r his shoulder cast a fierce glance at the speaker.

"Brother," he cried, "you who are so full of courage that you can supply
others, go up these steps and find out the trick for yourself!"

Nevertheless through very pride of place as their temporary leader,
Ezquerra set his feet once more to the steps and mounted. The shrouded
figures grew less red as he approached.

"After all it is some trick!" he shouted angrily. "We will make the
fools pay for this! Did they think to practise the black art upon those
whose fathers have used all magic, black and white, for ten thousand
years?"

So saying he set his hand to the face-cloth of the nearest figure and
plucked it away. Then was revealed to his affrighted and revolted gaze
the features swollen and bloated of one who had died of the Black
Plague.

At the same moment, and before his followers could set their hands to
their mouths or retreat a step, round both corners of the building there
came a double swarm of gipsies, running at random through the tangle of
the wood and streaming frantically along the paths.

The Executioner of Salamanca also turned and ran down the steps.

"Touch the thing who will!" he cried; "I have done with it!"

And the entire attacking party with their knives and sledge-hammers
would in like manner have fled, but for a strange and unlooked-for event
which happened at that moment.

As Rollo peered over the low parapet, he saw a slight form rush suddenly
across the front of the fleeing gipsies, shouting at and striking the
fugitives. And even at that distance he was sure that it must be the
daughter of Munoz, whom he had left captive in La Granja. She had been
safely enough locked in the castle--how then had she escaped? He
remembered the Sergeant's last threat that he would have some
conversation with Senor Munoz. He wondered if the girl's escape had
anything to do with that. That it was not impossible to escape from the
palace, the presence of Concha Cabezos upstairs informed him.

But all theorising of this kind was stopped at sight of the vehement
anger of the girl, and of the evident power she had over these wild and
savage men. She did not even hesitate to strike a fugitive with her
clenched fist if he attempted to evade her. Nay, in her fury she drew a
knife from Ezquerra's belt and struck at the throat of the Executioner
of Salamanca.

So vehement was her anger and so potent her influence, that the girl
actually succeeded in arres