“This was when the family were at dinner below. To his chagrin, a lacquey entered the room, stared at him for a moment, and then, as if divining his purpose, bolted down the stairs.
“Peace got through the window by which he had entered, passed to the roof of an outbuilding, and dropped into the back yard. But the footman, for he was no other, had given the alarm to his master, and the latter, with presence of mind, had run to the kennel and unchaned a large mastiff dog.
“The animal at once dashed towards Peace, but was shot dead on the spot by the intruder, the bullet entering its forehead, and the gentleman and his servant retreated indoors.
“On another occasion lights wore observed through the upper windows of a house by the police on beat, who suspected that a burglar was at work in the upper rooms.
“The officers made their dispositions, and were confident that they had the depredator completely boxed. But the officers had ‘reckoned without their host.’
“It was not a burglar of the ordinary stamp with whom they had to deal, but one who had gone through nearly every phase of life which it is possible for one who follows ‘the profession’ to experience.
“An alarm was raised, when, luckily for Peace, it proved that the occupants of the house were an old man and woman and the servant.
“He took good care they did not see him, but quickly made his way into the garret. The constables were admitted after some little demur, and a thorough search took place, but no intruder could be found. Still there was the fact that strange lights had been seen in the place, and the kitchen window had been broken open.
“One of the constables, however, raised the garret window, and on looking through saw a man sitting on the slates. He seemed determined to follow, and commenced to do so, but he found that he had no foothold, for the roof was of pantiles. Peace had slipped off his boots and left them on the roof.
“In great haste he scrambled away. His left foot came in contact with one of the broken tiles, and he cut it exceedingly severely. He got on some outbuilding, dropped into a garden, and escaped. He did not recover from his injuries, however, for some weeks after.