The Honorable Pulaski picked up the gage of battle with all the alacrity of his irascible nature.
“For a dog-fight, that girl will be as good a bone as anything else!” he growled, under his breath. And then he whirled on his heel and bellowed:
“Wake up there, MacLeod! If you can’t make love to the girl you are goin’ to marry, I reckon you can at least fight a little to get her! Call in the crew!”
He walked up to Ide. “Better call off your girl, Rod,” he advised, bluffly. “This isn’t any of her business, or yours either.”
“I figure that a Skeet girl belongs as much to us as to you,” snapped the doughty little man from Castonia. “If my girl takes interest enough in her to invite her home, I think you’d better let her go.”
“Well, I’ve got a crew of a hundred men posted back here a few rods in the woods to back me up when I say she stays right where she belongs.” His tone was offensive, and Rodburd Ide’s anger flared.
“My business just now in here, Britt, is to bring a hundred men for our Enchanted operation. They’re down there by the brook eating lunch. I don’t want any trouble over this, but there’s some nasty reason back of this girl matter, and I won’t stand for any persecution of a helpless creature. My men back me when I say she goes home with my girl. Hello, men for the Enchanted! Up this way in a hurry!”
The look that Nina flashed at her father was inspiration for him!
As his men came into sight over the bank the crew of Britt tramped towards them down the trail.
“Nina,” said Ide, “you’ll have to go back now. Chris Straight will go with you. Take the girl on the horse with you, and let Chris lead by the headstall. You’ll go all safe. Hurry away from here! But after you get started, take your time to the Half-way House. There’s no one going to get past down this trail to chase you and bother you.”