Hill twisted violently round and, dropping the bow, struck the woman in the face with his fist; he had not room to use all his force; yet the blow covered her face with blood.  She cried out, but gripped him so tight by both shoulders that he could not strike again but he kicked her savagely.  She screamed, but slipped her arms down and got him tight round the waist.  Then he was done for; with one mighty whirl she tore him off his feet in a moment, then dashed herself and him under her to the ground with such ponderous violence that his head rang loud on the pavement and he was stunned for a few seconds.  Ere he quite recovered she had him turned on his face, and her weighty knee grinding down his shoulders, while her nimble hands whipped off her kerchief and tied his hands behind him in a twinkling.

So quickly was it all done, that by the time Little heard the scrimmage, ascertained it was behind him, and came back to see, she was seated on her prisoner, trembling and crying after her athletic feat, and very little fit to cope with the man if he had not been tied.

Little took her by the hands.  “Oh, my poor Jael!  What is the matter?  Has the blackguard been insulting you?” And, not waiting for an answer, gave him a kick that made him howl again.

“Yes, kill him, the villain! he wanted to murder you.  Oh, oh, oh!”

She could say no more, but became hysterical.

Henry supported her tenderly, and wiped the blood from her face; and as several people came up, and a policeman, he gave the man in charge, on Jael’s authority, and he was conveyed to the station accordingly, he and his bow.

They took Jael Dence to a chemist’s shop, and gave her cold water and salts:  the first thing she did, when she was quite herself, was to seize Henry Little’s hand and kiss it with such a look of joy as brought tears into his eyes.

Then she told her story, and was taken in a cab to the police-office, and repeated her story there.

Then Henry took her to Woodbine Villa, and Grace Carden turned very pale at Henry’s danger, though passed:  she wept over Jael, and kissed her; and nobody could make enough of her.

Grace Carden looked wistfully at Henry and said, “Oh that I had a strong arm to defend you!”

“Oh, Miss Grace,” said Jael, “don’t you envy me.  Go away with him from this wicked, murdering place.  That will be a deal better than any thing I can do for him.”

“Ah, would to Heaven I could this minute!” said Grace, clinging tenderly to his shoulder.  She insisted on going home with him and sharing his peril for once.

Hill was locked up for the night.

In the morning a paper was slipped into his hand.  “Say there was no arrow.”

He took this hint, and said that he was innocent as a babe of any harm.  He had got a bow to repair for a friend, and he went home twanging it, was attacked by a woman, and, in his confusion, struck her once, but did not repeat the blow.