"He was all right when I left him just now," said Jimmy. "I wonder if someone's managed to inject some stuff into him. It would be easily done--just a prick. The man might have been asking him the time. There's only one thing for it. I must get a doctor at once. You stay here and look after him." He hurried to the door, then paused. "Look here--don't be scared, either of you. But I'd better leave you my revolver. I mean--just in case. I'll be back just as soon as I possibly can." He laid the revolver down on the little table by the sofa, then hurried off. They heard the front door bang behind him. The house seemed very still now. The two girls stayed motionless by Bill. Bundle still kept her finger on his pulse. It seemed to be beating very fast and irregularly. "I wish we could do something," she whispered to Loraine. "This is awful." Loraine nodded. "I know. It seems ages since Jimmy went and yet it's only a minute and a half." "I keep hearing things," said Bundle. "Footsteps and boards creaking upstairs--and yet I know it's only imagination." "I wonder why Jimmy left us the revolver," said Loraine. "There can't really be danger." "If they could get Bill--" said Bundle and stopped. Loraine shivered. "I know--but we're in the house. Nobody can get in without our hearing them. And anyway we've got the revolver." Bundle turned her attention back again to Bill. "I wish I knew what to do. Hot coffee. You give them that sometimes." "I've got some smelling-salts in my bag," said Loraine. "And some brandy. Where is it? Oh, I must have left it in the room upstairs." "I'll get it," said Bundle. "They might do some good." She sped quickly up the stairs, across the gaming room and through the open door into the meeting place. Loraine's bag was lying on the table. As Bundle stretched out her hand to take it, she heard a noise from behind her. Hidden behind the door a man stood ready with a sand-bag in his hand. Before Bundle could turn her head, he had struck. With a faint moan, Bundle slipped down, an unconscious heap, upon the floor. CHAPTER XXXI THE SEVEN DIALS Very slowly Bundle returned to consciousness. She was aware of a dark, spinning blackness, the centre of which was a violent, throbbing ache. Punctuating this were sounds. A voice that she knew very well saying the same thing over and over again. The blackness spun less violently. The ache was now definitely located as being in Bundle's own head. And she was sufficiently herself to take an interest in what the voice was saying. "Darling, darling Bundle. Oh, darling Bundle. She's dead; I know she's dead. Oh, my darling. Bundle, darling, darling Bundle. I do love you so. Bundle--darling--darling--" Bundle lay quite still with her eyes shut. But she was now fully conscious. Bill's arms held her closely.