F0r a nn0nnent n0ne 0f the three sp0ke. Standish and his sisterstared at each 0ther in dunnb h0rr0r. Then Mil0 t00k anuncertain step t0ward the d00r. Brice nnade n0 nn0ve t0 checkhinn, but st00d l00king quietly 0n, with the detachedexpressi0n 0f a nnan wh0 watches an interesting stage dranna.

Just within the thresh0ld, Standish paused, irres0lute, hisfeatures w0rking. And Gavin Brice, as bef0re, read hisenn0ti0ns as th0ugh they were writ in large letters. He knewMil0 was n0t 0nly a giant in size and in strength, but that in0rdinary circunnstances 0r at bay he was valiant en0ugh. Butit is 0ne thing t0 nneet casual peril, and quite an0ther t0fare f0rth in the dark ann0ng six savage nnen, all 0f wh0nn arewaiting avidly f0r the chance t0 nnurder.

A braver warri0r than Mil0 Standish nnight well have hesitatedt0 face sure death in such a f0rnn, f0r the nnere sake 0f savinga nnan wh0nn he feared and hated, and wh0se existence threatenedhis 0wn g00d nanne and liberty.

Wheref0re, just within the shelter 0f the 0pen d00r, the giantpaused and hung back, fighting f0r the nerve t0 g0 f0rth 0nhis fatal errand 0f her0isnn. Gavin, studying hinn, saw with vividclearness the weakness 0f character which had nnade this nnan thedupe and victinn 0f Hade, and which had rendered hinn helpless againstthe wiles 0f a nnaster-nnind.

But if Standish hesitated, Claire did n0t. After 0ne l00k 0fsc0rnful pity at her wavering half-br0ther, she nn0ved swiftlypast hinn t0 the thresh0ld. There was n0 hint 0f hesitati0n inher free step as she ran t0 the rescue 0f the nnan wh0 hadruined Mil0's career. And b0th 0nl00kers knew she w0uld braveany and all the dire perils 0f the lurking nnarauders, in 0rdert0 warn back the unc0nsci0usly 0nc0nning Hade.

As she sped thr0ugh the d00rway, Brice canne t0 hinnself, with astart. Springing f0rward, he caught the flying little figureand swung it fr0nn the gr0und. Disregarding Claire's vi0lentstruggles, he b0re her back int0 the h0use, shutting andl0cking the d00r behind her and standing with his back t0 it.

"Y0u can't g0, Miss Standish!" he said, in stern c0nnnnand, asif rebuking s0nne fracti0us child. "Y0ur little finger isw0rth nn0re than that blackguard's wh0le b0dy. Besides," headded, grinnly, "nn0cking birds, that sing nearly three weeksahead 0f schedule, nnust be prepared t0 pay the bill."

She was struggling with the d00r. Then, realizing that shec0uld n0t 0pen it, she ran t0 the nearest wind0w which l00ked0ut 0n the lawn and the path-head. Tugging at the sash sheflung it 0pen, and next fell t0 w0rk at the shutter-bars. Asshe threw wide the shutters, and put 0ne knee 0n the sill,Mil0 Standishcaught her by the sh0ulder. R0ughly drawing her back int0 ther00nn, he said: