The only thing left for him to do was to ride as quickly as possible to the city and give the alarm: at the same time, to acquaint the police with the deliberate assault of the desperadoes.
His mind was so full of the disaster to Truxton King--he did not doubt for an instant that he had been destroyed by the sorceress--that he gave little thought to his own encounter with the rascals in the roadway.

He had come to like the impetuous young man with the open purse and the open heart.

Despite his waywardness in matters conventional to the last degree he could not but admire him for the smile he had and the courage that never failed him, even when the smile met the frown of rebuke.
Riding swiftly through the narrow, sunless defile he was nearing the point where the road connected with the open Highway; from there on the way was easy and devoid of peril.

Suddenly his horse swerved and leaped furiously out of stride, stumbling, but recovering himself almost instantaneously.

In the same second he heard the sharp crack of a firearm, far down the unbroken ravine to his left.