fired in rapid succession and I sat bolt upright in bed. Across the
street some one was raising a window, and a man called "What's the
matter?" twice.

There was no response and no further sound. Shaking in every limb, I
found the light switch and looked at the time. It was four o'clock in
the morning and quite dark.

Some one was moving in the hall outside and whimpering. I opened the
door hurriedly and Aggie half fell into the room.

"Tish is murdered, Lizzie!" she said, and collapsed on the floor in a
heap.

"Nonsense!"

"She's not in her room or in the house, and I heard shots!"

Well, Aggie was right. Tish was not in her room. There was a sort of
horrible stillness everywhere as we stood there clutching at each other
and listening.

"She's heard burglars downstairs and has gone down after them, and this
is what has happened! Oh, Tish! brave Tish!" Aggie cried hysterically.

And at that Bettina came in with her hair over her shoulders and asked
us if we had heard anything. When we told her about Tish, she insisted
on going downstairs, and with Aggie carrying her first-aid box and I
carrying the blackberry cordial, we went down.