Therefore his first thought, after passing through
the postern and realizing fully what sort of predicament
threatened him, was to recapture her and return her to the prison
room in the block-house without attracting attention. This now
promised to be an easier task than he had at first feared; for in
the moonlight, which on account of the dispersing clouds, was fast
growing stronger, he saw her seem to falter and weaken. Certainly
her flight was checked and took an eccentric turn, as if some
obstruction had barred her way. He rushed on, not seeing that, as
Alice swerved, a man intervened. Indeed he was within a few
strides of laying his hand on her when he saw her make the strange
movement. It was as if, springing suddenly aside, she had become
two persons instead of one. But instantly the figures coincided
again, and in becoming taller faced about and confronted him.
Hamilton stopped short in his tracks. The dark figure was about
five paces from him. It was not Alice, and a sword flashed dimly
but unmistakably in a ray of the moon. The motion visible was that
of an expert swordsman placing himself firmly on his legs, with
his weapon at guard.
Alice saw the man in her path just in time to avoid running
against him. Lightly as a flying bird, when it whisks itself in a
short semicircle past a tree or a bough, she sprang aside and
swung around to the rear of him, where she could continue her
course toward the town.
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