Giovanni and Garzia were equally fearless riders, and very soon after the game had been rounded up, the special quarry they were after went off at a tremendous rate, out-distancing his pursuers until he was lost in the forest.  The brothers separated and met again in an open glade, where both descried the buck, quietly browsing upon the fresh green grass.  Garzia seems to have sighted the animal first, but whilst he was somewhat slow in bringing his weapon to his shoulder, the Cardinal aimed, fired, and dropped the game.  He at once dismounted and ran to claim the prize.  High words followed, and, when Giovanni made some insulting remark about his less mature station as a marksman, Garzia, over-heated by the chase, and aggravated by his brother’s raillery, hastily drew his heavy hunting-knife and brandished it before Giovanni’s face, threatening to do for him if he did not desist, and withdraw his claim to first shot.

Giovanni pushed the boy from him, perhaps somewhat roughly, and then Garzia, having entirely lost command of himself, struck a blow at his brother which wounded him severely in the groin.  Giovanni fell to the ground, exclaiming, “And this from you, Garzia.  May God in Heaven forgive you.  Call help at once.”

The blast of the horn soon gathered round the unhappy brothers courtiers and huntsmen.  Giovanni was bleeding freely, his hose and buskins were saturated, and Garzia was weeping piteously, and crying out despondently, “Oh God, I have killed Giovanni!  Oh God, I have killed Giovanni!” A huntsman snatched up the gory lethal weapon, lest the boy, in his despair, should turn it upon himself.

All that they could do to staunch Giovanni’s wound they did, and having made a temporary stretcher with guns and hunting-cloaks, the little cavalcade was preparing to move on to seek further assistance.  They had not proceeded very far when the Duke and his attendants rode upon the scene.  Halting the bearers of his son he enquired who it was they carried.  Before any one could make a reply, Don Garzia ran shrieking up to his father.

“It is me, your Garzia, I have killed Giovanni,” he cried out in abject terror.

Cosimo motioned the sorrowful bearers to proceed, and they and their burden were no sooner out of sight than Duchess Eleanora came up in her sedan-chair, terribly agitated by the cries she had heard in the forest.  She approached her husband and found him standing lost in thought, with that terrible expression upon his face which he exhibited once before when she had enquired for her first-born, Maria!

There, too, on the sward, was her favourite son, her Garzia, apparently in a swoon, and she advanced to aid him.  Garzia heard his mother coming towards him and, rousing himself, he ran and threw himself into her arms, weeping bitterly.