titious about it, do you?" he asked.

"N-o-o."

"Then we'll keep it, won't we?"

"Y-e-s."

He drew the girl toward him and she turned her face upward.

He would have kissed her had he not been startled by a call from the
opposite side of the river.

"Here, here, stop that. That'll never do. Too fine-haired and modest for
a kissing game, but mighty willin' when all alone. We'll come over and
get into the game ourselves."

Dic and Rita looked up quickly and saw the huge figure of Doug Hill
standing on the opposite bank with a gun over his shoulder and a bottle
of whiskey in his uplifted hand. By his side was his henchman, Patsy
Clark. The situation was a trying one for Dic. He could not fight the
ruffian in Rita's presence, and he had no right to tell him to move on.
So he paid no attention to Doug's hail, and in a moment that worthy
Nimrod passed up the river. Dic and Rita were greatly frightened, and
when Doug passed out of sight into the forest they started home. They
soon reached the path and were walking slowly down toward Bays's, when
they were again startled by the disagreeable voice of the Douglas. This
time the voice came from immediately back of them, and Dic placed
himself behind Rita.

"I've come to get my kiss," said Doug, laughing boisterously. He was
what he called "full"; not drunk, but "comfortable," which meant
uncomfortable for those who happened to be near him. "I've come for my
kiss," he cried again.

[Illustration: "'I'VE COME TO GET MY KISS,' SAID DOUG."]

"You'll not get it," answered Rita, who was brave when Dic was between
her and her foe. Dic, wishing to avoid trouble, simply said, "I guess
not."

"Oh, you guess not?" said Doug, apparently much amused. "You guess not?
Well, we'll see, Mr. Fine-hair; we'll see." Thereupon, he rested his gun
against a tree, stepped quickly past Dic, and seized Rita around the
waist. He was drawing her head backward to help himself when Dic knocked
him down. Patsy Clark then sprang upon Dic, and, in imitation of his
chief, fell to the ground. Doug and Patsy at once rose to their feet and
rushed toward Dic. Rita screamed, as of course any right-minded woman
would have done, and, clasping her hands in terror, looked on fascinated
and almost paralyzed. Patsy came first and again took a fall. This time,
from necessity or inclination,--probably the latter,--he did not rise,
but left the drunken Douglas to face Dic single-handed and alone. Though
tall and