The man might prove to be something of a white elephant on his hands.
However, his first move was to drag out some stout cord, with which he made the fellow's hands and feet secure.
In doing so he could not but notice,—through touch more than sight, since the darkness was only partially dissipated by the moon's inquisitive beams that forced an entrance—that the luckless guard had delicate hands such as he had seldom noticed among the common Spanish soldiers.
At another time he might have endeavored to assign some logical reason for this thing, but just at the present crisis it mattered little.
The end and not the means engrossed his fullest attention.
When he took hold of the senseless guard and began dragging him across the corridor to the shade that lay more densely in that quarter, it was only with the intention of getting him out of the way, so that in case any one came along he would not stumble over the fellow and thus have the peculiar status of affairs rudely thrust upon his attention.
Perhaps Roderic was not as careful as he might and should have been—at any rate he tripped and fell over some object lying in his way.
Even as he went down he was strongly impressed with the suspicion that what he had taken his cropper over was a human being, and possibly a second guard enjoying a quiet nap.
Hence, Roderic scrambled up in all haste with the intention of throwing himself upon the fellow, and if possible preventing him from giving the alarm, for that was what his wretched mistake might end in.
To his surprise as well as gratification there was not the least sign of an aroused sentry endeavoring to gather his scattered senses and shout for help.