“I ain’t a-goin’ to say no more about it,” he said, surprised and encouraged. “I’m a good man to them I likes—an’—an’ I shore likes you, Jeanne! I’d shore treat you mighty fine! I’m askin’—I’m askin’ you to marry me!” The last words came out in a rush. For a moment the girl’s steady eyes gazed into his. Then suddenly she burst into laughter, high, clear trills of genuine amusement. Astounded by this remarkable change, he stared at her uncertainly. Finally she regained her calm. “Get out!” she ordered briefly. “I warn you for the last time not to come here again!” It took him several seconds to realize that he had been duped. Then, with an oath, he sprang. He gripped her fiercely by the shoulders. “You little cat,” he snarled. “I’ll learn you to fool with a he-man!” The girl struggled fiercely in his grasp and struck again and again at the vicious face before her. She was young and strong; but the fearful agony of her wounded shoulder rapidly weakened her. The miner, though thin, was sinewy, and not without a sort of wiry power. Gradually he pinned both her arms behind her and held them there. He forced her writhing shoulders against him, and began to press kiss after kiss upon the white face. Then suddenly she was released! He seemed to fly from before her face and to go tumbling over and over into the bushes! Sobbing weakly, the girl sank to the ground. When she could open her eyes, she saw Rand Cameron standing over the fallen miner. “You yellow hound!” he was muttering with murderous intensity. “I’m going to send you to join the rest of your crew in hell!” He extracted both of the other’s pistols from their holsters. It is highly probable that, in the violence of his rage, he would have slain the brute without mercy, had not the girl, with a cry, thrust herself between. “Don’t, Rand!” she begged wildly. “Don’t, for God’s sake!” He would have pushed her aside even then; but she clung to his arms. The fury of the man was almost uncontrollable. His baleful eyes glared past her. At length, with a tremendous effort, he regained some measure of control. But it was long before his heavy breathing calmed. Finally, he drew a deep breath and lifted her to her feet. He tenderly assisted her to a seat on the stump of a tree. Then he turned again to the stingless “Wasp.” “Get up! You’re not through yet!” When the dazed creature did not respond quickly enough, he roughly dragged him to his feet. Without giving him time to speak, he hustled him toward the girl. “Now,” he commanded grimly, “get down and beg her pardon on your knees!” At last beginning to recover his senses, Williams declared with violent profanity that he would not get down on his knees to any woman alive. He started to back away.