"Yer hed no bizness ter drag my sister's name inter this bar-room,"
yelled Cassi, following up his advantage and striking Henry fairly
between the eyes, knocking him against the bar.

"She's dragged her own name in the mud," shouted Tom Myers, Henry's
brother.

"Yer a liar!" Matthi replied.

They began to fight. Levi stood by, a smile of admiration playing around
his mouth, while he urged his brothers to do their best. The crowd
cleared a space. The landlord implored the fighters to cease, but their
blood was hot. The spectators knew they would behold a rare struggle,
with the odds against Cassi and Matthi, for the Myers brothers were
notorious fighters and older men. Man to man was the rule of the
Three-Sisters code of honor, and Levi stood by, ready to continue the
fight in the place of the first vanquished brother.

Henry Myers rushed on Cassi again and, seizing him in his powerful arms,
threw him with great force on the floor. There he lay senseless; his
head had struck against the bar.

Immediately Levi, the queer, leering smile hovering around his mouth,
leaped into the fray and dealt Henry a blow that shut one eye. His
dexterity was applauded by the spectators, who thought it a great pity
that Levi had not opened the fight instead of Cassi, who was too light
for Henry, whom Levi fairly mated. Matthi was not faring well with Tom
Myers, and the way the struggle was going it looked as if Levi and Tom
would be left as sole contestants, when into the midst of the fighters
rushed Lizzi, brandishing the poker, a long iron rod, which she had
snatched from the stove as she entered.

Hunch had seen her on the opposite side of the street, and, running to
her, had said, "Hooray! Lizzi, the boys is gettin' in great licks fer
yer."

Pausing, she listened to his proud story of how the fight began; and,
without waiting for him to conclude, crossed the street quickly and
entered the tavern, the dwarf following closely.

In the low-ceilinged bar-room, where the smoke from strong pipes almost
stifled her, she stood, an Amazon before whom the fighters fell back
sullenly. There was majesty in her demeanor, and upon her face no sign
of shame. Honest motherhood and sincere sisterly gratitude, pride, and
affection flashed from her eyes, deepened the modest blush on her
cheek, and trembled in her tones.

"I am thankful to you, Levi and Matthi, and to you, dear Cassi."
Kneeling, she kissed the forehead of the unconscious man.