The Flying U's Last Stand [51]
few feet. "You're getting awfully particular, seems to me. Oh, did you know that a lot of men are going to play it's New Year's Eve and hold watch meetings tonight?"
"Never heard a word about it," he declared truthfully, and waited for more.
"That's not strange--seeing it's a surprise party. Still--I'm sure you are expected to--attend."
"And where is all this to take place?" Andy looked at her intently, smiling a little.
"Oh, over there--and there--and there." She pointed to three new shacks--the official dwellings of certain contestants." Stag parties, they are, I believe. But I doubt if they'll have any very exciting time; most of these new settlers are too busy getting the ground ready for crops, to go to parties. Some people are pretty disgusted, I can tell you, Mr. Green. Some people talk about ingratitude and wonder why the colony doesn't hang together better. Some people even wonder why it is that folks are interested mainly in their own affairs, and decline to attend watch meetings and-- receptions. So I'm afraid very few, except your nearest neighbors, will be present, after all might I ask when you expect to--to MOVE again, Mr. Green?"
Smiling still, Andy shook his head. "I expect to be pretty busy this spring," he told her evasively. "Aren't any of you ladies invited to those parties, Miss Allen?"
Not a one. But let me tell you something, Mr. Green. Some folks think that perhaps we lady-settlers ought to organize a club for the well being of our intellects. Some folks are trying to get up parties just for women--see the point? They think it would be better for the--atmosphere."
"Oh." Andy studied the possibilities of such a move. If Florence Grace should set the women after them, he could see how the Happy Family would be hampered at every turn. "Well, I must be going. Say, did you know this country is full of wild animals, Miss Allen? They prowl around nights. And there's a gang of wild men that hang out up there in those mountains--they prowl around nights, too. They're outlaws. They kill off every sheriff's party that tries to round them up, and they kidnap children and ladies. If you should hear any disturbance, any time, don't be scared. Just stay inside after dark and keep your door locked. And if you should organize that ladies' club, you better hold your meetings in the afternoon, don't you think?"
When he had ridden on and left her, Andy was somewhat ashamed of such puerile falsehoods. But then, she had started the allegorical method of imparting advice, he remembered. So presently went whistling to round up the boys and tell them what he had learned.
CHAPTER 13. IRISH WORKS FOR THE CAUSE
Big Medicine with Weary and Chip to bear him company, rode up to the shack nearest his own, which had been hastily built by a raw-boned Dane who might be called truly Americanized. Big Medicine did not waste time in superfluities or in making threats of what he meant to do. He called the Dane to the door--claim-jumpers were keeping close to their cabins, these days--and told him that he was on another man's land, and asked him if he meant to move.
"Sure I don't intend to move!" retorted the Dane with praiseworthy promptness. "I'm going to hold 'er down solid."
"Yuh hear what says, boys." Big Medicine turned to his companions "He ain't going to git off'n my land, he says. Weary, yuh better go tell the bunch I need'em."
Weary immediately departed. He was not gone so very long, and when he returned the Happy Family was with him, even to Patsy who drove the wagon with all the ease of a veteran of many roundups. The Dane tried bluster, but that did not seem to work. Nothing seemed to work, except the Happy Family.
There in broad daylight, with no more words than were needful, they moved the Dane, and his shack. When they began to raise the building he was so unwise as to flourish a gun, and thereby made it perfectly right and lawful that Big Medicine should take the gun away from him and march him ahead of his own forty-five.
They took the shack directly past one of the trespassing
"Never heard a word about it," he declared truthfully, and waited for more.
"That's not strange--seeing it's a surprise party. Still--I'm sure you are expected to--attend."
"And where is all this to take place?" Andy looked at her intently, smiling a little.
"Oh, over there--and there--and there." She pointed to three new shacks--the official dwellings of certain contestants." Stag parties, they are, I believe. But I doubt if they'll have any very exciting time; most of these new settlers are too busy getting the ground ready for crops, to go to parties. Some people are pretty disgusted, I can tell you, Mr. Green. Some people talk about ingratitude and wonder why the colony doesn't hang together better. Some people even wonder why it is that folks are interested mainly in their own affairs, and decline to attend watch meetings and-- receptions. So I'm afraid very few, except your nearest neighbors, will be present, after all might I ask when you expect to--to MOVE again, Mr. Green?"
Smiling still, Andy shook his head. "I expect to be pretty busy this spring," he told her evasively. "Aren't any of you ladies invited to those parties, Miss Allen?"
Not a one. But let me tell you something, Mr. Green. Some folks think that perhaps we lady-settlers ought to organize a club for the well being of our intellects. Some folks are trying to get up parties just for women--see the point? They think it would be better for the--atmosphere."
"Oh." Andy studied the possibilities of such a move. If Florence Grace should set the women after them, he could see how the Happy Family would be hampered at every turn. "Well, I must be going. Say, did you know this country is full of wild animals, Miss Allen? They prowl around nights. And there's a gang of wild men that hang out up there in those mountains--they prowl around nights, too. They're outlaws. They kill off every sheriff's party that tries to round them up, and they kidnap children and ladies. If you should hear any disturbance, any time, don't be scared. Just stay inside after dark and keep your door locked. And if you should organize that ladies' club, you better hold your meetings in the afternoon, don't you think?"
When he had ridden on and left her, Andy was somewhat ashamed of such puerile falsehoods. But then, she had started the allegorical method of imparting advice, he remembered. So presently went whistling to round up the boys and tell them what he had learned.
CHAPTER 13. IRISH WORKS FOR THE CAUSE
Big Medicine with Weary and Chip to bear him company, rode up to the shack nearest his own, which had been hastily built by a raw-boned Dane who might be called truly Americanized. Big Medicine did not waste time in superfluities or in making threats of what he meant to do. He called the Dane to the door--claim-jumpers were keeping close to their cabins, these days--and told him that he was on another man's land, and asked him if he meant to move.
"Sure I don't intend to move!" retorted the Dane with praiseworthy promptness. "I'm going to hold 'er down solid."
"Yuh hear what says, boys." Big Medicine turned to his companions "He ain't going to git off'n my land, he says. Weary, yuh better go tell the bunch I need'em."
Weary immediately departed. He was not gone so very long, and when he returned the Happy Family was with him, even to Patsy who drove the wagon with all the ease of a veteran of many roundups. The Dane tried bluster, but that did not seem to work. Nothing seemed to work, except the Happy Family.
There in broad daylight, with no more words than were needful, they moved the Dane, and his shack. When they began to raise the building he was so unwise as to flourish a gun, and thereby made it perfectly right and lawful that Big Medicine should take the gun away from him and march him ahead of his own forty-five.
They took the shack directly past one of the trespassing