near it, while one of 

 his sons, leaping out of a back window, ran to the town 

 for assistance ; his wife at the same time defending the 

 window from which the first shot had been fired. The 

 shutters to this window, two of the ruffians endeavoured 

 to force, and, but for the courage displayed by this he- 

 roine, would have succeeded in doing so, for while, with 

 the utmost strength of her right hand, she was resisting 

 their efforts to force it in, she received a pistol-ball in 

 her arm, which shattered the bone to pieces. In no way 

 daunted, she immediately used her left, with which she 

 effectually succeeded in preventing their entry. Nearly 

 at the same time the servant foolishly exposed himself 

 at the window from which the son had escaped, and 



