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 signs, and Big
Medicine stopped accommodatingly while the Dane was permitted to
read the sign three times aloud. That the Dane did not seem truly
appreciative of the privilege was no fault of Big Medicine's, surely.
They went on, skidding the little building sledlike over the uneven
prairie. They took it down into Antelope Coulee and left it there, right
side up and with not even a pane of glass broken in the window.

"There, darn yuh, live there awhile!" Andy gritted to when the timbers
were withdrawn from beneath the cabin and they were ready to leave. "You
can't say we damaged your property--this time. Come back, and there's no
telling what we're liable to do."

Since Big Medicine kept his gun, the Dane could do nothing but swear
while he watched them ride up the hill and out of sight.

They made straight for the next interloper, remarking frequently that it
was muc