er. The next moment, a struggle was
heard, and Blueskin appeared at the door, followed by Mrs. Wood.

Jack instandly extinguished the light, and called to his comrade to come
after him.

But Blueskin found it impossible to make off,--at least with the
spoil,--Mrs. Wood having laid hold of the canvass-bag.

"Give back the things!" cried the, lady. "Help!--help, Mr. Wood!"

"Leave go!" thundered Blueskin--"leave go--you'd better!"--and he held
the sack as firmly as he could with one hand, while with the other he
searched for his knife.

"No, I won't leave go!" screamed Mrs. Wood.
"Fire!--murder--thieves!--I've got one of 'em!"

"Come along," cried Jack.

"I can't," answered Blueskin. "This she-devil has got hold of the sack.
Leave go, I tell you!" and he forced open the knife with his teeth.

"Help!--murder!--thieves!" screamed Mrs. Wood;--"Owen--Owen!--Thames,
help!"

"Coming!" cried Mr. Wood, leaping from the bed. "Where are you?"

"Here," replied Mrs. Wood. "Help--I'll hold him!"

"Leave her," cried Jack, darting down stairs, amid a furious ringing of
bells,--"the house is alarmed,--follow me!"

"Curses light on you!" cried Blueskin, savagely; "since you won't be
advised, take your fate."

And seizing her by the hair, he pulled back her head, and drew the knife
with all his force across her throat. There was a dreadful stifled
groan, and she fell heavily upon the landing.

The screams of the unfortunate woman had aroused Thames from his
slumbers. Snatching-up his pistols, he rushed to the door, but to his
horror found it fastened. He heard the struggle on the landing, the fall
of the heavy body, the groan,--and excited almost to frenzy by his
fears, he succeeded in forcing open the door. By this time, several of
the terrified domestics appeared with lights. A terrible spectacle was
presented to the young man's gaze:--the floor deluged with blood--the
mangled and lifeless body of Mrs. Wood,--Winifred fainted in the arms of
a female attendant,--and Wood standing beside them almost in a state of
distraction. Thus, in a few minutes, had this happy family been plunged
into the depths of misery. At this juncture, a cry was raised by a
servant from below, that the robbers were flying through the garden.
Darting to a window looking in that direction, Thames threw it up, and
discharged both his pistols, but without effect. In another minute, the
tramp of horses' feet told that the perpetrators of the outrage ha