Part 19 (1/2)

As he spoke the drawbridge, which was not ten yards away, fell with a crash

”Run across, Juanna Rodd,” cried Leonard in English

She hesitated, then obeyed It seemed to Leonard that the look upon her face said, ”How can I leave you?”

”Now, Father,” said Leonard, ” on the priest's shoulder he stue But he would never have reached it had it not been for Otter

”Treason!” roared Pereira; ”stop hie?”

Acaptain that Leonard had offered to fight before the auction In his hand was a knife already uplifted to fall on Leonard's back when Otter's sabre flashed and the e and hold it,” roared Pereira again

”Wind up! wind up!” yelled Otter in answer, as with sabre and pistol he held back the mob

Those on the further side obeyed with such a will that Leonard and the priest rolled down the slanting planks

”Otter!” cried Leonard--”good God! he will be killed!”

By way of answer Otter fired the last barrel of his pistol Then with a yell, before his foes could close upon hiht at the iron chains of the bridge, which were used to secure it in its place when needful At the rasped them and shouted to Soa to hoist away

A s, but Otter kicked him in the face and he fell into the water Next second he was out of their reach and rapidly rising high into the air Some threw knives and some fired pistol-shots after him, but none of these touched hi, ”look behind you: there is another devil, yellower and fiercer than you”

Pereira turned and all his co roar, a vast sheet of flaht at last in good earnest, and the strengthening as bringing the fire down upon them

CHAPTER XIV

VENGEANCE

”Treachery! treachery!” screamed Pereira ”The reeds are fired, and that witch has betrayed us”

”Ha! ha! ha! ha!” cried Otter again from his airy perch ”Treachery!

treachery! And what if the slaves are loosed? And what if the gates be barred?”

Hitherto the mob had been silent in their fear and wonder There they stood closely packed, a hundred orflaue

”He is a fiend! Kill hiates!” they yelled in this language and in that

For many it was their last earthly cry, since at that moment a sheet of flame burst from the rampart of the camp, followed by the booh the crowd Right through the; and such a shriek went up to heaven as even that place of torment had never heard

Then they broke and fled this way and that, screa curses as they went

When Leonard and the priest had rolled down the rising bridge they found Juanna standing safely by the guard-house, surrounded by soun!” he cried, ”to the gun! Fire into them! I will follow you”

Then it was that he saw Otter left to his death and called out in fear