That he would have her at the bidding of her father, Lem never doubted.
During the last three years he had been resolved to take her home in due
time to be his woman. To subdue the proud young spirit, to make her the
mother of children like himself,--the boys destined to be thieves, and
the girls squatter women,--was his one ambition. That he was old enough
to be her father made no difference to him.

He was watching her as she stood in the darkening twilight, gloating
over the thought that his vicious dreams were so near their fulfilment.

Flea was looking into the eyes of her father, and he looked back at her
with an impudent smile.

"Ye don't like the thought of this comin' Saturday, Flea--eh?" he asked
slowly. "But, as I said before, a gal hain't nothin' to do with the
notions of her daddy. And Granny Cronk'll give ye a pork cake to take to
Lem's, and he'll let ye eat it all to yerself. Eh, Lem?"

"Yep," grunted Lem. "She eats the pork cake if she will; but after
that--"

Suddenly Lon silenced Lem's words with a wag of his head toward the
girl. "Flea," he said, "I telled Lem as how ye'd kiss him tonight."

The words stunned the girl, they were so unexpected, so terrible. She
turned her eyes upon Lem and fearfully studied his face. He was gazing
back, his open lips showing his discolored, broken teeth. The coarse,
red hair sprinkled with gray gave a fierce aspect to his whole
appearance, and from the emotion through which he was passing the
muscles under his chin worked to and fro. With a grin he advanced toward
her. Flea fell back against Flukey. The boy steadied the trembling,
slender body.

"I ain't a goin' to kiss ye," she muttered. "I hate yer kisses! I hate
'em!"

"Ye'll kiss him, jest the same!" ordered Lon.

Closer and closer Lem came toward the girl; then suddenly he sprang at
her like a tiger, crushing the slim figure against his breast. For a
moment Flea was encircled by his left arm. Then she turned fiercely to
the ugly face so close to hers, and in another instant had bitten it
through the cheek. He dropped her with a yelling oath, and Flea sprang
back, turning flashing eyes upon Lon.

"That's how I kiss him afore I go to him," she screamed, "and worser and
worser after he takes me!"

Lon laughed wickedly. He had not expected such a display of spirit. "I
guess ye'll have to wait, Lem," he said; "fer--"

Flea did not hear the rest of the sentence; for she and Flukey were
hurrying toward the