“Clutch your creese tight, and we’ll make our way into the Prince’s apartments, for it is there we shall find Marie.”
By this time, notwithstanding the grave earth, the servants were aroused. Seeing one, our cousin’s maid, scampering towards us, we asked where her young mistress was confined.
“Alas! alas! the hour I was born,” she cried; “they have taken her away.”
“Taken her away!” exclaimed Martin, seizing the girl by the wrist. “Say, who has taken her away?”
“The robber, the hunchback, the snake-charmer.”
“This is Ebberfeld’s doing!” he cried, wildly; “let us to his room, Claud.”
But imagine our surprise upon reaching that worthy’s chamber, which immediately adjoined our aunt’s, to find him in a position similar to that in which we had just left Mr. To-ki, bound hand and foot, and secured to one of the legs of a massive ebony bedstead. There was this difference only, and that excited a certain suspicion in my mind, the cords were so comparatively loose that a man of his strength might, at least so I thought, have easily released himself.
“My boys, my boys,” he whined, “thank God you are safe. Uncut these cords; it may yet be time to secure the thieves. But your aunt, your cousin, are they safe?”
“Do you not know that our cousin Marie has been carried away?” said my brother, as he cut the cords.
“Boy,” he replied, now with his old savageness of manner, “I know nothing, except that I was suddenly awakened by three men, who placed me in the position from which you have just released me. But,” he added, “lose no time; arouse the slaves and servants, and we may yet be able to prevent the rogues from quitting the town.”