CHAPTER XL.
A JEALOUS LOVER.
The attack was so sudden and fierce that the boy was hurled to theground before he could make a move to protect himself.
"You shall not have her!" hissed a voice in his ear.
A hand fastened on his throat, pinning him fast. The man's knee crushedinto his stomach, depriving him of breath. The man's other hand snatchedout something, and lifted it aloft.
A knife was poised above Frank's heart, and in another moment the bladewould have been buried to the hilt in the lad's bosom.
Without uttering a sound, Kate Kenyon grasped the wrist of themurderous-minded man, gave it a wrench with all her strength, which wasnot slight, and forced him to drop the knife.
"You don't murder anybody, Wade Miller!" she panted.
"I'll choke ther life outen him!" snarled the fellow, as he tried tofasten both hands on Frank's throat.
By this time the boy had recovered from the surprise and shock, and hewas ready to fight for his life.
Kate grasped the assailant by the collar, and, with astonishingstrength, pulled him off the prostrate lad.
In the twinkling of an eye, Frank came to his feet, and he was ready fora new assault.
Snarling and growling like a mad dog, the man scrambled up and lungedtoward the boy, trying to grasp him.
Frank was a skillful boxer, and now his skill came into play, for hedodged under the man's right arm, whirled like a cat, and struck thefellow behind the ear.
Spat! sounded the blow, sending the assailant staggering, and Frankfollowed it up by leaping after him and striking him again, the secondblow having the force of the lad's strength and the weight of his body.
It seemed that the man was literally knocked "spinning," and he did notstop till he landed in the creek.
"Wal," exclaimed the girl, "I 'low you kin take keer o' yerself now!"
"I rather think so," came coolly from the boy. "He caught me foul, and Idid not have a show at first."
"Look out fer his gun."
"I will. Who is he?"
"Wade Miller."
Frank whistled. It was a case of jealousy, and he had aroused the worstpassions of the man who admired Kate Kenyon. Miller came scrambling andsnorting from the water, and Barney Mulloy rushed toward the spot,crying:
"Pwhat's th' row, Frankie, me b'y? Do ye nade inny av me hilp?"
"I think not. So far, I am all right, thanks to Miss Kenyon."
"An' you kin fight!" breathed the mountain maid, in sincere admiration."I didn't s'pose city chaps knowed how ter fight."
"Some do," laughed Frank, keeping his eyes on Miller.
"I'll have his life!" panted the man, springing toward Frank, and thenhalting suddenly, and throwing up his hand.
"Look out!" screamed the girl. "He's got a pistol!"
Frank knew this well enough, and he was expecting just such a move, soit happened that the words had scarcely left the girl's lips when therevolver was sent flying from Wade Miller's hand.
The boy had leaped forward, and, with one skillful kick, disarmed hisfoe by knocking the weapon out of his hand.
Miller seemed dazed for a moment, and then he started for Frank, oncemore grinding his teeth.
"Oh, let me take a hand in this!" cried Barney Mulloy, who was eager fora fight. "Me blud is gittin' shtagnant."
"Keep away!" ordered Frank. "I can look out for myself."
"I'll kill ye! I'll kill ye!" snarled the infuriated man.
"Well, you have tried that trick twice, but I do not see that you havesucceeded to any great extent."
"I'll hammer yer life out o' yer carcass with my bare hands!"
"Possibly that will not be such a very easy trick to do."
The boy's coolness seemed to add to the fury of his assailant, and theman made another rush, which was easily avoided by Frank, who struckMiller a stinging blow.
"You'd better stop, Wade," advised the girl. "He-uns is too much feryou-uns, an' that's plain enough."
"Oh, I'll show ye--I'll show ye!"
There was no longer any reason in the man's head, and Frank saw that hemust subdue the fellow some way. Miller was determined to grapple withthe boy, and Frank felt that he would find the mountaineer had thestrength of an ox, for which reason he must keep clear of those graspinghands.
For some moments Frank had all he could do to avoid Miller, who seemedto have grown stolid to the lad's blows. At last, Frank darted in,caught the man behind, lifted him over one hip, and dashed him headlongto the ground.
Miller lay still, stunned.
"Wal, that's the beatenest I ever saw!" cried Kate Kenyon, whoseadmiration for Frank now knew no bounds. "You-uns is jes' a terror!"
Barney laughed.
"Whoy, thot's fun fer Frankie," he declared.
Miller groaned, and sat up, lifting his hands to his head, and lookingabout him in a dazed way.
"What's happened ter me?" he asked, speaking thickly.
"Ye run ag'in' a fighter this time, Wade," said the girl. "He done ye,an' you-uns is ther bully o' these parts!"
"It was an accident," mumbled the man. "I couldn't see ther critterwell, an' so he kinder got----"
"That won't go, Wade," half laughed the girl. "He done you fa'r an'squar', an' it's no us' ter squawk."
"An' ye're laffin' 'bout it, be ye, Kate? Wal, I ain't done with him."
The girl became serious instantly.
"Better let him erlone, Wade. You-uns has made fool enough o' yerself.Ye tried ter kill me, an'----"
"What I saw made me do it!" grated the man. "He war makin' love ter ye,Kate--an' you-uns liked it!"
"Wal, Wade Miller, what is that ter you-uns?" she haughtily demanded."He has a right ter make love ter me ef he wants ter."
"Oh, yes, he has a right, but his throat'll be slit before long, markwhat I say!"
"Ef anything o' that kind happens, Wade Miller, I'll know who done it,an' I swa'r I'll never rest till I prove it agin' ye."
"I don't keer, Kate," muttered the man, getting on his feet and standingthere sulkily before them. "Ef I can't hev ye, I sw'ar no other crittershall!"
"Be keerful, Wade Miller! I've stood all I kin from you, an' from now onI don't stan' no more. Arter this you-uns an' me-uns ain't evenfriends."
He fell back a step, as if he had been struck a blow, and then hehoarsely returned:
"All right, Kate. But I'll stick ter my oath. I ain't ter be thrownaside so easy. As fer them city chaps, ther maountings ain't big enoughter hold them an' me. Wade Miller has some power, an' I wouldn't give asnap for their lives. The Black Caps don't take ter strangers much, an'they know them critters is hyar. I'm goin' now, but that don't need termean that I'll stay away fer long."
He turned, and, having picked up his revolver, strode away into thedarkness, quickly disappearing.
Kate's trembling hand fell on Frank's arm, and she panted into his ear:
"You-uns must git out o' ther maountings quick as you kin, fer WadeMiller means what he says, an' he'll kill ye ef you stay hyar!"