No sooner had he turned, however, than he was startled by a cry of fear and pain. It was the cry of a woman's voice too, and, acting upon the impulse of the moment, he rushed to the spot whence the sound came. Near by was a little village, every house of which was in darkness. At first he could see nothing, then he heard the sound of struggling coming from a lonely lane close by the village. "Give it me, I say, or I'll murder you." It was a man's voice, raucous and brutal. "No, no, you may kill me if you like, but I won't," a woman's voice replied. Bob saw the man lift his hand to strike her, but before it fell he had rushed upon him, and hurled him aside. "Who are you, and what do yer want?" cried the fellow, interlarding his question with foul epithets. "No matter who I am, or what I want," replied Bob. "Leave that woman alone." The man eyed Bob for a moment, stealthily, and then without warning rushed upon him. A minute later the two men were struggling wildly. The man was strongly but clumsily built, and lacked the agility and muscular force of the young athlete. But Bob's victory did not come easily. Again and again the fellow renewed his attack, while the woman stood by with a look of terror in her eyes. "Save me," she cried, again and again, "or he will kill me." At length, by a well-planted blow, Bob sent his opponent staggering to the ground. The man was stunned for a second, but only for a second. He raised himself to his feet slowly. "All right, guv'ner, you have beaten me," he said. "It wasn't my fault; if she weren't so b---- obstinate, there would have been no trouble." Then evidently hearing some one near by, he shouted aloud: "I say, Bill, come here;" and Bob realised that a new danger was at hand. "Wait a minute, guv'ner," said the fellow, "I just want to ask your advice." But Bob was too alert to be caught in this way. Believing that there must be a police station in the village, he, too, shouted aloud. "Help!--help!" A minute later he found his position doubly dangerous. The one man he, after a severe struggle, had been able to overcome, but he knew that he would be no match for the two, and that the woman would be at their mercy. "Get away while you can," he said to her; but the woman did not appear to heed him--she seemed spellbound by what was taking place. Both men rushed on him madly, and only by a trick which he had learned as a boy did he save himself. Tripping one of them up, he was able at the same time to parry the other's blow, and keep him at bay. His position, however, was desperate, for the second man had again risen to his feet, and prepared for another attack. Then suddenly it was all over, the heavy thud of a policeman's truncheon was heard, and a few minutes later, with Bob's help, the two men were led away to the police station. "Lucky for you I was near by, sir," said the constable. "Lucky for the poor woman too," was Bob's rejoinder.