Madame was holding my arm, but I snatched it from her, and would have run; the tall man, however, placed his arms round me and held me fast with an affectation of playfulness, but his grip was hard enough to hurt me a good deal. Being now thoroughly frightened, after an ineffectual struggle, during which I heard Madame say, 'You fool, Maud, weel you come with me? see wat you are doing,' I began to scream, shriek after shriek, which the man attempted to drown with loud hooting, peals of laughter, forcing his handkerchief against my mouth, while Madame continued to bawl her exhortations to 'be quaite' in my ear. 'I'll lift her, I say!' said a gruff voice behind me. But at this instant, wild with terror, I distinctly heard other voices shouting. The men who surrounded me were instantly silent, and all looked in the direction of the sound, now very near, and I screamed with redoubled energy. The ruffian behind me thrust his great hand over my mouth. 'It is the gamekeeper,' cried Madame. '_Two_ gamekeepers--we are safe--thank Heaven!' and she began to call on Dykes by name. I only remember, feeling myself at liberty--running a few steps--seeing Dykes' white furious face--clinging to his arm, with which he was bringing his gun to a level, and saying, 'Don't fire--they'll murder us if you do.' Madame, screaming lustily, ran up at the same moment. 'Run on to the gate and lock it--I'll be wi' ye in a minute,' cried he to the other gamekeeper; who started instantly on this mission, for the three ruffians were already in full retreat for the carriage. Giddy--wild--fainting--still terror carried me on. 'Now, Madame Rogers--s'pose you take young Misses on--I must run and len' Bill a hand.' 'No, no; you moste not,' cried Madame. 'I am fainting myself, and more villains they may be near to us.' But at this moment we heard a shot, and, muttering to himself and grasping his gun, Dykes ran at his utmost speed in the direction of the sound. With many exhortations to speed, and ejaculations of alarm, Madame hurried me on toward the house, which at length we reached without further adventure. As it happened, my father met us in the hall. He was perfectly transported with fury on hearing from Madame what had happened, and set out at once, with some of the servants, in the hope of intercepting the party at the park-gate. Here was a new agitation; for my father did not return for nearly three hours, and I could not conjecture what might be occurring during the period of his absence. My alarm was greatly increased by the arrival in the interval of poor Bill, the under-gamekeeper, very much injured.