The Trail Horde | Page 9

grew beside the
Wolf near her cabin, in anticipation of the present incident.
She had known for many days that she would have to punish Jimmy
Singleton, for Jimmy had been growing daily less amenable to
discipline. But she had hoped that she would not be compelled to
punish him--she had escaped that disagreeable task so far.
But there was no alternative, and though she grew deadly white and her
legs grew weak as she drew out the willow switch, she advanced on
Jimmy, her eyes flaming with desperate resolution.
As she reached Jimmy's side, he lunged toward her. He struck viciously
at her with his fist, the blow landing on her shoulder near the neck. It
had been aimed at her face, but she had somehow dodged it. The force
of the blow brought Jimmy against her, and he seized her around the
waist and attempted to throw her. She brought the switch down sharply
on Jimmy's legs as they struggled, and the sting of the blow enraged the
boy. He deliberately wrenched himself loose; then leaped forward,
swinging his arms viciously.
He had not struck the girl fairly, but she was in a daze from the rapid
movement, and she was not aware of what was going on around her,
centering all her energy in an attempt to keep the boy from striking her
face.
But she suddenly became conscious that a big form had loomed close
to her; she heard a deep, angry voice saying:
"I'll attend to you--you young pirate!"
And then Jimmy was jerked backward, away from her; and she saw
Kane Lawler standing not more than two or three paces from her. His
right hand was twisted in Jimmy's collar; and there was an expression
of cold rage on his face--despite the smile he gave her when she looked

at him--that chilled her.
But she made no objection when Lawler walked to a chair that stood on
the platform, dragging the now protesting Jimmy after him by the
scruff of the neck. There was something of majestic deliberation in
Lawler's movements, she thought, as he seated himself in the chair and
placed the struggling Jimmy across his knees.
Ruth had never entertained a bloodthirsty thought, but her passions
were very near that point when she saw Lawler's large, capable right
hand begin to descend upon Jimmy's anatomy. She gasped at first, at
Lawler's temerity; and then she stepped back and watched him, her
heart singing with approval.
Lawler's capable right hand descended many times with a force that
brought dismal howls from the unlucky culprit--so many times and
with such force that the girl began to fear that Jimmy would be fatally
injured. Jimmy likewise entertained that fear, for his howls grew more
shrill, laden with mingled terror and pain, until the piercing appeal of
them sent the other pupils out of their seats and into the open shouting
that Jimmy was being "killed."
Then, just when Ruth decided to protest, Lawler swung Jimmy around
and placed him upright upon the platform. What Lawler said to Jimmy,
Ruth did not hear, so low was his voice. But she heard Jimmy's reply,
as did some of the children who still lingered outside the door:
"You've walloped me, damn you; you've walloped me!"
Jimmy ran frenziedly to the door, plainly in fear that he would be
"walloped" again if he did not make his escape; and when he reached
the door he shrieked through unmanly tears:
"My paw will wallop you; you locoed maverick--you see if he don't!"
Jimmy vanished. There was no doubt in Lawler's mind, nor in Ruth's,
that he had gone to relate his trouble to his "paw;" and that "paw"
would presently appear to exact the lurid punishment Jimmy desired.

But thoughts of imminent punishment were not in Lawler's mind as he
faced Ruth. There was nothing but humorous concern in his eyes and
voice.
"Did he hurt you, Ruth?"
"I--I think not," she smiled; "but I have no doubt that he would have
thrashed me soundly if you hadn't come when you did. I am sorry it
happened, but I just had to discipline him. He was setting a bad
example for the other pupils."
"Teaching school isn't the best job in the world, is it?"
"Decidedly not!" She looked quickly at Lawler, for something in his
voice hinted of subtlety; and when she saw his eyes agleam with the
whimsical humor that was always in them when he spoke of his hope
of winning her, she knew that he had attacked her obliquely.
Her cheeks flushed, and she drooped her shining eyes from his,
murmuring low:
"But I am going to keep at it for the present, Kane."
"I was hoping--" he began. But he paused when she shook her head.
"Is