nce.

"What are we to do?" he asked. "I never could have imagined anything so
dreadful. What would you advise us to do?"

"There is only one thing that we can do," I answered. "This woman must
be arrested, and in the meanwhile we must so arrange matters that she
cannot possibly communicate with any one. For all we know, she has
confederates in this very village. Can you undertake to hold her
securely while I go to Colonel Worral at Pedley and get a warrant and a
guard?"

"We can lock her in her bedroom."

"You need not trouble," said she. "I give you my word that I will stay
where I am. I advise you to be careful, Captain Fowler. You've shown
once before that you are liable to do things before you have thought of
the consequence. If I am arrested all the world will know that you have
given away the secrets that were confided to you. There is an end of
your career, my friend. You can punish me, no doubt. What about
yourself?"

"I think," said I, "you had best take her to her bedroom."

"Very good, if you wish it," said she, and followed us to the door. When
we reached the hall she suddenly broke away, dashed through the entrance,
and made for her motor-bicycle, which was standing there. Before she
could start we had both seized her. She stooped and made her teeth meet
in Murreyfield's hand. With flashing eyes and tearing fingers she was as
fierce as a wild cat at bay. It was with some difficulty that we
mastered her, and dragged her--almost carried her--up the stairs. We
thrust her into her room and turned the key, while she screamed out abuse
and beat upon the door inside.

"It's a forty-foot drop into the garden," said Murreyfield, tying up his
bleeding hand. "I'll wait here till you come back. I think we have the
lady fairly safe."

"I have a revolver here," said I. "You should be armed." I slipped a
couple of cartridges into it and held it out to him. "We can't afford to
take chances. How do you know what friends she may have?"

"Thank you," said he. "I have a stick here, and the gardener is within
call. Do you hurry off for the guard, and I will answer for the
prisoner."

Having taken, as it seemed to me, every possible precaution, I ran to
give the alarm. It was two miles to Pedley, and the colonel was out,
which occasioned some delay. Then there were formalities and a
magistrate's signature to be obtained. A policeman was to serve the
warrant, but a military escort was to