Page:Coo-ee - tales of Australian life by Australian ladies.djvu/239

 Paul Wright sprang upon him; and doubtless the brute would have fared badly, but suddenly the thought of the defenceless girl, in whose room they were, made him withhold the blow, and say to Burgiss, ' If you have an ounce of manhood in you, remember where we are, and come away out of this — we'll have it out below.' Then he turned to leave the room ; but before he was half down the ladder Nelly was beside him, her hand firmly grasping his arm.

'Mr. Wright, oh, sir, don't fight him,' she begged. 'He is a bad, bad man, and will kill you, — I know he will,' and she burst into tears.

'Don't be foolish, Nelly,' he said to her. 'Go back to your bed, and try and get some sleep after this excitement. You'll have to leave here in the morning, for you can't possibly stay on after all this; so, like a good girl, go and rest, and leave it all to me. As I've got you into the row, I'll see you through it.'

'But you won't fight him, sir, — promise me you won't ? ' she begged again.

Paul stood thinking for a minute, then he said, 'Well, no, I won't fight him, if that will satisfy you; now, go back and get some rest before daylight.' And then she went, though only half satisfied.

Burgiss was that pitiful thing, a bully; and when he saw that Paul Wright was determined to fight, he tried to laugh the whole matter off as a practical joke. But Paul was thoroughly angry — the excitement had done him good, and made a man of him again. When he saw that Burgiss was not willing to fight him, he