ried Jim. "Juarez, you are the best long distance runner
amongst us. Will you give the Senor your rifle and run as fast as you
can back to the ship and tell the professor to come to our aid with the
Storm King?"

Without a word, Juarez handed his rifle to the Senor and was off with a
speed that carried him over the ground almost as fast as a horse could
gallop.

Leaving Jo and Tom on shore to menace the escaping party with their
rifles if there was opportunity, and with Berwick at the oars, the
dinghy was headed for the lugger.

Barely had they covered a third the distance when they were surprised to
hear a call from the Senorita, and looking in the direction of the sound
they discovered her standing alone on board the lugger.

Her captors had disappeared, as they were soon to learn. Having first
run under the lea of the lugger, they had aided the Senorita to climb on
board, and they themselves keeping the while out of sight of Jim's
party, had rapidly rowed the boat around a point of land and were
nowhere to be seen.

That they were to board the Sea Eagle, which was still to be observed
dropping down the harbor was doubtless their intent, but why had they
surrendered the Senorita? Why taken all the trouble and risk to
recapture and put her on board the lugger? It was an enigma for which
they were later to find a solution.

Jim and his party lost no time in boarding the lugger. The meeting of
father and daughter was affecting, and Jim was covered with confusion by
the profuse thanks of the young lady. He beat a hasty retreat to the
dinghy, where he was held in conversation for a few minutes by the
Senor, then going ashore, he picked up Tom and Jo. He also carried a
message to the Senor's man. His presence in the tree had not proved of
service through no fault of his own. He was now ordered to take the
horses back to the inn.

On Jim's return to the lugger he had a further conference with the Senor
and told him that in a scouting trip during the afternoon he had run
across a party of three, bandits he took them to be, and listening
unobserved to their conversation, he had learned of their intention to
capture someone.

"Do you know of a Captain Beauchamp?" Jim asked.

"No."

"May it not be yourself and your daughter that they are after?" Jim
asked in conclusion.

The Senor was visibly agitated. "For myself alone I have no fear," he
said, "but, alas, my daughter, and she has already suffered so much."

"I