mob of demons. Hurry, Emily! do, for God sake!"

Mr. Garie aroused the sleeping children, and threw some clothes upon them,
over which he wrapped shawls or blankets, or whatever came to hand. Rushing
into the next room, he snatched a pair of loaded pistols from the drawer of
his dressing-stand, and then hurried his terrified wife and children down
the stairs.

"This way, dear--this way!" he cried, leading on toward the back door; "out
that way through the gate with the children, and into some of the
neighbour's houses. I'll stand here to keep the way."

"No, no, Garie," she replied, frantically; "I won't go without you."

"You must!" he cried, stamping his foot impatiently; "this is no time to
parley--go, or we shall all be murdered. Listen, they've broken in the
door. Quick--quick! go on;" and as he spoke, he pressed her and the
children out of the door, and closed it behind them.

Mrs. Garie ran down the garden, followed by the children; to her horror,
she found the gate locked, and the key nowhere to be found.

"What shall we do?" she cried. "Oh, we shall all be killed!" and her limbs
trembled beneath her with cold and terror. "Let us hide in here, mother,"
suggested Clarence, running toward the wood-house; "we'll be safe in
there." Seeing that nothing better could be done, Mrs. Garie availed
herself of the suggestion; and when she was fairly inside the place, fell
fainting upon the ground.

As she escaped through the back door, the mob broke in at the front, and
were confronting Mr. Garie, as he stood with his pistol pointed at them,
prepared to fire.

"Come another step forward and I fire!" exclaimed he, resolutely; but those
in the rear urged the advance of those in front, who approached cautiously
nearer and nearer their victim. Fearful of opening the door behind him,
lest he should show the way taken by his retreating wife, he stood
uncertain how to act; a severe blow from a stone, however, made him lose
all reflection, and he immediately fired. A loud shriek followed the report
of his pistol, and a shower of stones was immediately hurled upon him.

He quickly fired again, and was endeavouring to open the door to effect his
escape, when a pistol was discharged close to his head and he fell forward
on the entry floor lifeless.

All this transpired in a few moments, and in the semi-darkness of the
entry. Rushing forward over his lifeless form, the villains hastened
upstairs in search of Mrs. Garie. They