r left knee. Each was in the straining embrace of the
other now and her heaving breast was crushed against his, and for a
moment he stood still.

"This suits me exactly," he cackled, and that made her furious and
turned her woman again. To keep her now from biting him he thrust his
right forearm under her chin and bent her slowly backward. Her right
fist beat his muscular back harmlessly--she caught him by the hair,
but unmindful he bent her slowly on.

"I'll have ye killed," she said savagely--"I'll have ye killed"; and
then suddenly he felt her collapse, submissive, and his lips caught hers.

"Thar now," he said, letting her loose; "you need a leetle tamin',
you do," and he turned and walked slowly away. The girl dropped to
the ground, weeping. But there was an exultant look in her eyes
before she reached home.

The teacher was sitting in the porch.

"_He_ never would 'a' done it," she muttered, and she hardly spoke to him.

A message from Jay Dawn reached the school-teacher the morning after the
"running of a set" at the settlement school. Jay had infuriated Allaphair
by his attentions to Polly Stidham from Quicksand. Allaphair had flirted
outrageously with Ira Combs the teacher, and in turn Jay got angry, not
at her but at the man. So he sent word that he would come down the next
Saturday and knock "that mullet-headed, mealy-mouthed, spindle-shanked
rat into the middle of next week," and drive him from the hills.

"Whut you goin' to do about it?" asked Allaphair, secretly thrilled.
To her surprise the little man seemed neither worried nor frightened.

"Nothing," he said, adding the final _g_ with irritating precision;
"but I have never backed out of a fight in my life." Allaphair could
hardly hold back a hoot of contempt.

"Why, he'll break you to pieces with his hands."

"Perhaps--if he gets hold of me." The girl almost shrieked.

"You hain't going to run?"

"I'm _not_ going to run; it's no disgrace to get licked."

"But if he crows over ye atterwards--whut'll you do then?"

The teacher made no answer, nor did he answer Jay's message. He
merely went his way, which was neither to avoid nor seek; so Jay
sought him. Allaphair saw him the next Friday afternoon, waiting
by the roadside--waiting, no doubt, for Ira Combs. Her first impulse
was to cross over the spur and warn the teacher, but curiosity as
to just what the little man would do got the better of her, and she
slipped aside into the bushes and