s.

Sandy threw out an angry hand.

"Ye have, too, ye have, too! Didn't I want ye for my woman, and didn't
ye go an'--"

"I said ye couldn't have me," interrupted the girl. "Folks ain't havin'
everythin' they want in this world, Sandy."

"Then ye turned me down in the church afore Waldstricker," went on
Sandy. "Ye might've been glad to marry a decent man after what ye'd
done. But ye ups and says, 'I won't!' An' I've come to ask the reason
why."

Tess walked across the shanty kitchen and sat on the edge of the cot.
Sandy followed her with his eyes, his face growing crimson as he gazed
at her.

"I air here for two things," he continued. "To find out the name of that
man Waldstricker asked ye 'bout--"

Tessibel's low voice stopped his impudent speech.

"I couldn't tell ye that, Sandy, not even if ye killed me," she
murmured. "What was t'uther thing?"

"I air goin' to take ye away with me fer my woman. But ye needn't think
I air goin' to marry ye decent like I would in the church t'uther day,
fer I won't."

Tessibel, weary and aching, grew cold with fear. She knew the squatter
would keep his word, if he could. He would abuse her as Ben had tried to
when her father was in Auburn unless help came. Then remembering all the
days she had lived and suffered and still'd been saved from Sandy and
his like, she breathed a deep sigh.

"I couldn't go with ye, Sandy," she explained.

A cruel expression set Sandy's large, sensuous mouth.

"Ye'll be glad to go with me when I git done with ye." He placed his gun
against the chair and stood up. "First, I want to know what made ye act
like that in the church fer. Don't ye know me well 'nough to think I'd
get ye sooner or later. Ye knowed yer Daddy couldn't always live in the
shack. Ye might better took me while ye could. I would jest have beat ye
a bit fer yer cussedness, then mebbe after a while I'd fergive ye. But
now--"

Tessibel's struggling to her feet broke off the man's volubility. She
was so frightened that almost without thought she circled toward the
door. Sandy got up and placed himself directly in front of her.

"No, ye don't git out o' here," he sneered, "not till I git through with
ye. Jest make up yer mind to that."

Sandy was moving toward her, his eyes gleaming with rage. What could she
do? She threw a hasty glance about the shanty. She knew Andy was under
the straw tick in the garret and could not hear the low conversation
going on in the kitchen.