They naturally kept as close to the face of the cliff as possible, supposing they would there find the shoalest water, but before they had proceeded many paces the horse rode by Inez began to plunge and rear frantically, frightened by the noise and dash of the waves. The maiden lost all control of the terrified animal, when Joaquin, seeing her peril seized the rein of her steed, and by a sudden and powerful jerk turned his head in the direction of the shore they had just left, where he quickly regained sure footing. ‘Donna Inez,’ said the robber, ‘to pass here is impossible. Either those fellows know some secret ford around this rock, or else the tide has risen unusually fast since they passed. At all events we cannot follow them. The tide is rising and it will be many hours before it will be possible to pass here. Before that time they will be beyond our reach.’ ‘Cannot we ascend these cliffs, and thus cut them off,’ said Inez. ‘No, donna,’ replied Sanchez, ‘we must go back for a long distance before we meet with a place which even a rabbit could get up.’ Reluctantly Inez admitted the force of these remarks, and slowly turned her horse’s head in the direction of the city. ‘They have some motive, beside murder, in going to all this trouble, else had they killed him when they first met him.’ ‘What motive could they have?’ asked Inez. ‘Perhaps, to keep him concealed, until they could obtain a heavy ransom for his release.’ ‘But from whom could they expect such a ransom; for the youth is neither rich himself nor has he rich relatives, at least not in this country.’ ‘May not some of the desperadoes with which the city abounds, have heard of the gallant manner in which the youth rescued you from the flames, and trust to obtain from the generosity of your father a round sum for the ransom of the savior of his daughter.’ Inez admitted the plausibility of this supposition, and inwardly resolving that all her own and her father’s wealth should be expended, if necessary, to release Monteagle, she silently rode towards home. When Maretzo, leading the horse of Monteagle, and his comrades, had safely passed around the cliff, they found themselves on a clear, crescent-shaped beach of some extent, the opposite end of which was bounded by a rocky headland, similar somewhat to the one they had just rounded, but still farther overhanging the flood that dashed into foam against the huge fragments strewed at its base. ‘We are now safe from pursuit,’ said Maretzo. ‘Even I, would not venture to retrace our steps, now that the tide has risen so much.’ ‘Well, old fellow, we had a d—d tight squeeze of it, that’s a fact. I thought at one time we were all going to a place where you wouldn’t have to spend much for fuel for your furnace, eh, Maretzo?’ The Italian merely made some stale joke about the improbability of Blodget’s ever dying by water while there was any rope in the world. ‘How far yet to this cavern?’ inquired Blodget.