fe between the lips of the
sufferer. Even then he could hardly articulate, yet managed to ask if
all was safe and to thank his deliverers. He was helped into the house,
and delivered over to the awakened and dressed Tryphena and Tryphosa,
the latter behaving very badly and laughing in a most unfeeling way at
the comical appearance cut by her humble swain. When Tryphena removed
the plaster, and Tryphosa, returning to duty with an effort, bathed his
head, the wounded sentry felt almost himself again, and guaised he must
ha' looked a purty queer pictur. Soon after, Rufus staggered into the
kitchen in a similar condition, and his affectionate sisters had to turn
their attention to the Baby. These were all the casualties on the part
of the garrison, and, overpowered though the two sentries had been,
their arms had not been taken by the enemy.

The Squire went forward to see after the welfare of his father-in-law,
and found Mr. Terry carrying his own rifle and the gun of Sylvanus,
while the said Pilgrim helped the detective to carry a groaning mass of
humanity towards the kitchen hospital.

"Oi tuk my man this toime, Squire," said Mr. Terry, gleefully; "Oi wuz
marciful wid the crathur and aimed for the legs av' im. It's a foine
nate little howl this swate roifle has dhrilled in his shkin, an' niver
a bone shplit nor a big blood vissel tapped, glory be, say Oi!"

It appeared, on examination of the parties, that Ben Toner and Sylvanus
had indulged in a prolonged talk at the point where their beats met,
during which a party of six, including the two prisoners, creeping up
silently through the bush, prostrated Rufus with the blow of a bludgeon
on the back of the head. Then, they advanced and repeated the operation
on Timotheus, after which three of them, with cotton cloths soaked in
oil, fired the sheds and the verandah. But for the lawyer's discovery of
the spark under the latter, the fire might have been beyond control in a
few minutes, and the end of the murderous gang accomplished. The whole
household was roused; indeed, save in the case of the children, it can
hardly be said to have been asleep. Mrs. Carruthers descended, and,
sending Tryphosa to look after her young family, helped her father to
bind up the wound of the grizzled incendiary, who refused to give any
account of himself. "I know him," said the detective to the Squire; "his
name is Newcome and he's a bad lot." Soon the Captain and Mr. Errol
brought their prison