"Just before half-past eight, my son having gone in the car over to Horsham to see his young lady, and afterwards to pick up Mr Ashton, I was sitting in the kitchen with Mulliner," he said. "Suddenly I thought I heard footsteps out in the yard. I listened for a few moments and then I heard, quite distinctly, a curious sawing noise. I went silently out by the front door and was just creeping round the corner of the house, when the figure of a man--who was evidently on the watch-- suddenly sprang from the shadow. I was seized by the collar, and the next I knew was that a handkerchief was stuffed into my mouth and a rope tied round my arms and legs. I tried to cry out, but I could not. I was trussed like a fowl. My assailants were two men, and pretty tough ones they were, too!" "Mulliner was in the house--eh?" asked Roseye. "Yes, miss. They flung me down into the garden yonder, up against those rose-bushes, and then went into the house after her," Theed went on. "I heard her scream, but could not move to assist her. She shouted for help, but I couldn't answer. But she was plucky and she saved the situation." "How?" I asked, amazed. "Why, she shouted out to me: `It's all right, Theed! I've telephoned down to Nutley. The police will soon be here!'" "That was certainly a master-stroke, considering that we have no telephone here," I exclaimed. "No. But it scared the thieves--or whoever they were--for they didn't wait, but made off in a car which they had waiting down the lane. I heard them hurry away down to the lane, and soon afterwards the car started." "Who released you?" I asked. "They had tied Mulliner to a chair in the kitchen but, after half an hour, she managed to get free, and came out to find and release me. Then, on going into the yard with a lamp, we found a curious thing. They had evidently been examining your aeroplane, sir." "They've been in there!" I gasped. "Strangers!" "Yes, sir. But, as far as I can see, they've done nothing." I at once took one of the side-lamps from the car and, with Roseye, went into the barn. Mulliner, who had now recovered from her fright, followed us. As far as I could discern by a cursory glance, nothing had been tampered with. It was fortunate, however, that we had removed the box containing the secret electrical apparatus, and that it was concealed in the house, as was our constant habit. The story told by the pair was certainly alarming. Once again I recognised here the evil finger-prints of the Invisible Hand. "You saw the men who attacked you?" Roseye said to Mulliner when we were again in the house. "Describe them to us." "Well, miss. There's the difficulty. There were two men, I know, as well as a woman--a tallish woman, dressed in a fur-coat and a small motor-hat. She had a thin, dark-looking face and funny eyes, and she spoke to the men in some foreign language--Italian, I think."