"

The good old dog came a little nearer and closely inspected the cook's
legs, which were knocking together with fright.

"Cats!" said the cook, pointing to the door as an idea occurred to him.
"S-cat! Seize 'em, dog! seize 'em!"

"G-w-r-r," said Roger menacingly. The quivering limbs had a strange
fascination for him, and coming closer he sniffed at them loudly.

In a perfect panic the cook, after glancing helplessly at the poker,
put his hand gently behind him and drew his sheath-knife. Then, with a
courage born of fear, he struck the dog suddenly in the body, and before
it could recover from the suddenness of the attack, withdrew his knife
and plunged it in again. The dog gave a choking growl and, game to the
last, made a grab at the cook's leg, and missing it, rolled over on the
floor, giving a faint kick or two as the breath left its body.

It had all happened so quickly that the cook, mechanically wiping his
blade on the tablecloth, hardly realized the foulness of the crime of
which he had been guilty, but felt inclined to congratulate himself
upon his desperate bravery. Then as he realized that, in addition to the
offence for which the choleric Mr. Dunn was even now seeking the aid of
the law, there was a dead bulldog and a spoiled carpet to answer for, he
resolved upon an immediate departure. He made his way to the back door,
and sheathing his knife, crept stealthily down the garden, and clambered
over the fence at the bottom. Then, with his back to the scene of the
murder, he put up his hands and ran.

He crossed two fields and got on to a road, his breath coming painfully
as he toiled along with an occasional glance behind him. It was uphill,
but he kept on until he had gained the top, and then he threw himself
down panting by the side of the road with his face turned in the
direction of Holebourne. Five minutes later he started up again and
resumed his flight, as several figures burst into the road from the
village in hot pursuit.

For a little while he kept to the road, then, as the idea occurred to
him that some of his pursuers might use a vehicle, he broke through
the hedge and took to the fields. His legs gave way beneath him, and he
stumbled rather than ran, but he kept on alternately walking and running
until all signs of the pur-suit had ceased.

CHAPTER IV.

Safe for the time being, but with the memory of his offences pursuing
him, the cook first washed his face and hands in a trough,