One winter's night we were flung out of bed by the sudden music of that awful gong, and when we hobbled to the annunciator, turned up the gas, and saw the word 'Nursery' exposed, Mrs.McWilliams fainted dead away, and I came precious near doing the same thing myself.

I seized my shotgun, and stood timing the coachman whilst that appalling buzzing went on.

I knew that his gong had flung him out, too, and that he would be along with his gun as soon as he could jump into his clothes.

When I judged that the time was ripe, I crept to the room next the nursery, glanced through the window, and saw the dim outline of the coachman in the yard below, standing at present-arms and waiting for a chance.

Then I hopped into the nursery and fired, and in the same instant the coachman fired at the red flash of my gun.