That's the
rule
youngest and prettiest goes first-----"
"Like the ham, I s'pose?" sniffed Nan, in some anger, and just
then Tom reached over the back of the front seat and seized his
brother by the shoulder with a grip that made Rafe shriek with
pain.
Nan was almost as startled as was Rafe. In the half-darkness
Tom's dull face blazed with anger, and he held his writhing
brother as though he were a child.
"You ornery scamp!" he said, almost under his breath. "You try
to scare that little girl, and I'll break you in two!"
Nan was horrified. She begged Tom to let his brother alone. "I
was only fooling her," snarled Rafe, rubbing his injured
shoulder, for Tom had the grip of a pipe wrench.
Uncle Henry never turned around at all; but he said: "If I had a
gun I'd be tempted to shoot that old wolf hound of Toby
Vanderwiller's. He's always running after sleds and yelling his
head off."
Nan was glad the creature following them was not really a wolf;
but she knew she should be just as much afraid of him if she met
him alone, as though he really were a wolf. However, mostly, she
was troubled by the passionate nature of her two cousins. She
had never seen Tom show any anger before; but it was evident that
he had plenty of spirit if it were called up.
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