Angleford's room. The revolver "pinged," there was a flash of light, but
the bullet sped past him, and Drake flung himself upon his man.

Ted was as slippery as an eel, and striking Drake across the head with
the revolver, he ran into the woods, with Drake after him; but the man
knew there was no escape for him in that direction, and after a moment
or two he turned and faced Drake again.

"Keep off, you fool, or I'll shoot you!" he growled hoarsely.

"Give in," said Drake again. "The game's up!"

Ted laughed shortly, and aimed the revolver again; but as his finger
pressed the trigger, a cry rose from behind him, his arm was struck
aside, and once more the bullet whizzed past its mark, and Drake was
saved.

He saw the figure of a woman struggling with the burglar, saw the man
raise his hand to strike her from him, saw her fall to the ground, and
knew, by some instinct, that it was Nell.

In that instant the capture of the man was of no moment to him. With a
cry, he flung himself on his knees beside her.

"Nell, Nell!" he panted. "Is it you?"

She remained quite motionless under his words, his touch, and he raised
her head and tried to see her face.

The lamp he had dropped some moments before.

Suddenly a great shudder ran through her. She sighed, and opened her
eyes.

"Drake!" she murmured; "Drake! Is he----"

He thought she referred to the man.

"Never mind him," he said eagerly. "Are you hurt? Tell me?"

She put her hand to her head, and struggled to her feet, swaying to and
fro as if only half conscious, then her hands went out to him, and she
uttered a cry of terror and anxiety.

"He--he shot you!" she gasped.

"No, no!" he responded quickly. "There is no harm done, if the brute has
not hurt you."

She shook her head and leaned against the tree, trembling and panting.

"I was in the garden. I--heard you and the man running, and--and--I--ran
across the path----"

"In time to save my life," he said gravely. "But I'd rather have died
than you should come to harm."

As he spoke, he heard the noise of a struggle behind him. He had
absolutely ceased to care what became of the man whom he had been
pursuing so relentlessly for a few minutes before; but the noise, the
hoarse cries, which now broke upon them had recalled him to a sense of
the situation.

"They are struggling at the gate--I must leave you," he said hurriedly.
And he ran down the path.

As he approached the gate, he saw Falconer an