ulge her secret and tell about her disguise. To divulge it to this
euraged and furious chieftain might now only render him ten times more
furious and vengeful; it might only aggravate the doom of the prisoner;
but the risk must be run.

"Stop!" cried Brooke. "Senor captain, listen. It's a mistake--She is--"

"Silence," roared Lopez, "or I'll blow your brains out!"

"Senor, this priest is not--"

"Seize this fellow!" yelled Lopez. "Bind him! Gag him!"

Several of the men sprang toward Brooke, who struggled madly, shouting at
the same time words which soon were drowned in the uproar that followed.

Lopez now snatched a rifle from one of his men. Katie gave a loud scream;
Russell fell on his knees; Ashby shuddered.

Lopez took deadly aim at Talbot.

"Your time is up!" he said, coolly.

Talbot stood motionless, with a face of marble and an attitude perfectly
rigid; not a nerve quivered as she looked into the muzzle of the rifle,
but her lips moved as if she were murmuring a prayer.

CHAPTER LI.

IN WHICH AN INTERRUPTION OCCURS IN A MARRIAGE CEREMONY.

Talbot stood; the rifle was levelled at her; Lopez had taken deadly aim;
his finger was on the trigger; she felt that her last hour had come, and
that naught could avail her now but prayer.

Brooke was struggling like a madman. Two of the soldiers had been hurled
to the floor; another was clinging to his neck; a fourth was savagely
trying to gouge out his eyes.

Lopez pulled the trigger. The report rang through the hall.

At that very instant, as the fire and smoke went flashing and blazing at
Talbot--or rather, the very instant before--a figure dashed toward her. It
was Brooke. By one supreme and convulsive effort he had torn himself away
from his assailants, and with one great bound had flung himself at Talbot.
At the rush which he made she fell backward, and the next instant Brooke
fell upon her. Talbot then struggled up to her feet, and through the dense
clouds of smoke reached down to raise up Brooke. He was senseless.

With a low moan like the cry of a suffering animal, Talbot threw herself
upon the senseless form. From his forehead there trickled several streams
of blood which fell to the floor in a pool. She pressed her lips again and
again to the wound, and then through the dense smoke she rose and looked
around, confronting Lopez with the blood of Brooke's wounds staining all
her face. It was a face beautiful in its marble whiteness as the