ttle distance from Algeciras is the river Palmones, called by
the English the Second River. This was crossed by a floating bridge,
pulled from shore to shore by a ferryman warping on a rope extended
across. They had just reached the opposite bank of the stream, when
Carlota noticed two horsemen galloping fast along the road they had
just traversed. A second glance showed them to be Don Pablo and the
lover of Juana. The first inquiries of the Governor had led him to
suppose that all had escaped in the boat, and it was not till some
time after that he had learned the true state of affairs.

The fugitives now hastened on in earnest, and roused their horses to
a steady gallop, never pausing till they reached the Guadaranque, or
First River, about a mile nearer Gibraltar than the other, and
furnished with a similar bridge. The delay of the pursuers at the
former ferry had thrown them far in rear; and my grandfather, inspired
by the imminence of the peril, now conceived a bright idea--the
brightest, probably, that ever flashed upon him--by executing which
they might effectually distance their pursuers. Dropping his glove at
a little distance from the shore, he sent the ferryman to fetch it,
and then pushed off (Carlota having already embarked), and warped the
bridge to the opposite bank, heedless of the frantic gesticulations of
the proprietor, who screamed furiously after them to stop. When
he reached the opposite side, he took out his pocket-knife and
deliberately cut the rope. Having thus, as it were, blown up the
communication in his rear, my grandfather, without the loss of his
baggage, continued his retreat to the fortress; while the little
Governor, who galloped up just as they were disappearing, was, like
Lord Ullin, left lamenting.

The sun was already declining, and threw their shadows far before them
on the sands, as they rode along the beach close to the water. The bay
at this inner extremity makes a great circular sweep--radii drawn from
the rock to different distant points of the arc would be almost equal;
and for half an hour they continued to see Gibraltar at nearly the
same distance to the right and in front of them, holding itself aloof
most provokingly. Twilight descended as they passed the Spanish lines
and entered on the Neutral Ground. The Major glanced anxiously at his
watch--in a few minutes the gun from Middle Hill would give the signal
for shutting the gates, and doom them irretrievably to return in