e second noose. In the few seconds
of liberty, Plutina abandoned blows, and resorted to savage clawing at
the evil face. Her ten nails streaked the coarse features with blood.
But still he seemed absolutely indifferent to such wounds as she
could inflict. Then, the noose slipped to tightness. The girl's hands
were brought close together behind her back, where she stood beside
him. He knotted the slack of the leash, and holding the loop, grinned
triumphantly at his captive. His bloody face was a mask of malice.

"Ye damned little wildcat," he growled, yet with an unmistakable note
of admiration in his voice, "if I sarved ye 'cordin' to yer earnin's,
I'd shorely tap ye over thet-thar purty haid o' your'n, an' pitch ye
over into the Devil's Kittle, to wait fer yer runt lover to come arter
ye." He twisted her about viciously. Despite her strength, unusual in
a woman, Plutina was powerless in his grip. Holding her close, face to
face, he contemplated the girl's pitiable distress with gloating eyes
in which there was no faintest suggestion of pity. The prisoner met
the malignant gaze for an instant. Then, her eyes fell, and she stood
trembling. She was panting, partly from terror, partly from the
violence with which she had struggled. Hodges chuckled, well content
over the impression he had made. He would show her how a woman should
be tamed! But the thing must be done in full accord with a plan he had
made. Now that the captive had duly learned her first lesson in
submissiveness, he might relax a little from his severity for a time.
Besides, too much fright might leave her helpless on his hands, which
would be highly inconvenient, since there was a rough journey on foot
before them. When he next spoke, he tried, without much success, to
make his voice conciliatory.

"Thar hain't no call fer ye to be so dum skeery--leastways, not yit. I
hain't a-hurtin' ye none--not yit--only jest a-tyin' yer han's to keep
'em out o' mischief. But I reckon as how ye'll hev to eat them words
ye spoke to me at the gate yistiddy. I 'low ye done forgot the warnin'
I gin ye 'bout playin' Dan Hodges fer a fool. Ye're lookin' mighty
sorry ye ever tried hit." He chuckled again, as he meditated a
humorous effort: "Ye know thet pore feller what ye winged yistiddy?"
He shook his head reprovingly. "You-all shore hadn't orter never 'ave
done no sech thing. Garry wa'n't a-bitin' on ye none. He's hurt bad,
Garry is, an' he needs a nuss the worst way, Garry