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.But he did not know where they were, exactly, so that he was compelled to shoot at random.And since the five shots seemed to have no effect whatever upon the steady progress of the shack, he decided to wait until he could see where to aim.There was no use, he reflected, in wasting good ammunition when there was a strong probability that he would need it later.After a half hour or more of continuous travel, the shack tilted on a steep descent.H.J.Owens blew out his lamp and swore when a box came sliding against his shins in the dark.The descent continued until it was stopped with a jolt that made him bite his tongue painfully, so that tears came into the eyes that were the wrong shade of blue to please Andy Green.He heard a laugh cut short and a muttered command, and that was all.The shack heaved, toppled, righted itself and went on down, and down, and down; jerked sidewise to the left, went forward and then swung joltingly the other way.When finally it came to a permanent stand it was sitting with an almost level floor.Then the four corners heaved upward, two at a time, and settled with a final squeal of twisted boards and nails.There was a sound of confused trampling, and after that the lessening sounds of departure.Mr.Owens tried the door again, and found it still fast.He relighted the lamp, carried it to the window and looked upon rough boards outside the glass.He meditated anxiously and decided to remain quiet until daylight.The Happy Family worked hard, that night.Before daylight they were in their beds and snoring except the two who guarded the cattle.Each was in his own cabin.His horse was in his corral, smooth-coated and dry.There was nothing to tell of the night's happenings,—nothing except the satisfied grins on their faces when they woke and remembered.CHAPTER 12.SHACKS, LIVE STOCK AND PILGRIMS PROMPTLY AND PAINFULLY REMOVED"I'm looking rather seedy now, while holding down myclaim,And my grub it isn't always served the best,And the mice play shyly round me as I lay me down to rest Inmy little old sod shanty on my claim.Oh, the hinges are of leather and the windows have no glass,And the roof it lets the howling blizzards in,And I hear the hungry kiote as he sneaks up throughgrass—"Say! have they got down the hill yet, Pink;" Pink took his cigarette from his fingers, leaned and peered cautiously through the grimy window."Unh-huh.They're coming up the flat."Whereupon Andy Green, ostentatiously washing his breakfast dishes, skipped two or three verses and lifted his voice in song to fit the occasion."How I wish that some kind-hearted girl would pity on metake,And relieve me of the mess that I am in!Oh, the angel, how I'd bless her if her home with me she'dmake,In my little old sod shanty—"Got her yet?" And he craned his neck to look."Aw, they've pulled up, out there, listening!""My clothes are plastered o'er with dough, I'm looking like afright,And everything is scattered round the room—""Why don't yuh stop that caterwauling?" Pink demanded fretfully."You'll queer the whole play if you keep it up.They'll swear you're drunk!"There was sense in that.Andy finished the line about remaining two happy lovers in his little old sod shanty, and went to the door with the dishpan.He threw out the water, squeezed the dishrag in one hand and gave the inside of the pan a swipe before he appeared to discover that Miss Allen and Florence Grace Hallman were riding up to his door.As a matter of fact, he had seen them come over the top of the bluff and had long ago guessed who they were.He met them with a smile of surprised innocence, and invited them inside.They refused to come, and even Miss Allen showed a certain reproachful coolness toward him.Andy felt hurt at that, but he did not manifest the fact.Instead he informed them that it was a fine morning.And were they out taking a look around?They were.They were looking up the men who had perpetrated the outrage last night upon four settlers."Outrage?" Andy tilted the dishpan against the cabin wall, draped the dishrag over the handle and went forward, pulling down his sleeves."What outrage is that, Miss Hallman? Anybody killed?"Miss Hallman watched him with her narrowed glance.She saw the quick glance he gave Miss Allen, and her lids narrowed still more.So that was it! But she did not swerve from her purpose, for all this unexpected thrust straight to the heart of her self-love."You know that no one was killed.But you damaged enough property to place you on the wrong side of the law, Mr.Green.Not one of those shacks can be gotten out of the gulch except in pieces!"Andy smiled inside his soul, but his face was bewildered; his eyes fixed themselves blankly upon her face."Me? Damaging property? Miss Hallman, you don't know me yet!" Which was perfectly true."What shacks are you talking about? In what gulch? All the shacks I've seen so far have been stuck up on bald pinnacles where the blizzards will hit 'em coming and going next winter
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