As luck would have it, the momentum of my horse carried me right at them. Careful to avoid Elaine, I rode square at the man, striking at him viciously with my riding crop before he knew what had struck him.
The fellow dropped, stunned. I leaped from my horse and ran to her, just as the rest of the hunt came up.
Eagerly questioning us, they gathered about.
Having waited until he was sure that Elaine had got away safely, the old tramp slowly and carefully followed down the stairs of the ruined hotel.
As he went down, he heard a shot from the woods. Could it be one of the sentries? He looked about keenly, hesitating just what to do.
In an instant, down below, he heard the scurry of footsteps from the improvised laboratory and shouts. He turned and stealthily ran up-stairs, just as the door opened.
The tramp had not been the only one who had been alarmed by the shot of the sentry.
Del Mar was talking again to the men when it rang out. "What's that?" he exclaimed. "Another intruder?"
The men stared at him blankly, while Del Mar dashed for the door, followed by them all. In the hall he issued his orders quickly.
"Here, you fellows," he called dividing the men, "get outside and see what is doing. You other men follow me. I want you to see if everything's all right up above."