closed them together.

"I loves ye, ye hussy; that air why I chokes ye!"

The room whirled around before Tessibel's gaze. She tried to draw her
breath beneath the tightening grasp. The door burst open, and Frederick
Graves received a desperate look of entreaty from the squatter-girl.

CHAPTER XXXVI

The babe smacked loudly. The September wind whirled its rain and dead
willow leaves over the hut floor. A rasping sound, like the filing of a
saw, came from the tin roof.

Frederick Graves took in the scene with one sharp glance. He saw the
fisherman, in ugly doggedness, towering over the small figure of the
squatter-girl. Then he flung himself upon Ben Letts. He tore Ben's
fingers from Tessibel's neck, leaving the skin reddened and scratched by
the nails. Tess sank to the floor. The student's fist came down with a
stunning blow upon the partly upturned face of the squatter Ben, and the
fellow tumbled over.

"Stand up," said Frederick to Tessibel, lifting her gently to her feet.
Her hand fluttered to her eyes, then to her throat. Still dizzy from the
choking, she sank into the rocking-chair.

"What were you two fighting over?" demanded Frederick impetuously.

Tess gathered her senses at the sound of his voice.

"He were a-tryin' to make me come to his shanty with him--to be
his'n--and I ain't a-goin'!"

She whimpered a little, but choked back the tears, and raged:

"A squatter-girl can't live a minute without some damn bloke wants to
take her from her Daddy's shanty.... I ain't a-goin', I says!"

How brave she felt, with the student near! for there was an expression
upon his face that gave her courage. He looked so strong, so brave--and
he had come when she had prayed. Something took from her the terror of
the night when she had proclaimed her motherhood to him. Perhaps Teola
had told him the truth. When he had turned from her in the agony of the
confession, he had scorned her with his proud, dark eyes. Now he threw
her the same protective glance that she had received before the tragedy.

The silence in the room became oppressive.

"I ain't a-goin'," she said again, to break it.

Ben was upon the floor. He feared to rise, for Frederick stood
threateningly over him.

"She goes to my shanty," insisted Ben, screwing his face to peep through
the swollen lids. "She and the brat goes to my hut.... I air its pappy!"

Frederick staggered back against the door with a groan, Tess catching
her breath in a s