The bandit fired again. The shooting, so close to her ear, fairly deafened her. Elfreda had another cause for worry, for she did not know at what instant the bandit’s enemy might conclude to fire again. To a person in her position, that was not a comforting thought. No answering shot came, and the girl drew a long breath of relief.
Not a word had passed between them up to this point, but now she spoke.
“You coward!” breathed Elfreda.
“Had to do it,” was the brief reply.
“You will pay dearly for this,” she threatened.
“Shut up! I’ll give ye a clout over the head if ye don’t, and I’d hate to do that to a purty gal like—” Bang!
The bandit fired. Then a strange thing happened, and Elfreda was hurled forward on her face with unexpected violence.
CHAPTER VIII
STACY TAKES A HAND
“Wow! I’ll show you that you can’t steal my beans and my fish!” yelled an angry voice behind Miss Briggs. The outlaw was pulling himself together and unsteadily getting to his feet just as Elfreda sprang to hers. Then there sounded a sudden whack, a grunt, and the bandit again measured his length on the ground, after receiving another blow on the head.
“Stacy! Stacy Brown!” cried Elfreda, for it was Stacy who had stolen up behind the bandit and clouted the outlaw on the head with a stick just after the fellow had fired his last shot.