The brave girl instantly determined to save Inez, even at peril of her own life.
She extinguished the light, and throwing the veil of Inez over her head, and her mantle over her shoulders, she stood with beating heart, as she heard the villain Blodget’s steps upon the stairs.
‘Inez!’ cried the ruffian, as he opened the door of the chamber.
‘Who calls me?’ said Alice, imitating the voice of Inez.
The ruffian made no reply, but seizing her shrinking form in his arms, he bore her to the front of the ranch, where Kay and Maretzo stood ready to mount, holding a spare horse that they had brought to facilitate Blodget’s escape. The ruffian sprang to his horse’s back, dragging Alice up before, and dashing the rowels into his horse’s flanks, flew off at full speed, followed by Kay and Maretzo.
They had not been gone many moments, ere Jenkins, Monteagle, and their friends arrived. The bloody body of Gordon, which first arrested their attention at the threshold, filled them with dreadful forebodings.
Lights were procured, and Monteagle sought the chamber in which he was told he would find Inez. He burst into the room. A lady lay on the bed. ‘Inez!’ he shouted.
The lady turned her head, and his eyes fell upon her countenance!
‘Gracious Heaven!’ he almost shrieked; ‘is this some beauteous vision got up to torture me to madness? Inez!—My Inez!’
A wild shriek answered him!—It was no delusion! He sprang forward with delirious speed, just time enough to clasp the fainting form of his long-lost betrothed in his arms!