Page:The Snake's Pass (Stoker).djvu/258

 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 mountain, 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:—