Joe's agitation was plain in his face, his shocked eyes stared out of its pallor as if they had looked upon violence and death.
"What's the matter, kid?" inquired Morgan carelessly.
"I've got something to say to you," answered Joe thickly. He was panting, more from rage than exertion; his hands trembled.
Morgan looked him over from boots to bandless hat with the same evidence of curiosity as a person displays when turning some washed-up object with the foot on the sands. It was as if he had but an abstract interest in the youth, a feeling which the incident had obtruded upon him without penetrating the reserve of his private cogitations.
"Kid, you look like you'd seen a snake," said he.
"You let that woman alone--you've got to let her alone, I tell you!" said Joe with explosive suddenness, his passion out of hand.
"Mind your own business, you sneakin' skunk!" said he.
"I am minding it," said Joe; "but maybe not as well as I ought to 'a' done. Isom left me here in his place to watch and look after things, but you've sneaked in under my arm like a dirty, thieving dog, and you've--you've----"
Morgan thrust his fist before Joe's face.
"That'll do now--that'll do out of you!" he threatened.
Joe caught Morgan's wrist with a quick, snapping movement, and slowly bent the threatening arm down, Morgan struggling, foot to foot with him in the test of strength. Joe held the captured arm down for a moment, and they stood breast to breast, glaring into each other's eyes. Then with a wrench that spun Morgan half round and made him stagger, Joe flung his arm free.
"Now, you keep away from here--keep away!" he warned, his voice growing thin and boyish in the height of his emotion, as if it would break in the treble shallows.
"Don't fool with me or I'll hurt you," said Morgan. "Keep your nose----"
"Let her alone!" commanded Joe sternly, his voice sinking again even below its accustomed level, gruff and deep in his chest. "I heard you--I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it--and I know what you're up to tonight. Don't come around here tonight after her, for I'm not going to let her go."
"Ya-a, you pup, you pup!" said Morgan nastily.
"It's a hard life for her here--I know that better than you do," said Joe, passing over the insult, "but you can't give her any better--not as good. What you've done can't be undone now, but I can keep you from dragging her down any further. Don't you come back here tonight!"