Ellerey released his hold of the girl; indeed, she pulled her hand
away that she might not detain him from dashing to the rescue, and,
as he touched the stairs, he heard the door close with a loud
reverberating slam behind him.

"Quickly!" she cried after him.

The house was dark and quiet, doubly quiet it seemed now that the door
had closed. Not a sound came from the rooms above, as Ellerey went up
the stairs. If murder were here to-night, he had surely come too late.

He had reached the top of the stairs, had stretched out his hand to
feel his way by the wall, and had paused to listen for a sound or to
discern a glimmer of light to guide him, when suddenly the air about
him seemed to break into life, and before he had time to turn and throw
his back against the wall, strong arms were about his shoulders and
legs. In an instant Ellerey had grasped one man in the darkness, and
kicked himself free from a second, who went rolling down the stairs,
uttering curses as he struck the balustrade heavily, making it crack
to breaking point. Another received his heel squarely in the face, and
dropped with a thud upon the floor, a thud that almost had the sound
of finality in it. Meanwhile the man he had seized wrenched himself
free, and another pair of arms were flung round Ellerey's waist,
obviously to prevent his getting at any weapon he might carry. Ellerey
strained every nerve to free himself from this assailant and to get
his back to the wall, striking out right and left, now hitting a man's
neck or shoulder, now landing a heavy blow between eyes he could not
see, anon beating the air only. How many his adversaries were he could
not determine. The air was full of panting breaths and growling
imprecations, of swaying bodies, and heavy blows, which were, for the