"Have you a pistol, Dacres?"
"No."
"Get out!" he shouted to the driver; and, kicking him out of the seat, he seized the reins himself, and drove the horses straight forward to where the noise arose.
"It"s the brigands, Dacres. The ladies are there."
"My wife! O G.o.d! my wife!" groaned Dacres. But a minute before he had been cursing her.
"Get a knife! Get something, man! Have a fight for it!"
Dacres murmured something.
Hawbury lashed the horses, and drove them straight toward the wood.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CAUGHT IN AMBUSH.
The ladies had been driving on, quite unconscious of the neighborhood of any danger, admiring the beauty of the scenery, and calling one another"s attention to the various objects of interest which from time to time became visible. Thus engaged, they slowly ascended the incline already spoken of, and began to enter the forest. They had not gone far when the road took a sudden turn, and here a startling spectacle burst upon their view.
The road on turning descended slightly into a hollow. On the right arose a steep acclivity, covered with the dense forest. On the other side the ground rose more gradually, and was covered over by a forest much less dense. Some distance in front the road took another turn, and was lost to view among the trees. About a hundred yards in front of them a tree had been felled, and lay across the way, barring their progress.
About twenty armed men stood before them close by the place where the turn was. Among them was a man on horseback. To their amazement, it was Girasole.
Before the ladies could recover from their astonishment two of the armed men advanced, and the driver at once stopped the carriage.
Girasole then came forward.
"Miladi," said he, "I haf de honore of to invitar you to descend."
"Pray what is the meaning of this?" inquired Lady Dalrymple, with much agitation.
"It means dat I war wrong. Dere are brigand on dis road."
Lady Dalrymple said not another word.
The Count approached, and politely offered his hand to a.s.sist the ladies out, but they rejected it, and got out themselves. First Mrs.
Willoughby, then Ethel, then Lady Dalrymple, then Minnie. Three of the ladies were white with utter horror, and looked around in sickening fear upon the armed men; but Minnie showed not even the slightest particle of fear.
"How horrid!" she exclaimed. "And now some one will come and save my life again. It"s _always_ the way. I"m sure _this_ isn"t my fault, Kitty darling."
Before her sister could say any thing Girasole approached.
"Pardon, mees," he said; "but I haf made dis recepzion for you. You sall be well treat. Do not fear. I lay down my life."
"Villain!" cried Lady Dalrymple. "Arrest her at your peril. Remember who she is. She has friends powerful enough to avenge her if you dare to injure her."
"You arra mistake," said Girasole, politely. "Se is mine, not yours. I am her best fren. Se is fiancee to me. I save her life--tell her my love--make a proposezion. Se accept me. Se is my fiancee. I was oppose by you. What else sall I do? I mus haf her. Se is mine. I am an Italiano n.o.bile, an" I love her. Dere is no harm for any. You mus see dat I haf de right. But for me se would be dead."
Lady Dalrymple was not usually excitable, but now her whole nature was aroused; her eyes flashed with indignation; her face turned red; she gasped for breath, and fell to the ground. Ethel rushed to a.s.sist her, and two of the maids came up. Lady Dalrymple lay senseless.
With Mrs. Willoughby the result was different. She burst into tears.
"Count Girasole," she cried, "oh, spare her! If you love her, spare her. She is only a child. If we opposed you, it was not from any objection to you; it was because she is such a child."
"You mistake," said the Count, shrugging his shoulders. "I love her better than life. Se love me. It will make her happy. You come too.
You sall see se is happy. Come. Be my sistaire. It is love--"
Mrs. Willoughby burst into fresh tears at this, and flung her arms around Minnie, and moaned and wept.
"Well, now, Kitty darling, I think it"s horrid. You"re _never_ satisfied. You"re always finding fault. I"m sure if you don"t like Rufus K. Gunn, you--"
But Minnie"s voice was interrupted by the sound of approaching wheels.
It was the carriage of the Baron and his friend. The Baron had feared brigands, but he was certainly not expecting to come upon them so suddenly. The brigands had been prepared, and as the carriage turned it was suddenly stopped by the two carriages in front, and at once was surrounded.
The Baron gave one lightning glance, and surveyed the whole situation.
He did not move, but his form was rigid, and every nerve was braced, and his eyes gleamed fiercely. He saw it all--the crowd of women, the calm face of Minnie, and the uncontrollable agitation of Mrs.
Willoughby.
"Well, by thunder!" he exclaimed.
Girasole rode up and called out:
"Surrender! You arra my prisoner."
"What! it"s you, is it?" said the Baron; and he glared for a moment with a vengeful look at Girasole.
"Descend," said Girasole. "You mus be bound."
"Bound? All right. Here, parson, you jump down, and let them tie your hands."
The Baron stood up. The Reverend Saul stood up too. The Reverend Saul began to step down very carefully. The brigands gathered around, most of them being on the side on which the two were about to descend. The Reverend Saul had just stepped to the ground. The Baron was just preparing to follow. The brigands were impatient to secure them, when suddenly, with a quick movement, the Baron gave a spring out of the opposite side of the carriage, and leaped to the ground. The brigands were taken completely by surprise, and before they could prepare to follow him, he had sprung into the forest, and, with long bounds, was rushing up the steep hill and out of sight.
One shot was fired after him, and that was the shot that Hawbury and Dacres heard. Two men sprang after him with the hope of catching him.
In a few moments a loud cry was heard from the woods.
"MIN!"
Minnie heard it; a gleam of light flashed from her eyes, a smile of triumph came over her lips.
"Wha-a-a-a-t?" she called in reply.
"Wa-a-a-a-a-a-it!" was the cry that came back--and this was the cry that Hawbury and Dacres had heard.