He was in the midst of these thoughts—­for himself resigned, for Ethel anxious—­and turning over in his mind all the various modes by which the emotion of pity or mercy might be roused in a merciless and pitiless nature; he was thinking of an appeal to the brigands themselves, and had already decided that in this there lay his best hope of success—­when all of a sudden these thoughts were rudely interrupted and dissipated and scattered to the winds by a most startling cry.

Ethel started to her feet.

“Oh Heavens!” she cried, “what was that?”

“Down! down!” cried the men, wrathfully; but before Ethel could obey the sound was repeated, and the men themselves were arrested by it.

The sound that thus interrupted the meditations of the priest was the explosion of a rifle.  As Ethel started up another followed.  This excited the men themselves, who now listened intently to learn the cause.

They did not have to wait long.

Another rifle explosion followed, which was succeeded by a loud, long shriek.

“An attack!” cried one of the men, with a deep curse.  They listened still, yet did not move away from the place, for the duty to which they had been assigned was still prominent in their minds.  The priest had already risen to his feet, still smoking his pipe, as though in this new turn of affairs its assistance might be more than ever needed to enable him to preserve his presence of mind, and keep his soul serene in the midst of confusion.

And now they saw all around them the signs of agitation.  Figures in swift motion flitted to and fro amidst the shade, and others darted past the smouldering fires.  In the midst of this another shot sounded, and another, and still another.  At the third there was a wild yell of rage and pain, followed by the shrill cry of a woman’s voice.  The fact was evident that some one of the brigands had fallen, and the women were lamenting.

The confusion grew greater.  Loud cries arose; calls of encouragement, of entreaty, of command, and of defiance.  Over by the old house there was the uproar of rushing men, and in the midst of it a loud, stern voice of command.  The voices and the rushing footsteps moved from the house to the woods.  Then all was still for a time.

It was but for a short time, however.  Then came shot after shot in rapid succession.  The flashes could be seen among the trees.  All around them there seemed to be a struggle going on.  There was some unseen assailant striking terrific blows from the impenetrable shadow of the woods.  The brigands were firing back, but they fired only into thick darkness.  Shrieks and yells of pain arose from time to time, the direction of which showed that the brigands were suffering.  Among the assailants there was neither voice nor cry.  But, in spite of their losses and the disadvantage under which they labored, the brigands fought well, and resisted stubbornly.  From time to time a loud, stern voice arose, whose commands resounded far and wide, and sustained the courage of the men and directed their movements.