the face with the other, hissing and chuck-
ling 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 nightshirt,
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 hatrack, lay down on the
parlor sofa, and in spite of my hurts, went
to sleep.

Grandmother found me there in the morn-

[[283]]

p282 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p283w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p284

v?