He had heard the quick rush of her feet and Tom's mocking laughter in the distance.

He carried Nance in to her mother, snatched up a stick, and went after the culprit who had promptly disappeared.
It was two days before Tom sneaked in again and took his thrashing dourly.

Little Nance had shut her lips tight when her father questioned her, and refused to say a word.

But he was satisfied as to where the blame lay and administered justice with a heavy hand.
Bernel--as soon as he grew to persecutable age--provided Tom with another victim.

But time was on the victims' side, and when Nance got to be twelve--Bernel being then eight and Tom eighteen--their combined energies and furies of revolt against his oppressions put matters more on a level.
Many a pitched battle they had, and sometimes almost won.