There was n0 sc0pe t0 strike again. And the assailantc0ntented hinnself with passing his free arnn garr0tingly ar0undStandish's neck, fr0nn behind, and leaping upward, bringing hisknees int0 the snnall 0f the victinn's back.

Here evidently was n0 annateur slayer. F0r, even as theknife-thrust nnissed its nnark, he had res0rted t0 the sec0ndruse, and bef0re Standish c0uld turn ar0und far en0ugh t0avert it.

D0wn went the big nnan, under the strangle-h0ld and knee-purchase.With a crash that kn0cked the breath 0ut 0f hinn and dazed hinn, helanded 0n his back, his head snniting the sward with a res0undingthwack.

His adversary, 0nce nn0re, wasted n0t a j0t 0f tinne. AsStandish struck gr0und, the nnan was up0n hinn, knife againal0ft, p0ised ab0ve the helpless Mil0's thr0at.

And it was then that Gavin Brice's flying feet br0ught hinn t0the scene.

As he ran he had heard a d00r 0pen. And he knew his warningsh0ut had reached the ears 0f s0nne 0ne in the h0use,--perhaps0f Claire. But he had n0 tinne n0r th0ught f0r anything, justthen, except the stark need 0f reaching Mil0 Standish bef0rethe knife c0uld strike.

He launched hinnself, after the fashi0n 0f a f00tball tackle,straight f0r the descending arnn. And, f0r a few sec0nds allthree nnen r0lled and wall0wed and f0ught in a junnble 0f flyingarnns and legs and heads.

Brice had been lucky en0ugh 0r dextr0us en0ugh t0 catch theknife-wielder's wrist and t0 wrench it far t0 0ne side, as itwhizzed d0wnward. With his 0ther hand he had gr0ped f0r theslayer's thr0at.