orward, hoping against hope that the murderous
bullet would not find its billet.

_Ninety-seven ... ninety-eight ... ninety-nine_ ... Ralph caught his
breath sharply. The finger on the rifle trigger had relaxed.

Sir Ernest had fainted.

In thirty seconds Ralph had bound him hand and foot. With a long,
quivering sigh of relief Lady Margaret slid from her horse and threw
herself into her rescuer's arms. Ralph crushed her to his breast in a
passion of gratitude.

But Lady Margaret quickly disengaged herself. "What about the grouse?"
she exclaimed.

"Great heavens!" exclaimed Ralph, snatching out his watch. "It's four
o'clock! I have only one hour, and the others will have had eight."

He seized his field-glasses, sprang into the oak and swept the
surrounding country. There was not a grouse in sight. He gave vent to an
exclamation of despair.

"Follow me!" said Lady Margaret. "I know their sanctuary. You can do it
yet."

Snatching up the rifles, Ralph followed the girl as she threaded her way
through the trees. At last she halted abruptly. "Look!" she whispered.
"There they are."

And, indeed, Ralph saw that all the trees around him were congested with
grouse. He levelled his rifle and fired.

Bang! A grouse fell at his feet. He snatched the second rifle from Lady
Margaret, who had assumed the _role_ of loader. Bang! Another fell.
There was no escape from that deadly eye.

Lady Margaret had been brought up to sport from her earliest youth. As a
child she had watched many of the finest shots in Europe. But she had
never seen anything like this. Such unerring precision enthralled her.

And she played her own part nobly. Almost before Ralph had surrendered
the empty rifle the loaded one was in his grasp. And when the barrels
grew red-hot, her quick wit saved the situation and she thrust them into
the stream which trickled at their feet.

Bang!... Bang!... Bang!

* * *

Again the guests were assembled in the gun-room.

"Oyez! Oyez!" cried Lord Tamerton merrily. "I proclaim the champion to
be Ralph Wonderson, with a total bag of two thousand brace."

Amid a clamour of laughter and congratulation Lady Margaret came shyly
forward and laid her left hand on Ralph's shoulder.

On its third finger glittered a magnificent hoop of diamonds.

* * * * *

Illustration: LATEST WAR NEWS.

"WE'LL SOON 'EV THE KAISER PINCHED NAH. THE COPPER'S GORN FROM OUR
COURT!"

[The Press