He was now far in the
rear, but he was following the lead of the girls by their tracks.
Suddenly Roland and the chief found themselves face to face. The
robber's brows grew dark as the night.
'What is this,' he demanded of his son.
'We are both leaveen the place.'
The villain was simply struck dumb with amazement. When he did
speak, he asked,
'Where is Murfrey?'
'We just have been disableen him.'
'Where are my mother and Poll?'
'We have just done gaggeen them.'
'Where is Nancy; where is the young lady?'
'They are cleareen out of the swamp.'
'Hell and--' he did not finish his pious ejaculation, but felt for
his pistol. It was not there; and he gave a cry like a baulked lion.
'Here's at you,' looking at our hero who just then remembered that
he had no charge left in his pistol; and like a jaguar he sprang at
Roland's throat. But this brutal robber had no child now in hand; our
hero was slight, but his sinews were elastic and reverberant; and
they were as enduring as twisted steel. A fair hold was taken on
either side, and it was a nice test of the respective powers of the
combatants.
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