t he ought to do under the circumstances.

Who was this individual and by what right did he dare to enter here?

When the light fell upon his face Owen saw that so far as he was
concerned the other was a stranger, and a man with gray streaks in his
beard; but that put the boy no wiser than before.

Unconsciously Owen began to advance closer to the open door, as if he
believed it might devolve upon him to act as the child's protector,
although in one sense it seemed ridiculous to suspect that danger could
menace her, here in the domain of her grandfather, the factor, whose
word was law.

The man glided forward and seemed to speak to the child, for Owen saw
her turn and survey him wonderingly; then it seemed as if she shrank
back when the man put out his arms, still speaking in a wheedling tone,
and Owen could see Jessie shaking her little head in a decided negative
in answer to his questions--evidently the intruder was well known to
her, but at the same time she seemed to have no good opinion of him, and
again and again repulsed his advances, each time more decidedly, until
the man lost all discretion and proceeded to show a different side to
his nature.

CHAPTER XIX.

FOR SO IT WAS WRITTEN.

Without warning the man suddenly sprang forward and seized the child in
his arms; evidently fearing lest she scream and betray his presence, he
instantly clapped one hand over her mouth.

She struggled desperately, but was as an infant in his clutch; and
turning, he started to leave the room, evidently expecting to be able to
get out of the stockade without being seen, since the hour to close the
big gates would not arrive for some little time.

Owen, bursting with indignation and anger, sprang to intercept the man,
who up to this very moment had not been aware of the fact that his
attempt at kidnapping had been witnessed.

When he felt the hands of the boy upon him the fellow uttered a low but
venomous oath, and seeing that he could not defend himself against this
enemy with both his hands employed in holding the child, who had now
swooned in her terror, he dropped little Jessie to the floor and turned
upon his antagonist like an enraged lynx.

Owen was only a half-grown lad, but he had lived a strenuous life, and
his muscles were developed to a point where he was almost equal to a man
in strength, so that it was no weakling the fellow tackled when he thus
fiercely tried to tear himself free so that he could es