Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/108

92 she was cautious and did not once turn her eyes away from the brutal man before her.

"Come!" said Brown brusquely. "Are you going to give him up to us?"

"I certainly should not give any one up to you if I had any one here that you wanted," said Mrs. Nott. "You know that without my telling you. I think my husband and boys will be deeply interested in the report which I shall give them of your visit to two defenseless women."

"I know all about your 'defenseless women,’" laughed Brown. "I never come here without seeing you an' the girl standing close to your guns. Not that you can scare us any, but it makes me laugh to hear you talk of being defenseless. I rather guess you can do a little toward takin' care o' yourselves."

"We can try," replied Mrs. Nott quietly. Both she and Hannah were standing near two rifles that were leaning against the walls of the room. And Claudius Brown was aware that he had spoken truly when he had declared that they would attempt, at least, to protect themselves.

"If you think there is some one here, why don't you make a search and satisfy yourself?" suggested Hannah tartly. "If you are not