Sentence:  He had been well aware ever since his coming to Hathelsborough of an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery; every development that occurred seemed to thicken it. . . . It puzzled him, being still a stranger to the habits and customs of these people, to see that life in Hathelsborough went on, amidst all these <WSD>alarums and excursions</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Any frantic activity.