Cindy gasped. The gentle Mindy, in a situation as terrifying as this, should be wilted and nearly hysterical. But instead she sounded fighting mad.
"Mind your tongue, girl!" the man said threateningly.
"When my father gets through with you," Mindy flared, "you won't have any tongue to mind!"
The man rose angrily, strode over to Mindy, and raised his hand to slap her face. But before he could, Mindy kicked him smartly in the shin. The man said, "Ow-w!" bent over to rub his shin, and Mindy kicked him in the other one. The man straightened to advance grimly.
"Leave her 'lone!"
"I'll teach the little spitfire," the man started angrily.
"Leave her 'lone!" Tom LaMott repeated.
The man said, "She's no witch girl, Tom!"
"She may be weetch. You don' know for sure."
Cindy raised her hand. Alec went into action. The bull-roarer gave out with a moaning "Owoo-ooo-ooo!"