With his hand upon his sword-hilt, he walked to the shrubbery growing along the foot of the bank which rose to the terrace. “’Twas hereabouts,” he said, and, drawing his weapon, thrust it downward into the thick leafy mass. From the further side of the mass came the loud hoot of an owl, followed by the noise of a man scrambling to his feet. “Ah! come out, spy!” cried Everell, as the human character of the intruder was certified by a sound of husky breathing. He darted his weapon swiftly here and there through the shrubbery, and then ran seeking the nearest opening by which he might get to the enemy. But the enemy spared him that trouble by appearing on the hither side of the barrier, from the very opening that Everell had sought. The strange man had a gun raised, to wield it as a club. Everell, recalling his experience of John Tarby’s fowling-piece, nevertheless ran toward the fellow, hoping to dodge the blow, and disable the man by pinking him in the arm or shoulder, after which it might be possible to learn his purpose and come to terms. But just as the young gentleman went to meet his approaching foe, a sharp scream from Georgiana distracted him, so that, though he saved his head, he caught the gun-stroke on his right shoulder, and his sword-thrust passed wide of his adversary. He now heard other feet hastening toward him through the garden: it was, indeed, the appearance of the two other men, coming to the keeper’s aid upon his signal of the owl’s hoot, that had caused Georgiana to cry out. Everell, seeing his first opponent draw back to recover himself, turned swiftly to consider the newcomers, placing his back to the high shrubbery. One was approaching on his front, the other at his left. They both brandished cudgels; but, as they saw him dart his glance upon them in turn and hold his sword ready for a lunge in either direction, they stopped at safe distance. “Oh, Everell, fly!” cried Georgiana, hastening to his side. “What! and leave you to these rascals, sweet?” he answered. “They’ll not harm me: they are servants here. Save yourself!—for _my_ sake!” He looked at her for an instant, read in her eyes the pleading of her heart, and said, softly, “For yours, yes!—we shall meet again.”