Hence he had entered the chamber, leaving the others to follow, never once thinking of closing the way behind him.
Now, upon hearing the note of alarm, he looked toward the entrance and there beheld a sight that confounded and bewildered him.
He saw Percy Maitland, and by his side the constable, Allan Tisdale, just entering the place, or rather he saw them leap quickly in, and directly behind them came the old earl, with seemingly a score of men at his back.
“In the king’s name,” shouted the constable, “surrender!”
“Not until I have made my mark here,” the pirate chief replied; and quick as thought he snatched at a pistol in his bosom, and drew it forth, his purpose being to shoot young Maitland.
But two other persons were as quick as he; though they might not have been had not his lame hand bothered him.
Before he could cock the weapon, Cordelia, who had heard and understood his words, struck up his hand, causing him to utter an audible groan of pain; and at the same moment the earl, full sure in the heat and excitement of the moment, that the life of his brave young friend was in peril, raised the pistol in his hand and fired.
The pirate pressed his hand over his bosom and sank back, coming in contact with the pretended priest as he did so. The latter, thinking the wounded man would fall, caught him to uphold him, and in doing so his fingers became entangled in the thick, heavy beard of the face, and—pulled it away.
The chief had cast loose the principal fastening of his disguise while speaking with Cordelia—the speech which had been interrupted by the appearance of the new-comers and the note of alarm from the startled seamen.
Yes, the disguise came away just as the last of the pirate gang had been overcome and secured—the tawny beard and hair—revealing the swart face of Matthew Brandon, Lord Oakleigh!