y the constables. No shout had been raised, no word
had been spoken, for John Randolph had been most anxious that the
thieves should be captured without alarming the ladies. And now in the
darkness, pursuers and pursued were scattered in different directions.
John sprang after the young man who had raised the pistol, and succeeded
in grappling with him before he could mount the fence. The clouds were
now dispersed, and there was light enough for one to recognise another.
Randolph could not doubt; the intended murderer was Mark Rothwell.
Fiercely did the two young men strive together, and at last both fell,
Mark undermost; and, relaxing his hold, John was rising to his feet,
when the other drew a pistol, but before he could fire his adversary had
turned it aside; it went off, wounding the unhappy young man who held
it. Randolph drew back in dismay, hearing the injured man's involuntary
groan, but in another instant Mark had drawn a second pistol and fired.
The ball grazed the other's forehead, and he staggered back stupefied.
When he recovered himself Mark had disappeared, and never from that
night was heard of or seen in Hopeworth or its neighbourhood. Near the
part of the fence where the scuffle took place were afterwards found
marks of a horse's hoofs, and traces of blood. The miserable young man
contrived to get clear away: the rest of the gang were all captured by
the police.

The day after this adventure old Mr Tankardew and John Randolph paid a
visit together to "The Shrubbery." Of course the wildest tales were in
circulation, the central point in most being the murder of Mrs Franklin
and her daughter. "I trust," said the old man to Mary and her mother,
"that you have suffered nothing but a little fright. All's well that
ends well, and I'm thankful that my young friend here was able to be of
some service; you see, God can take care of His own."

"It has been so, indeed," replied Mrs Franklin; "Mary could not sleep,
she cannot tell why; she felt restless and uneasy, and just about two
o'clock she was crossing to my room, when she thought she heard some
unusual sounds in the yard. She looked out of the passage window, but
could see nothing; then she heard a sort of scuffle, and, after that,
all was still; and, though we were rather alarmed, we heard nothing
more. But this morning has brought us strange tidings, and I find that
we are again indebted to our kind young friend here for help in time of
need,