Page 258 - The snake's pass

246 —"— THE snake's pass. —
girrul ye are, Norah Joyce, but I suppose this wan is
not the first ! " I restrained myself simply because
Norah's hand was laid on my mouth ; Murdock went
on :
" An' so ye thought I wanted ye for yerself Oh no
! !
It's no bankrup's daughther for me; but I may as well
tell ye why I wanted ye. It was because I've had in
me hands, wan time or another, ivery inch iv this moun-
tain, bit be bit, all except the Cliff Fields ; and thim I
wanted for purposes iv me own—thim as knows why,
has swore not to tell"—this with a scowl at Dick and
—
me " But I'll have thim yit ; an' have thim too widout
thinkin' that me wife likes sthrollin' there wid sthrange
min !
Here I could restrain myself no longer; and to my
joy on the instant—and since then whenever I have
thought of it—Norah withdrew her hand as if to set me
free. I stepped forward, and with one blow fair in the
lips knocked the foul-mouthed ruffian head over heels.
He rose in an instant, his face covered with blood, and
rushed at me. This time I stepped out, and with an
old football trick, taking him on the breast-bone with
my open hand, again tumbled him over. He arose livid
—but this time his passion was cold—and standing some
yards off, said, whilst he wiped the blood from his
face :
"Wait! Ye'll be sorry yit ye shtruck that blow!
Aye ! ye'll both be sorry—sad an' sorry—an' for shame
"
that ye don't reckon on ! Wait —I spoke out :
!