The men started to turn the detective toward the door, determined to hang him without further hindrance or delay.

The wounded man as he uttered the fatal words had fallen back, seemingly into a dead faint.

It was a terrible moment; the maddened men had reached the door with their prisoner when Renie called out in a frantic voice: 

“Hold! do not take him away, my father has a word to say to him.”

The girl’s quick wit and readiness of expedient were wonderful.

At first, when the fatal words fell from her father’s lips, her blood ran cold with horror; but quickly came the recollection that the detective had changed his appearance, and that she herself had failed to recognize him.  Garcia was a dark-complexioned man, and the thought came to her that here was a possibility that, in a moment of excitement and bewilderment, the injured old smuggler had mistaken the detective for Garcia,

Her device to stay the maddened men was a rare example of quickness of thought at a critical moment; indeed, it was the only appeal that would have caused the men to delay their fell purpose.

Tom Pearce was still unconscious, and Renie threw herself upon the old man, pretending to caress him, so as to hide the fact of his unconsciousness and to gain time until he should revive.

At length, the old smuggler did revive, and Renie whispered the inquiry in his ear: 

“Father, who was it struck you down?”

“Garcia!” came the response in a husky voice.

Gladness gleamed in the girl’s eyes.

The men brought the detective to the bedside.

“Wait, wait a moment!” commanded Renie.

“What does the old man wish to say to the villain?”

“Wait, wait until he more fully revives.”

Some of the men who were outside, not understanding the cause of the delay, called out: 

“Bring the man out!”

Meantime, the old man more fully revived, when Renie whispered to him: 

“Father, do you know me?”

“Yes; it is Renie, my child.”

“Do you remember pointing out the man who assailed you?”

“Yes; it was that villain Garcia.”

“The man whom you denounced was not Garcia.”

“Was it not Garcia whom they brought before me.”

“No.”

“Who was it?”

“A stranger.”

“I made a mistake!”

“Yes; you made a mistake.  Will you not look again at the man?”

“Certainly I will.”

“Will you rise up in bed?”

“Yes.”

Renie assisted the old man to rise, and beckoned the men to lead the detective forward.

“Now, father,” she said, “look upon this man.”

The old smuggler looked the detective all over, and a change came over his face as he said: 

“Is that the man I denounced?”

“Yes.”

“My friends, that is not the man who assailed me!”