le and Gering passed through the
bushes also, but could neither see nor hear the quarry. Gering was wild
with excitement and lost his presence of mind. Meanwhile Iberville went
beating for a clue. He guessed that he was dealing with good woodsmen,
and that the kidnappers knew some secret way out of the garden. It was
so. The Dutch governor had begun to build an old-fashioned wall with a
narrow gateway, so fitted as to seem part of it. Through this the two
had vanished.

Iberville was almost in despair. "Go back," he suddenly said to Gering,
"and rouse the house and the town. I will get on the trail again if I
can."

Gering started away. In this strange excitement their own foolish
quarrel was forgotten, and the stranger took on himself to command; he
was, at least, not inexperienced in adventure and the wiles of desperate
men. All at once he came upon the wall. He ran along it, and presently
his fingers felt the passage. An instant and he was outside and making
for the shore, in the sure knowledge that the ruffians would take to the
water. He thought of Bucklaw, and by some impossible instinct divined
the presence of his hand. Suddenly he saw something flash on the ground.
He stooped and picked it up. It was a shoe with a silver buckle. He
thrilled to the finger-tips as he thrust it in his bosom and pushed on.
He was on the trail now. In a few moments he came to the waterside. He
looked to where he had seen the Nell Gwynn in the morning, and there was
never a light in view. Then a twig snapped, and Bucklaw, the girl in his
arms, came bundling out of the trees upon the bank. He had sent Radisson
on ahead to warn his boat's crew.

He saw Iberville as soon as Iberville saw him. He knew that the town
would be roused by this time and the governor on fire for revenge. But
there was nothing for it but fight. He did not fear the result. Time was
life to him, and he swung the girl half behind him with his hook-hand as
Iberville came on, and, whipping out his hanger, caught the Frenchman's
thrust. Instantly he saw that his opposite was a swordsman, so he let
the girl slip to the ground, and suddenly closing with Iberville, lunged
desperately and expertly at him, straight for a mortal part. But the
Frenchman was too agile and adroit for him: he took the thrust in the
flesh of his ribs and riposted like lightning. The pirate staggered
back, but pulled himself together instantly, lunged, and took his man in
the flesh of his upper