" he said, "half a mile from a house. No one will molest us
here, and you are in my power. I have begged you to grant my request,
now you will have to yield to one of two alternatives. The first is
this: The town of ---- is ten miles from here. You will ride there
with me this very night, quietly, and remain there until arrangements
are made for our marriage."

"What!" she exclaimed, "you seek to force me? You dare not do such a
thing."

"I dare do anything," he said, "for I am a desperate man. Will you
accede to this?"

"Never. I will die first."

"Then hear my other alternative. There is a vessel lying in the cove
yonder. I have got it for this emergency. You will come with me now,
and to-night we shall sail for a port where my wishes will be carried
out in spite of you. Stop, if you scream or cry for help I will gag
you, and Jake will do the same by your girl. He has my orders. Choose
which you like, but one of them you shall do."

All this time I had listened as in a dream. For a time I seemed
incapable of action. I was stupefied by the villainy of my brother,
while my blood surged madly at the sound of Ruth's voice. It seemed so
strange that I should have come thus, and be listening to such a
conversation. At first I could not think it real, and yet I remembered
I had ridden thirty-five miles to prevent whatever schemes he had
concocted.

"Choose quickly," he went on after a pause. "I have no time to waste.
Either you come to the three bridges, where horses are waiting, and
ride to ----, and marry me as soon as it can be arranged, or you come
to Pendugle Cove. I care not which, but as I am a maddened, desperate
man, it shall be one or the other."

She did not lose her presence of mind. I do not think she realised her
danger.

"Wilfred," she said, "I have long known that you were capable of much
that was bad, but I never thought you were as bad as this. You have my
answer. I will die rather than accede to either of your plans, and you
dare not carry them into execution."

"But I will. Then you will wish you had consented. Jake, Pendugle
Cove, and gag the girl. I will manage Miss Morton."

He laid his hand on her as he spoke. She gave a slight cry for help,
which was instantly choked.

Then all my stupefaction left me. With one bound I cleared the fence,
and in another second I was by Ruth's side.

CHAPTER XXXII

TWO HEARTS

More than eleven years of seafaring life