8 The Story of Scragg/es 



so dreadfully afraid that I could n't 

 breathe. Then, before I had recovered, 

 the great tall man, whom I had quite 

 forgotten, came toward me with his 

 quick, decisive strides. I tried to get 

 away from him, and fairly screamed out 

 in my terror; yet it was no use. He 

 was too quick, and I was too weak and 

 helpless, and in less than a minute he 

 had " cornered me " against the trunk 

 of a tree, and I found myself all at once 

 in his strong hand, the fingers of which 

 felt so powerful as they completely sur- 

 rounded me. 



I was too afraid to cry out, and I 

 could only lie still and listen to my 

 heart beat. It went so quick and so 

 hard that I thought I should die; but 

 somehow I was compelled to see that he 

 didn't hurt me or pinch me, and his 



