"I don't lie," he growled. "You think because you can scrape on a fiddle you're better'n other folks. Pa an' me'll show you you ain't."
"You and your pa don't know everything," answered Jinnie, wrathfully.
"We know 'nough to see what King's doin' all right."
He made a dive at the girl and laid a rough hand on the shortwood strap.
"Here! Gimme that wood if you're too lazy to carry it."
Jinnie turned her eyes up the road. It was time Bennett came. The sound of his motor would be like sweet music in her ears. She jerked the strap away from the man and turned furiously upon him.
"Don't touch me again, Maudlin Bates.... I don't interfere with you. I'll--I'll----"
But Maudlin paid no heed to her insistence. He was dragging the strap from her shoulders.
Jinnie's face grew waxen white, but she held her own for a few minutes. Maudlin was big in proportion to her slenderness, and in another instant her shortwood lay on the ground, and she was standing panting before him.
"Now, then, just to show what kind of a feller I be," said he, "I'm goin' to kiss you."
Jinnie felt cold chills running up and down her back.
"It's time you was kissed," went on Maudlin, "and after to-day I'm goin' to be your man.... You can bet on that."
He was slowly forcing her backward along the narrow path that led into the marshes. Jinnie knew intuitively he wanted her to turn and run into the underbrush that he might have her alone in the great waste place.
Like a mad creature, she fought every step of the way, Maudlin's anger rising at each cry the girl emitted.
"I'll tell my uncle," she screamed, with sobbing breath.
"You won't want to tell 'im when I get done with you," muttered the man. "Why don't you run? You c'n run, can't you?"
Oh, if Bennett would only come! She was still near enough to Paradise Road for him to hear her calling.
Maudlin reached out his hand and caught the long curls between his dirty fingers.
"If you won't run," he said, "then, that for you!" and he gave a cruel twist to the shining hair, pulling Jinnie almost off her feet.
Then the ruffian turned, slowly dragging her foot by foot into the marshland. She opened her lips, and gave one long scream; then another and another before Maudlin pulled her to him and closed her mouth with a large hand, and Jinnie grew faint with fright and terror.
They were out of sight now of Paradise Road, still Jinnie struggled and struggled, gripping with both hands at Bates' fingers jerking at her curls.