r that his enemy had become
his prisoner. In such an emergency as this, Russell was utterly
helpless, and could only hope that his disguise might baffle Lopez,
or that the quick wit of Rita might be able to save him from
discovery.

After regarding them for a sufficient time, Lopez began an
examination of the prisoners.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Rita answered.

"I am a poor woman," said she, "and this lady is a foreigner who does
not understand Spanish."

"What are you doing here alone on this road?"

"We are fugitives."

"Fugitives from whom?"

"From the Carlists."

At this Lopez was visibly excited.

"The Carlists?" he asked. "Where are they? Where did you leave them?
Tell the truth, woman, and you shall be rewarded. But if you are
false, I shall regard you both as spies."

"Noble captain, I am anxious to tell the truth, and glad that we have
fallen among friends. We have escaped from an old castle some
distance away, and have been flying for hours--"

"A castle!" said Lopez, interrupting her; "where is it?"

"There, to the north," said Rita.

"Oh, very well. I shall be able to find out from you again where it
may be situated; but now tell me more about yourselves. What were you
doing at the castle?"

"Noble senor, about three weeks ago I was taken prisoner by the
Carlists, and they took me to this castle, where they made me serve
as an attendant on the prisoners. Among them was this lady."

"Prisoners?" cried Lopez; "have they any others?"

"Two days ago," said Rita, "they brought several new prisoners."

"How many?"

"Six."

"Who were they?"

"I don't know--foreigners."

"Men or women?"

"Three of them were men and three were women. Some one said they were
English."

"English?" said Lopez, growing more excited still at this news, which
was so much in accordance with his wishes--"English? Tell me more
about them."

"Well, senor, of the men one was elderly; the other two were young,
quite handsome; they looked rich, noble, proud."

"Never mind. Now tell me about the women. Were they ladies?"

"Yes, senor, they were noble ladies, wealthy, high-born, proud. And
one was elderly, and they said she was a great lady. And some said
she was the mother of the young ladies, though they did not look like
her daughters, nor did they look like sisters."

"Tell me about them; what did they look like?"

"One, senor, looked like a Spanish lady. And she was dark and
beautiful and sad, with m