“Hold!” thundered a deep, full voice. “I forbid the banns!”
“Too late! too late!” chattered the squire, starting forward, and wringing his hands with malicious triumph.
CHAPTER XXIX.
IN THE SMUGGLERS’ CAVE.
Every eye was turned like a flash upon the intruder, and the chief, with a fearful oath, sprang toward him, with a gleam of startled fear in his eye notwithstanding his dauntless bearing.
He would have seized in his rough grasp him who had thus defied him in his den; but stepping back a pace or two, Fredrich Weimher turned his flashing eyes full upon the towering form before him, and said, in clear, ringing tones:
“Not another step, sir! I warn you!”
His heavy revolver was raised, and covered the defeated villain’s heart, and grinding his teeth in bitter rage, he retreated a step, for he saw that courage and determination lurked in the young man’s eyes.
He could not help admiring him too, for, though armed to the teeth, few would have dared to come into the presence of so large a number of his band, even though they were entirely defenseless.
He could not account for the strange circumstance. How could he have gained an entrance to his fortress? There must be treachery somewhere, unless——A sudden thought struck him; he looked again, and then his eyes gleamed with such a fire of rage and hate that a stronger man than he might have quailed beneath it.
“Ha!” he roared; “I know you now!—curses on you! You shall not escape me a second time! Fool that I was, not to finish you when I had the chance!”