They hauled it up and loosened the noose, letting the body fall heavily to the earth. And ere long the second animal had shared its fate, and there was nothing to hinder them from descending. Nothing! No, that was not quite right. There was a desperate man, who had remained hidden, to see the result of his wicked work--a man whose face was dark with wrath, and whose heart was maddened with fear. For if these escaped unscathed, it meant the ruin of everything for him. Mr. Charlton and Ralph had helped Mr. Rexworth to the ground, and either from weakness, or from the reaction of feeling, Mr. Rexworth staggered and sunk half swooning at the foot of the tree; while the other two bent over him anxiously. That was the chance. Lord Elgert and his brutal follower suddenly dashed from the shelter of the trees and rushed upon them. The man was armed with a rugged stick, and Lord Elgert had a heavily-loaded whip. It seemed as if the others were at their mercy; but Ralph's quick ear caught the sound of their approach, and with a cry of warning he started up. The others were almost upon them, and they were unarmed. The lad glanced around; at his feet one of the dead dogs lay; he seized it, he put out all his strength, and sent the heavy body direct at the pair, who, quite unprepared for such an unexpected assault, received it full in their faces. The man fell heavily, Lord Elgert turned and fled. And Ralph, with an eager cry, darted after him, rope in hand. The man who had treated his father thus should not escape him now. But now through the growth there came the crashing of heavy bodies, and loud shouts were raised. The fire had attracted attention, and people were rushing from Crab Tree village to see what was the cause. And not only villagers, but policemen--policemen who had patiently waited and watched, feeling sure that the man they wanted was still hiding in the locality. It was a constable who grabbed hold of Ralph's arm, and, pulling him up with a sudden jerk, demanded what he was doing and what had occasioned the fire. Ralph struggled. It was maddening to think that he was stopped while Lord Elgert was escaping. He did not stop to think that escape was next to impossible. He was accustomed to the ways of the wild plains, and there, if a man once got away, it was almost certain that no one would catch him again. "It was Lord Elgert who did it, and he is running away!" he cried. "My father is there. You know how he was missing, and we thought he had been murdered. Lord Elgert had him. He is here." "Whatever are you talking about, young man?" the constable demanded, perplexed at such a dramatic statement. But the sergeant, who had come up with a horse-constable interposed--