Barely had she entered when the big red-shirted man rudely pushed past Diamond, threw open the door of the room and entered, regardless of the fact that he had no business in there.
Jack hesitated, more than half tempted to follow. While he was hesitating, there came a shriek from the room.
With one bound the Virginian flung open the door and plunged in, beholding a spectacle that aroused him to such fury as he had not felt in months.
The man had the girl by the neck, and he was shaking her in a most brutal manner.
With a shout and a bound, the Southerner was on him. He struck the brute behind the ear, and hurled him against the wall with the force of the blow. Then he caught the half fainting girl in his arms.
But Diamond had made a mistake in thinking the blow, which would have knocked out an ordinary man, must settle the ruffian for a time.
The man recovered in a twinkling, and then, with a snarl of fury, he lunged at Diamond, tearing the girl from Jack and sending her staggering into a corner.
The Virginian felt a grip of iron close upon him. He tried to twist about, but it was not possible to do so in that clutch. Then he realized that the man had the strength of a Samson.
“Cuss ye!” grated the big ruffian. “I’ll fix ye!”