and dragged him
resisting from the spot.

Down the lane ran the squatter and the dog with no pause save to pick up
the cowhide boots from the side of the path, where Tess had cast them in
the mad race. She clasped the head of Pete as she opened the hut door.

"Ye can come in, too, Pete," she whispered, lifting the ugly head, "and
go home in the morning."

Tessibel locked the door, but did not light a candle. Slipping her wet
clothes to the floor, she crawled into Daddy's bed, and with the
forgetfulness of youth sank into a sleep.

CHAPTER XIV

The next morning after her encounter with Ben Letts, Tess sat up in bed,
wondering what had happened. Then she remembered. One slant ray of sun
breaking through the dirty curtain showed that the day was far advanced.
She jumped out of bed, opened the door and allowed Pete to scamper away.

After kindling a fire and frying a fish, she sat down to eat.

Suddenly a knock on the door startled her. Ben might return even after
his lesson of the night before. Without unclasping the lock, she called
out:

"Who air it?"

"It air me, Tessibel. Open the door.--It air Myry!"

Tess flung open the door with a smile. She drew back, seeing Myra's
seamed face, white and drawn.

"Ye be sick, Myry?"

"Nope!"

"Air it the brat, then?"

"Nope, it air Ben Letts. He were hurt by the Brindle Bull at Kennedy's
Farm. Ezy and 'Satisfied' found him near dead on the tracks and took him
home."

Tess stood waiting, wide-eyed, without a word.

"He wouldn't say nothin' about it," complained Myry; "just says that he
air goin' to get even with some one."

"Have ye seen him?" stammered Tess.

"Yep, this mornin' in his shanty. He were cut bad. They got the horse
doctor to sew him up. He air sick, Ben air!"

"And the brat," demanded Tess, changing the subject purposely.

"Sick the hours through," replied Myra bitterly. "He hes got the
pitifullest cry that breaks my heart all the time. But he ain't so sick
as his pappy."

"Ben Letts ain't a-goin' to die, air he?"

Tessibel's woful expression caused Myra to shake her head emphatically,
her thin lips twitching, then tightening under the nervous strain.

"Nope, he ain't, but he air goin' to be sick a long time. He air the
brat's pa, and I want to do somethin' for him."

"What?"

"He air wantin' to see ye, Tessibel. Will ye go to him?"

"Nope," Tess burst forth spontaneously.

Myra looked at her curiously.

"He ain't amountin'