He drew back his flat hand to slap me over; but the woman pulled me behind her, and faced him, with a drawn knife in her hand.

He made as if to take it from her; but his companion held him back.
"Do you want six inches o' cold steel in your liver ?" he asked.

"Let her be.

There's plenty o' others." "My money is jest as good's any one else's," said the first.

"Jest as good's any one else's;" and began wrangling with his friend.
The woman pushed me before her and we went up-stairs to a bedroom, the door of which she closed and locked.