Dick quickly took each girl by the arm and urged them along.
“Hurry!” he cried.
What he feared came to pass.
Hernandez got quickly to his feet, and perceiving the men who had so recently attacked Dick, he beckoned them to him.
As the men came up, he waved his arm at the figures of the two girls and the young man.
“Catch them!” he shouted. “Reward!”
The men needed no further urging, but dashed after the three. Dick urged the girls along as swiftly as they could go, casting occasional glances over his shoulder. He hoped against hope that assistance would come from some quarter.
But not a sign of a native officer did he see. The few people they passed looked at them curiously, and must have realized the aspect of things by the noise of the pursuers, but none offered to lend a helping hand.
Several times Dick was on the point of turning back to face the pursuers, but he determined only to do this as a last resort to give the girls time to get away while he held the others back.
He led the girls sharply around a corner and they ran as fast as they could along the dirty street. But the pursuers were gaining, as Dick perceived by a quick glance over his shoulder. Then Dick made his decision.