Kitty's heart stood still at the picture this called up. There was a pause; then another voice said brutally:
"Will you tell?"
She had no clue to the scene of her previous knowledge, but her intuition told her what was taking place. Another pause, and a soft, torn groan reached Kitty's ears. She sprang up, electrified. Gone were all maidenly modesties and shrinkings. Fiery-eyed and self-forgetful as a mother-animal whose young are threatened, she crashed through the branches, and stood among the men, crying:
"Let him alone, you cowards!"
Joe Mixer, Stack, and Crusoe Campbell fell back, dumfoundered. The half-breed, who slept by the fire, woke up, and partly raised himself, blinking at her stupidly. Kitty saw only Ralph. He hung limply on the rope that bound him to the tree. His face was ghastly, his breath came in gasps; and the sweat of pain had left wet channels in front of his ears and down his neck. Kitty flew to him with a moan of commiseration, and fumbled helplessly with the knots of the rope.
The men recovered from their surprise. Knowing that Jim had a daughter, it was not hard for them to explain Kitty's presence. As men must needs do everywhere in the presence of a genuinely angry woman, they looked silly and sheepish.
"Stand away from there, young lady!" growled Joe.
"You unspeakable coward!" cried Kitty, in her hushed and thrilling voice.
Joe flushed darkly. "Go back to your father," he said. "This is no place for you!"
Kitty paid no further attention to him.