"No! no!" cried Mary. "Help! help! murder! help!"

She screamed, and struggled so violently that with all their efforts
they could hardly hold her. Then the devil Monckton began to cry louder
still, "She's mad! she's mad! help to secure a mad woman." This terrified
Grace Hope. She had read of the villainies that had been done under cover
of that accusation, which indeed has too often prevented honest men from
interfering with deeds of lawless violence. But she had all her wits
about her, woman's wit included. She let them drag her past the cottage
door. Then she cried out with delight, "Ah! here is my father." They
followed the direction of her eye, and relaxed their grasp. Instantly she
drew her hands vigorously downward, got clear of them, gave them each a
furious push that sent them flying forward, then darted back through the
open door, closed it, and bolted it inside just as Monckton, recovering
himself, quickly dashed furiously against it--in vain.

The quick-witted villain saw the pressing danger in a moment. "To the
back door or we are lost!" he yelled. Bartley dashed round to that door
with a cry of dismay.

But Grace was before him just half a minute. She ran through the house.

Alas! the infernal door was secure. The woman had locked it when she went
out. Grace came flying back to the front, and drew the bolt softly. But
as she did so she heard a hammering, and found the door was fast.
Unluckily, Hope's tool-basket was on the window-ledge, and Monckton drove
a heavy nail obliquely through the bottom of the door, and it was
immovable. Then Mary slipped with cat-like step to the window, and had
her hand on the sill to vault clean out into the road; she was perfectly
capable, it being one of her calisthenic exercises. But here again her
watchful enemy encountered her. He raised his hammer as if to strike her
hand--though perhaps he might not have gone that length--but she was a
woman, and drew back at that cruel gesture. Instantly he closed the
outside shutters; he didn't trouble about the window, but these outside
shutters he proceeded to nail up; and, as the trap was now complete, he
took his time, and by a natural reaction from his fears, he permitted
himself to exult a little.

"Thank you, Mr. Hope, for the use of your tools." (Rat-tat.)
"There, my little bird, you're caged." (Rat-tat-tat.) "Did you
really think--(rat-tat)--two men--(rat-tat-tat)--were to be beaten
by one woman?"

The prisoner thus