Light was dawning upon Jim Dennis, and his hands clenched so that the nails bit into the flesh.
'It was Rodney Shaw,' she said.
Jim Dennis sprang up with an oath.
'By God! can such a villain live?' he cried.
'He had not seen me at Wanabeen, you recollect; he had gone to Sydney before I came here, and lived there some time before he went to England. He is a cruel, heartless man, and ruined our lives. He deserves no pity.'
'He shall have none from me,' said Jim Dennis. 'I will flog him like a cowardly cur and then shoot him.'
'He is a dangerous man,' she said.
Jim Dennis laughed harshly. He was not afraid of such a man or a dozen of them.
'Sal,' he called, 'there is work for me to do before it is too late. Send Silas Dixon for Dr Tom as soon as he comes in.'
'Where are you going?' she asked.