“Gone!” exclaimed James Jones. “The scoundrel!” And away the wounded footman went to give chase to the fugitive.
Peace soon convinced his pursuer that he was fleet of foot. He ran round the grounds and made for the side gate.
Jones, who soon guessed his intention, sought to intercept him—which he succeeded in doing before he gained the gate.
CHAPTER CXLI.
THE VALIANT FOOTMAN AND THE DESPERATE BURGLAR—THE PRISONER IN THE STABLE—UNEXPECTED RELEASE.
Lady Marvlynn’s guests were doomed to experience another alarm.
It was soon made apparent that the wounded burglar had attempted to make his escape, and some of them were under the impression that it did not much matter if he succeeded in doing so, while others were most anxious for him to be brought to the bar of justice upon public grounds.
Some of the gentlemen volunteered to give chase, and sallied forth, and of course took the wrong direction.
One energetic young man, partly owing to his haste and partly to the darkness, was brought suddenly to a standstill by his neck coming in contact with a clothesline which ran from wall to wall in the back garden.
His neck came with considerable force against this, and he hit out right and left with his clenched fists at some antagonist who, he believed, was endeavouring to garotte him. His appearance was so comic, as well as the circumstances, that his friends could not refrain from a hearty laugh at his expense, and he afterwards declared that he fully believed that some one was garrotting him, and that he was fighting for his life.