It was no time for half measures. Kenneth covered his assailant, fired, and brought him down. Through the shrieks of the old woman in the passage there came to his ears a shout of encouragement, and immediately after he had fired his shot Pariset rushed up to the doorway, reaching over Kenneth’s shoulder to point his revolver. At the sight of this the three remaining men dashed to the open window and leapt out; the last of them, pausing to close the window, was winged by Pariset’s flying shot. Kenneth and his friend sprang across the room, threw the window open, and jumped into the yard. But the brief delay at the window had given the fugitives time to make their escape in the darkness. They were not to be seen. "The lancers will get them!" Kenneth panted. "If they’ve come!" replied Pariset. He blew his whistle. There was no response. They dashed across the yard, wondering how the Germans could have escaped, for there was no outlet on this side of the house, and the wall was high and spiked. But after a minute or two they discovered a gap in the base of the wall, large enough to admit a man crawling. On the outside it was concealed by long grass and weeds. Wriggling through this they sprinted along by the wall to the road. And then they heard the distant galloping of a troop of horsemen. Pariset blew his whistle again, and in a few seconds a half squadron of Belgian lancers reined up. "Three men have escaped," cried Pariset. "Round them up!" The horsemen galloped off, some along the road, some along the grassy bank of the stream, the rest into the field beyond the hedge. "A pity they were late," said Pariset, walking slowly with Kenneth back to the house. "When I heard your shot I expected that they’d force the door and rush in." "I hope they will catch the Germans," said Kenneth. "One of them--it was the last comer, the man whose ring at the bell you heard--was Hellwig. I shall be particularly disgusted if he gets off." "What led to the row? You weren’t rash enough to attack them?" "No; but I wasn’t so careful as I ought to have been, I’m afraid. You see, hearing no knives and forks going, I thought they had finished their meal, and everything was cleared away, and didn’t expect any danger from the kitchen. As soon as I knew there was something preparing for Hellwig I backed, straight into the old woman with a tray. It was all up then, of course." "You’ve had a lucky escape. But we have saved the bridge." "One of the fellows dashed to an electric push," said Kenneth, smiling. "I was too busy to notice how he looked when the explosion he expected didn’t happen, but I’ve no doubt it was the surprise of his life." "We’ll have a look round. I’ll give the old woman a soothing explanation, and borrow a lamp."