e seemed to lose control of it. He heard Jane
leap out; he could not see her.

She had played him a trick; where was he? His brain was on fire. He
acted like a madman, wild with rage; he tried to stop the car. In his
fumbling haste he failed.

There was a plunge, a great splash.

Jane, bruised and shaken on the ground where she had fallen, listened.

CHAPTER XXX

NEWS FROM HOME

When Tom Thrush returned home alone--Abel declined to accompany him--he
found the doors open, the cottage in darkness, the lamp having been
blown out, and Jane gone. He called her, searched the cottage, took
his lantern and examined the garden. Somebody, a man, had been there.
He went out on to the road, traced footsteps along the wall until he
came to where the car had stood, then he knew it was Carl Meason who
had carried her off and given them the slip.

Lantern in hand he followed the tracks easily seen in the damp dust
covering the road. He walked rapidly. When he came to the turning
leading to the moat he stopped and wondered what had taken him this
way. A feeling of horror swept over him as he thought Meason might
have had an object in taking her to the moat. This vanished when he
considered he would not know the way in the dark, but how to account
for the tire imprints? He followed them; as he neared the moat he
listened. Footsteps drawing near, light treading; not a man, perhaps
Jane; if so, what had become of Meason?

It was Jane, moving slowly and painfully. He held up the light.

"What are you doing here, lass? Where is he?" asked Tom.

She stumbled upon him, knocking the lantern from his hand. She had
fainted. He laid her gently down and picked up the light, holding it
to her face. There was a cut on her forehead; he wiped the blood away,
saw it was not serious. She came round quickly. He helped her to her
feet.

"How came you here?" he asked.

"Carl came to the cottage. He forced me to go with him. He had a
car--he meant to kill me--it was his life or mine," she said, shivering.

"Where is he?" asked Tom.

"In the moat."

He was bewildered, did not understand. Jane could not have pushed him
into the water.

She explained hurriedly; he listened wonderingly. She was plucky, had
run a great risk. He gave no thought to the man.

"I jumped out and fell on the grass. He seemed to lose his head; the
car rushed on--I heard nothing more," she said.

"Then he's in the water and the car t