eath, her story was received by the
major and his two grown-up sons. A message was sent to the police
station, and in a short while two burly sergeants of police presented
themselves, to whom Patty repeated her tale.

Arrangements were soon made. A surgeon was sent for and engaged to drive
over with the police.

"They rascals won't break in till darkness falls, miss," said one of the
men. "But we'll start at once in a trap. Better be too early than too
late."

The Prices would not hear of Patty riding Black Bess back. They
themselves would drive her home in the high dog-cart, and Black Bess
would be left behind to forget her fatigue in Major Price's comfortable
stables.

Of course they didn't go the way that Patty had come. It would never
have done to go through the village and meet those same ruffians, who
would have understood the position in the twinkling of an eye. Instead,
they took a roundabout way, which, although it took an extra half hour,
brought them through the wood on the other side of Colonel Bingham's
house.

"It is lonely--too lonely a place," muttered Major Price, as the two
conveyances swung round to the front of the house.

"But it's lovely, and we love it," answered Patty softly.

Then the door was opened cautiously by Sam, and behind him were the
huddled figures of Mrs. Tucker, cook, and Fanny. What a sigh of relief
ran through the assembly when the burly forms of the two policeman made
their appearance in the hall! And tears of real thankfulness sprang to
poor Fanny's eyes, whose red rims told their own tale.

Poor Patty's heart beat painfully as she conducted the six men to the
breakfast-room where the wounded coachman lay. She stood with averted
face and eyes as they bent over him, twining and re-twining her fingers
with nervous terror as she thought that it was her hand that had perhaps
killed him.

"Ah! this tells something," exclaimed one of the officers in uniform,
detaching as he spoke a small whistle fastened round the neck of the man
who lay all unconscious of that official attention. "This was to give
the alarm when all in the house were asleep. We shall use this when the
time comes to attract the men here."

Beyond the discovery of the whistle, and a revolver, nothing more of
importance was found, and all caught themselves wishing for the time for
action to arrive.

The surgeon dressed the man's wounds and declared him to be in no
immediate danger, after which they carried