It was then that Virginia again proved her great courage and resourcefulness. Watching her chance, she hooked her left forearm under Rutley's chin about his throat, and simultaneously pressing her little right clenched fist against the small of his back, pulled his head backward, and screamed, "Help! Help!" [The act is a form of garrotte used in asylums and when resolutely applied quickly reduces the most powerful and refractory subject to submission.] The suddenness of the attack and from such an unexpected quarter, accompanied by the choking pressure on his throat, caused Rutley to loosen his grip on the knife, which fell to the floor, and he exclaimed with a gurgling sound, "Oh, God!" Sam instantly locked his arms around his body. Rutley was powerless. His arms were firmly bound to his sides in a grip of iron. Meantime Smith stalked back and forth looking for trouble. He had arrived in front of the main entrance when the cry of "Help, help!" broke upon the still air. It proceeded from the second story of the house, and he at once recognized it as the voice of Virginia. "By hivvins, the girl do be in throuble!" he muttered anxiously. "Ave it do be the blackguard we be lookin' for--sure!" And without further hesitation, Smith rushed up the steps and into the house. Again the cry of "Help!" rang out. "I'll help ye, darlint, be me soul, I will that. Hould him for wan minnit, and I'll attind to him. Oh, the skulkin' blackguard! 'E do be a bad divil, so 'e do. Just lave him to me, darlint; lave him to me, and I'll settle his nerves wid this bit of fir." By this time Smith had mounted the stairs, when he was again startled to hear her cry: "Help! Oh, hasten, or blood will be shed!" "I'm comin', darlint. Hould him wan minnit and I'll attind to him." Upon entering the room, he at once seized Rutley's hands and twisted them behind his back. "A bit of stout cord, miss, is what we want to bind the divil." "Hold him!" and she flew to the linen closet. "Hould him, is it!" exclaimed Smith, with a laugh. "Sure, miss, yees nadn't hint that to me at all, at all. Indade, miss, it's a nate bit ave wurruk well done, and I do be proud of yees, too, so I do." Virginia soon entered the room with a stout piece of cord, which she handed to Sam, saying, "Oh, I'm so thankful for your opportune arrival!" On seeing Rutley thoroughly secured, and her excitement subsiding, Virginia expressed her gratefulness to Sam and Smith for rescuing her from what she believed to be a terrible fate, then snatching up the shawl from the floor, flew down the stairs with a cry of pain on her lips for Constance. Having at last securely bound Rutley's hands, Sam signalized the event with a broad grin. "There, old chappie! I don't think you will break away a second time." "Sure, ave 'e do, 'twill be after this bit of Arigin fir's been splintered on his hid," answered Smith.