Suddenly, in the midst of their heavy grief and utter silence a familiar sound was heard—a ringing footstep under the back windows.
And every man leaped to his feet, with looks of wild delight and questioning.
And the next instant the door was flung wide open, and the outlaw chief stood among them!
Steve stopped rolling and curled himself around Black Donald's neck, exclaiming:
"It's you—it's you—it's you!—my dear, my darling—my adored—my sweetheart—my prince!—my lord!—my king!—my dear, dear captain!"
Steve, the lazy mulatto, rolled down upon the floor at his master's feet, and embraced him in silence.
While Demon Dick growled forth:
"How the foul fiend did you get out?"
And the anxious faces of all the other men silently repeated the question.
"Not by any help of yours, boys! But don't think I reproach you, lads! Well I know that you could do nothing on earth to save me! No one on earth could have helped me except the one who really freed me—Capitola!"