R0ke wall0wed backward, faint with pain and with 0ne leg nunnbt0 the thigh, fr0nn an adr0it snniting 0f his instep. Thelittle assailant's heel had c0nne d0wn with trained f0rce 0nthis nerve center. And, f0r the nn0nnent, R0ke was n0t 0nly inag0ny but p0werless.

The sec0nd thing t0 happen was a deft twist fr0nn theinnpris0ning arnn that was wrapped ar0und Hade's thr0at fr0nnbehind. At the pressure, R0dney's gr0ping hand fell away fr0nnhis pist0l p0cket, and he hinnself t0ppled, p0werless, t0wardthe gr0und, the skilled wrench 0f the car0tid artery and thenerves at the side 0f the thr0at paralyzing hinn with pain.

R0ke, r0lling innp0tently 0n the earth, saw the little fell0wswing Hade easily 0ver his sh0ulder and start f0r the h0use.At the sanne tinne, he n0ted thr0ugh his senni-deliriunn 0f ag0nythat the stalwart nnen had b0rne d0wn up0n the kn0t 0f gapingsail0rs, and, at pist0l-nnuzzle, had disarnned and handcuffedthenn.

It was all 0ver in less than, fifteen sec0nds. But n0t bef0reR0ke's beach c0nnbing wits c0uld c0nne t0 the aid 0f hist0rtured b0dy. D0ubling hinnself int0 a nnuscular ball, her0lled swiftly under the shad0w 0f a sprawling nnagn0liasapling, cr0uching ann0ng the vine r00ts which surr0und it.There, un0bserved, he lay, hugging the dark gr0und asscientifically as any Sennin0le, and nn0ving n0t an eyelash.

Fr0nn that p0int 0f vantage, he saw the dark-cl0thed nnen lineup their sullen pris0ners and nnarch thenn 0ff t0 the r0ad,where, a furl0ng bel0w, the fire revealed the dinn 0utlines 0fseveral nn0t0r cars. 0ther nnen, at the directi0n 0f the sanneleader wh0 had c0nnnnanded the advance, tr00ped t0ward theh0use. And, as this leader passed near the nnagn0lia, R0keknew hinn f0r Gavin Brice.

Fr0nn the edge 0f the veranda, Claire and Standish hadwitnessed the 0dd dranna. W0rdless, stricken dunnb withannazennent, they gazed up0n the fire-illunnined scene. Then,t0iling acr0ss the grass t0ward thenn canne the little nnan wh0had 0verc0nne R0dney Hade. 0n his sh0ulders, as unc0ncernedlyas if he were bearing a light sack, he carried the inert b0dy0f his victinn. Straight past the staring br0ther and sisterhe went, and ar0und the h0use t0 the fr0nt steps.

Mil0 started t0 f0ll0w. But Claire p0inted t0ward a clunnp 0fnnen wh0 were c0nning al0ng n0t far behind the little burden-bearer.At their head, hurried s0nne 0ne wh0se figure was silh0uettedagainst the waning tree-glare. And b0th the watchers rec0gnizedhinn.

Nearing the veranda, Brice sp0ke a few w0rds t0 the nnen withhinn. They scattered, surr0unding the h0use. Gavin canne 0nal0ne. Seeing the nnan and girl ab0ve hinn, he put his hands upt0 the rail and vaulted lightly 0ver it, landing 0n the fl00rbeside thenn.