he disappeared into the shadows. The other one came piling out of
a window, and streaked it across the porch and down the lawn. Allison
made for him; but he changed his course, and came straight toward the
car. I guess they thought it was empty. And then the other one came
flying out from behind the bushes, and made for Allison; so I just
leaned out of the car and shot. I don't know how I ever had the nerve,
for I was terribly frightened; but he would have got Allison in
another minute, and Allison didn't see him coming. He had a big club
in his hand. I saw it as he went across in front of the window, and I
knew I must do something; so I aimed right in front of him, and I saw
him go down on his knees and throw up his hands; and then I felt sick,
and began to think what if I had killed him. I didn't, Cloudy; they
say I only hit his knee; but wouldn't it have been awful all my life
to have to think I had killed a man? I couldn't have stood it,
Cloudy!" and with sudden breaking of the tension the high-strung child
flung herself down in a little, brilliant heap at Julia Cloud's knees,
buried her bright face in her aunt's lap, and burst into tears.

"You brave little darling!" Julia Cloud caressed her, and folded her
arms about her.

"She's all of that, Cloudy! She saved my life!" It was Allison who
spoke, standing tall and proud above his sister and looking down at
her tenderly. "Come now, kiddie, don't give way when you've been such
a trump. I knew you could shoot, but I didn't think you could keep
your head like that. Cloudy, she was a little winner, the cool way she
aimed at that man with the other one coming right toward her and
meaning plainly to get in the car and run away in it. He'd have taken
her, too, of course, and stopped at nothing to get away. But, when he
saw the good shot she was, and heard his pal groaning, he threw up his
hands, and turned sharp about for me. He knew it was his only chance,
and that whoever was shooting wouldn't shoot at him while he was all
tangled up with me; so he made a spring at me before I knew what he
was doing, and threw me off my feet, and got a half Nelson on me, you
know----"

"Yes, Cloudy, he was fiendish, and I couldn't do a thing, for fear of
hitting Allison; and just then I heard a motor-cycle chugging by the
car. I hadn't heard it before, there was so much going on; and a big,
strong fellow with his hair all standing up in the wind jumped off,
and ran toward them where