xt thing I knew, I felt someone sit down on the edge of the bed.
I was only half awake, but I decided that he might take the Cutters'
silver, whoever he was. Perhaps if I did not move, he would find it and
get out without troubling me. I held my breath and lay absolutely still.
A hand closed softly on my shoulder, and at the same moment I felt
something hairy and cologne-scented brushing my face. If the room had
suddenly been flooded with electric light, I couldn't have seen more
clearly the detestable bearded countenance that I knew was bending over
me. I caught a handful of whiskers and pulled, shouting something. The
hand that held my shoulder was instantly at my throat. The man became
insane; he stood over me, choking me with one fist and beating me in the
face with the other, hissing and chuckling and letting out a flood of
abuse.

'So this is what she's up to when I'm away, is it? Where is she, you
nasty whelp, where is she? Under the bed, are you, hussy? I know your
tricks! Wait till I get at you! I'll fix this rat you've got in here.
He's caught, all right!'

So long as Cutter had me by the throat, there was no chance for me at
all. I got hold of his thumb and bent it back, until he let go with a
yell. In a bound, I was on my feet, and easily sent him sprawling to the
floor. Then I made a dive for the open window, struck the wire screen,
knocked it out, and tumbled after it into the yard.

Suddenly I found myself running across the north end of Black Hawk in
my night-shirt, just as one sometimes finds one's self behaving in
bad dreams. When I got home, I climbed in at the kitchen window. I
was covered with blood from my nose and lip, but I was too sick to do
anything about it. I found a shawl and an overcoat on the hat-rack, lay
down on the parlour sofa, and in spite of my hurts, went to sleep.

Grandmother found me there in the morning. Her cry of fright awakened
me. Truly, I was a battered object. As she helped me to my room, I
caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My lip was cut and stood
out like a snout. My nose looked like a big blue plum, and one eye was
swollen shut and hideously discoloured. Grandmother said we must have
the doctor at once, but I implored her, as I had never begged for
anything before, not to send for him. I could stand anything, I told
her, so long as nobody saw me or knew what had happened to me. I
entreated her not to let grandfather, even, come into my room. She
seemed to un