she said, and turned to enter the
messenger-office. She could not refrain from looking over her shoulder,
however, and she saw that he was poised for a throw.

"Don't do that!" she cried hastily. "You might hurt me."

"Sure I'll hurt you," was the reply. "I'll smash your block in if you
don't git a move on."

The woman decided to look for another messenger-office, and Danny,
triumphant, resumed his seat on the paving-stones.

Then came another messenger, returning from a trip.

"What's the matter, Danny?" he asked.

"Got the plant picketed," asserted Danny. "Nobody can't go in or come
out."

"I'm goin' in," said the other boy.

"You!" exclaimed Danny scornfully, as he suddenly caught the boy and
swung him over on to the stones.

"No, I ain't, Danny," the boy hastened to say, for Danny gave every
evidence of an intent to batter in his face.

"Sure?" asked Danny.

"Honest."

"This here's a strike," explained Danny.

"Oh, I didn't know that," apologized the boy. "I ain't a
strike-breaker."

Danny let him up, but made him sit on another pile of stones a short
distance away. He would be all right as long as he kept still, Danny
explained, but no longer.

While Danny was continuing strike operations with rapidly growing
enthusiasm, the woman he had first stopped was taking an unexpected part
in the little comedy. She had gone to another of the branch offices with
the message she wished delivered, and had told of the trouble she had
experienced. Thereupon the manager of this office called up the manager
of the other on the telephone.

"What's the matter over there?" he asked.

"Nothing," was the surprised reply. "Who said there was?"

"Why, a woman has just reported that she was driven away by a boy with a
pile of stones."

The manager hastened to the window, and realized at once that something
was decidedly wrong. On a pile of paving-stones directly in front of the
door sat the proud and happy Danny. At his feet there was a pile of
smaller stones, and he held a few in his hands. On his right was a boy
who had started on a trip a short time before, and on his left was one
who should have reported back. A man was gesticulating excitedly, a
number of others and some boys were laughing, and Danny seemed to be
intimating that any one who tried to enter would be hurt.

"Jim," said the manager to the largest messenger, "go out there and see
what's the matter with Danny Burke. Tell him I'll have him arreste