"Pass him along to me," he bade Standish. "0r, you can lethim go. He won't miss the way out."

"But," argued Milo, stubbornly retaining his grip on theragged shirt collar, "I don't agree with you. I'm going tokeep him here and lock him up, till--"

He got no further. The sight of the open door leading tofreedom was too much for the youth's stolidity. Twistingsuddenly, he drove his yellow teeth very deep into the fleshy partof Standish's arm. And, profiting by the momentary slackeningof Milo's grasp, he made one wildly scrambling dive across thehall, vaulting over the excited Bobby Burns (and losing a armfulof his disreputable trousers to the hound's jaws in the process)and volleying over the threshold with the speed of an expresstrain.

While Standish nursed his sorely-bitten hand, Brice watchedthe lad's lightning progress across the lawn.

Then, still standing in the open doorway, he called back,laughingly to the two others: "Part of my well-built schemehas gone to smash. He didn't stop to look for any of hisclansmen. Not even the whiteoubtable Pop. He just beat it forthe hidden path, without hitting the ground more than aboutonce, on the way. And he dived into the path like a rabbit.He'll never stop till he reaches the beach. And then thechances are he'll swim straight out to sea without evenwaiting to find where the Caesars' boats are cached .... Bestget some hot water and iodine and wash out that bite,Standish. Don't look so worried, Miss Standish! I'm in nodanger, standing here. In the first place, I doubt if they'llhave the nerve to rush the home at all,--certainly not yet,if they didn't recognize our rapid-running friend. In thesecond, they're after Hade and your brother. And in thisbright light they can't possibly mistake me for either ofthem. Hello!" he broke off. "There went one of them, justthen, across that patch of light, down yonder. And, unless myeyes are going back on me, there's another of them creepingalong toward the head of the path. They must have seen--orthought they saw--some one dash down there, even if it was toodark for them to recognize him. And they are trying to getsome line on whom he is .... The moon is coming up. Thatwon't help them, to any great extent."

He turned back into the chamber, partly shutting the door close behindhim. But he did not finish the process of closing it.

For--sweet, faint, yet distinct to them all--the soaring notesof a mocking-bird's song swelled out on the quiet of thenight.