it," she said, as coolly as though nothing had happened. "The
rockets. Why not do something with the rockets?"

"The rockets! Ah!"

The words escaped him with a gasp, and the explanation of the idea was
this. By way of adding to their Christmas festivities, now barely a
week back, the Waybridges had imported a big box of fireworks. But they
had not been used, thanks to an opportune suggestion from Harley
Greenoak to the effect that, in the current state of alarm, the firing
off of rockets might be misunderstood and cause a scare, under the
impression that they were being sent up as signals of distress. Now
they would come in for just that very purpose.

"The idea is splendid, Mrs Waybridge," said Dick. "Will you get them
out. I can't leave my post."

"I have got them out. One minute."

She went into the other room, and immediately returned with quite a
bundle of rockets, all attached ready to the sticks.

"Is Hazel all right?" he whispered eagerly.

"Yes. Elsie is watching over her. I know I would about as soon try and
steal its cub from a lioness under the same circumstances," she added,
with a laugh.

"And you? You are splendidly cool and plucky. What about the children?
Aren't they scared?"

"They are, of course, poor chicks. But they've learnt to do as they are
told. They are inside--and quite quiet."

The plan was soon formed. Dick was to go outside and stick up the
rockets just in front of the stoep. None of the enemy seemed to be on
that side, the ground was too open and devoid of cover in the clear
moonlight. The while Mrs Waybridge, gun in hand, would watch his
present post.

"It's done," whispered Dick, returning in a minute. "There are half a
dozen of them there. But before I touch them off I've got a jolly
little surprise for our friends yonder. Now look, and you'll see some
fun."

Slightly opening one of the windows, with the aid of a chair he adjusted
a rocket horizontally on the sill, in such wise as to rake the quince
hedge, as near as he could judge, at the point whence the man who _was_
a marksman had been making things lively for them. Then, striking a
match, and carefully shading it, he touched the fuse.

It sputtered a moment. Then there was a deafening and appalling hiss,
and a great fiery snake of sparks sped straight for the point designed,
bursting with a crackling boom in among the quince hedge. The effect
was ample. A hubbub of cries and shouts arose a