Her tears were of no avail, once Sam had concluded to hold his tongue.
Angry with himself for having to submit to the demands of the others,
furious because she saw his surrender, Sam, without a word of warning,
suddenly struck her on the side of the head with the flat of his broad
hand, sending her reeling into the corner. Dazed, hurt and half stunned,
she dropped to her knees, unable to stand. With a piteous look in her
eyes she shrank back from another blow which seemed impending. Bill
Briggs grasped his leader's arm and drew him away, cursing and snarling.
Late in the afternoon, Bill was permitted to conduct her into the cabin
above, for a few minutes in the air, and for a glimpse of the failing
sunlight. She had scarcely taken her stand before the little window when
she was hastily jerked away, but not before she thought she had
perceived a crowd of men, huddling among the trees not far away. A
scream for help started to her lips; but Bill's heavy hand checked it
effectually. His burly arm sent her scuttling toward the trap-door; and
a second later she was below, bruised from the fall and half fainting
with disappointment and despair.
Brief as the glimpse had been, she was positive she recognised two faces
in the crowd of men--Anderson Crow's and Ed Higgins's. It meant, if her
eyes did not deceive her, that the searchers were near at hand, and that
dear, old Daddy Crow was leading them.
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