“Do not strike me when I speak, young master!”
“Speak!”
“They carried away the señorita. They slew six who would have saved her—”
“Carried her away!” Don Diego cried.
“Toward the sea,” the man gasped. “I heard one of the pirates shout that she was to be treated gently—that she was to be the prize of some great man—”
Don Diego Vega tossed him aside, and once more the blade of Zorro was in his hand. His friends were upon their feet and crowding forward.
“A rescue!” Don Audre Ruiz cried. “We must save the señorita!”
“They have stolen the bride of Don Diego, the fools!” another shouted.
“Worse than that, for them!” Audre screeched. “They have stolen the bride of Señor Zorro!”
Don Diego Vega seemed to recover from the shock.