“Speak!”
“I was coming across the hills, señor, and saw the pirates.”
“Ha! Talk quickly!” Audre Ruiz commanded.
“I went into hiding, lest they slay me. They had good horses and much loot, also a girl—”
“Tell us of that!”
“It was the señorita Don Diego Vega expects to wed,” the native said. “They took her with them to the shore, and presently more pirates came from Reina de Los Angeles. They went aboard their ship, taking the señorita and the loot with them.”
“What else?”
“There was a man appeared, señor, and killed one of the pirates. I got a glimpse of him, Don Audre, and it was Señor Zorro, the one that—”
“Ha! Zorro!” Audre shrieked. “Speak quickly!”
“He ran from them, and they gave up the pursuit. But when the boats started from the land, he dived into the sea and swam after them. And he did not return!”