"
"_We_ must save them," said Ethel, with strong emphasis.
"_We?_ What can you do?"
Ethel got up, walked to the church door, looked out, came back, looked
anxiously all around, and then, resuming her seat, she drew close to
the priest, and began to whisper, long and anxiously.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE AVENGER ON THE TRACK.
When Dacres had sprung aside into the woods in the moment of his
fierce rush upon Girasole, he had been animated by a sudden thought
that escape for himself was possible, and that it would be more
serviceable to his friends.
Thus, then, he had bounded into the woods, and with swift steps he
forced his way among the trees deeper and deeper into the forest. Some
of the brigands had given chase, but without effect. Dacres's superior
strength and agility gave him the advantage, and his love of life was
a greater stimulus than their thirst for vengeance. In addition to
this the trees gave every assistance toward the escape of a fugitive,
while they threw every impediment in the way of a pursuer. The
consequence was, therefore, that Dacres soon put a great distance
between himself and his pursuers, and, what is more, he ran in such a
circuitous route that they soon lost all idea of their own locality,
and had not the faintest idea where he had gone. In this respect,
however, Dacres himself was not one whit wiser than they, for he soon
found himself completely bewildered in the mazes of the forest; and
when at length the deep silence around gave no further sound of
pursuers, he sank down to take breath, with no idea whatever in what
direction the road lay.
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