rocked,
and fell out sideways into the hall in a smother of dust and plaster.

Stumblingly, those who had been watching groped their way through the
powdery cloud, as it swirled and eddied, towards the dark blotch at the
foot of the stairs which was all that could be distinguished of Trent
and his burden.

To Sara, the momentary silence that ensued was in infinity of nameless
dread. Then--

"We're all right," gasped Trent reassuringly, and choked violently as he
inhaled a mouthful of grit-laden air.

In the same instant, across the murk shot a broad beam of light from
the open doorway. Behind it Sara could discern white faces peering
anxiously--Audrey's and Miles's, and, behind them again, loomed the
heads and shoulders of others who had hurried to the scene of the
catastrophe.

Then Herrick's voice rang out, high-pitched with gathering apprehension.

"Are you all safe?"

And when the reassuring answer reached the little throng upon the
threshold, a murmur of relief went up, culminating in a ringing cheer
as the news percolated through to the crowd which had collected in the
roadway.

In an amazingly short time, so it seemed to Sara, she found herself
comfortably tucked into the back seat of Garth's car, between him and
Molly. Judson, with Jane beside him, took the wheel, and they were soon
speeding swiftly away towards Greenacres, where Audrey had insisted
that the homeless household must take refuge--the remainder of the party
following in the Herricks' limousine.

It had been a night of adventure, but it was over at last, and, as Jane
Crab remarked with stolid conviction--

"The doctor--blessed saint!--was never intended to be killed by one of
they 'Uns, so they might as well have saved theirselves the trouble of
trying it--and we'd all have slept the easier in our beds!"

CHAPTER XXXVII

THE RECKONING

Elisabeth came slowly out of the room where her son was lying.

She had reached Greenacres--in response to Sara's letter, posted on the
eve of the raid--late in the afternoon of the following day, and Audrey
had at once taken her upstairs to see Tim and left them together.
And now, as she closed the door of his room behind her, she leaned
helplessly against the wall and her lips moved in a whispered cry of
poignant misery.

"Maurice! . . . Maurice saved him! . . . Oh, my God!"

Her eyes--the beautiful, hyacinth eyes--stared strickenly in front of
her, wide and horrified like the eyes of a hun