’There must be some treachery, Señor, for a party of pirates are climbing up towards the castle, and the guards below have disappeared from the walls.’ CHAPTER VIII. A BRAVE DEFENCE. When Carlo rushed away, an impulse to follow and see what was taking place seized the three whom he left behind. A strange silence had come over the castle. The moon was just rising and throwing a faint light over the forest; but nothing could be seen save the tall palms and the luxurious undergrowth in dark masses against the clear sky. ’Señorita, come here!’ cried Catalina, hurrying to another window which looked on the sea side of the castle; and as the two girls hurried after her they beheld the bay below; not silent and calm as usual, but with the pirate boats busily plying backwards and forwards towards the shore lower down. ’What does all this mean, Catalina?’ said Felipa, clinging to her nurse. ’Where is my father? And what did Andreas mean by coming to fetch Carlo? What shall we do? Etta, are you frightened?’ Etta was braver than Felipa, but at the same time she understood better the dangers of this attack; and yet she had heard so decidedly, and felt sure Carlo also believed, that Santa Teresa was too well fortified to be taken by assault, that this sudden call from Andreas was a mystery to her. ’I don’t understand what can be the matter. Catalina, let me run down to the courtyard: I will be but a few minutes, and I shall find some one there who will tell me. Pedro is always kind to me, and he will tell me all he knows.’ ’But the pirates,’ cried Felipa--’if they come they will kill you! No, no; stay with us. Come away, Catalina, and let us bolt ourselves into our room.’ And the girl tried to drag her nurse away from the window. But Etta smiled. ’I tell you, Felipa, the pirates cannot come into this place. It would take months to force a passage through the walls, and the gate is too well guarded. I will run down and ask Pedro what Andreas meant.’ Catalina would have liked to go herself, but did not know how to leave Felipa, who was sobbing from fear of she knew not what horrors. Yet poor Felipa, as she crouched near the window with her hand in that of her nurse, could not help admiring the courage of her English playfellow. ’Carlo admires Etta because she is brave,’ she said to Catalina; ’she never thinks of danger for herself. I would so gladly not be afraid, but I cannot help it.’ ’Never mind about being brave, my darling; that is for men and not for girls. What would the men have to do if we women were as bold as they are themselves? You see, the Señora Etta is English, and the people in her country are not as civilised as we Spanish folk. Dry your beautiful eyes, dearie, and don’t be frightened. The noble Marquis will soon be returning, and then we shall find out that he has trapped all these wicked robbers, and that not one remains alive.’