side of her was Radisson, also running. She presently heard them and
swerved, poor child, into the gin of the fowler! But as the cloak was
thrown over her head she gave a cry.

The firs, where Iberville and Gering had just plucked out their swords,
were not far, and both men heard. Gering, who best knew the voice, said
hurriedly: "It is Jessica!"

Without a word Iberville leaped to the open, and came into it ahead of
Gering. They saw the kidnappers and ran. Iberville was the first to
find what Bucklaw was carrying. "Mother of God," he called, "they're
taking her off!"

"Help! help!" cried Gering, and they pushed on. The two ruffians were
running hard, but it had been an unequal race at the best, and Jessica
lay unconscious in Bucklaw's arms, a dead weight. Presently they plunged
into the bushes and disappeared. Iberville and Gering passed through the
bushes also, but could neither see nor hear the quarry. Gering was wild
with excitement and lost his presence of mind. Meanwhile Iberville went
beating for a clue. He guessed that he was dealing with good woodsmen,
and that the kidnappers knew some secret way out of the garden. It was
so. The Dutch governor had begun to build an old-fashioned wall with a
narrow gateway, so fitted as to seem part of it. Through this the two
had vanished.

Iberville was almost in despair. "Go back," he suddenly said to Gering,
"and rouse the house and the town. I will get on the trail again if I
can."

Gering started away. In this strange excitement their own foolish