So speaking, Maretzo, taking the horse of Monteagle by the bridle, rode fearlessly into the seething and foaming cauldron that roared around the projecting rocks.
He was followed by Blodget and the rest of the party, and though the stoutest of them quailed when the tumbling waves reached their knees, and the cold spray dashed blindingly in their eyes, yet they continued on, seeing that the steeds of Maretzo and Monteagle kept their footing in the yeasty waves.
When Inez and her friends reached the point around which Monteagle had disappeared with his capturers, their first impulse was to follow, but Joaquin commanded his party to halt, till he first attempted the dangerous passage. Inez, however, refusing to let him risk the attempt alone, spurred her steed and dashed boldly into the roaring and foaming waters with him.
They naturally kept as close to the face of the cliff as possible, supposing they would there find the shoalest water, but before they had proceeded many paces the horse rode by Inez began to plunge and rear frantically, frightened by the noise and dash of the waves. The maiden lost all control of the terrified animal, when Joaquin, seeing her peril seized the rein of her steed, and by a sudden and powerful jerk turned his head in the direction of the shore they had just left, where he quickly regained sure footing.
‘Donna Inez,’ said the robber, ‘to pass here is impossible. Either those fellows know some secret ford around this rock, or else the tide has risen unusually fast since they passed. At all events we cannot follow them. The tide is rising and it will be many hours before it will be possible to pass here. Before that time they will be beyond our reach.’
‘Cannot we ascend these cliffs, and thus cut them off,’ said Inez.
‘No, donna,’ replied Sanchez, ‘we must go back for a long distance before we meet with a place which even a rabbit could get up.’
Reluctantly Inez admitted the force of these remarks, and slowly turned her horse’s head in the direction of the city.
‘They have some motive, beside murder, in going to all this trouble, else had they killed him when they first met him.’
‘What motive could they have?’ asked Inez.