'Oh, he'll kill Ed'ard!' she moaned.
Edward staggered under a blow, and she hid her eyes. Suddenly she thought of Vessons. Where was he? She ran to the kitchen calling him. He was not there. She went to the stables. He was nowhere to be found. Drawn by an irresistible curiosity, she rushed back to the front of the house. Under the yew-tree she ran into Vessons.
'Sh!' he whispered. 'Say nought! I'll tell you what's a mortal good thing for a dog-fight—pepper!' He held up the kitchen pepper-pot. In the other hand he had the poker.
'Now I'll part 'em, missus, you see!'
'Quick, then!'
But as she spoke Reddin got in a blow on Edward's jaw, and he fell.
Hazel rushed forward.
'You murderer!'—she screamed, and she bit Reddin's hand as he stretched it out to catch her, and bent over Edward. The victor in the fight was fated to be the loser with Hazel, for she had a never-broken compact with all creatures defeated.
She ran to the pool for water.
'Catch a holt on him!' she cried to Vessons; 'he's a murderer!'