heard Patsy ask the constable if they had had any
breakfast before leaving town. He heard certain saddle-sounds which
told of their dismounting in response to the tacit invitation. And then,
pulling his hat firmly down upon his head, Irish led his horse quietly
down into a hollow behind the shack, and so out of sight and hearing of
those three who sought him.

He did not believe that he was wanted for anything very serious; they
meant to arrest him, probably, for laying out those two gamblers with
a chair and a bottle of whisky respectively. A trumped-up charge, very
likely, chiefly calculated to make him some trouble and to eliminate
him from the struggle for a time. Irish did not worry at all over their
reason for wanting him, but he did not intend to let them come close
enough to state their errand, because he did not want to become guilty
of resisting an officer--which would be much worse than fighting nesters
with fists and chairs and bottles and things.

In the hollow he mounted and rode down the depression and debouched upon
the wide, grassy coulee where lay a part of his own claim. He was not
sure of the intentions of that constable, but he took it for granted
that he would presently ride on to Irish's cabin in search of him; also
that he would look for him further, and possibly with a good deal of
persistence; which would be a nuisance and would in a measure hamper the
movements and therefore the usefulness of Irish. For that reason he was
resolved to take no chance that could be avoided.

The sun slid behind the scurrying forerunners of the storm and struggled
unavailingly to shine through upon the prairie land. From where he was
Irish could not see the full extent of the storm-clouds, and while he
had been on high land he had been too absorbed in other matters to pay
much attention. Even now he did no more than glance up casually at the
inky mass above him, and decided that he would do well to ride on to his
cabin and get his slicker.

By the time he reached his shack the storm was beating up against the
wind which had turned unexpectedly to the northeast. Mutterings of
thunder grew to sharper booming. It was the first real thunderstorm of
the season, but it was going to be a hard one, if looks meant anything.
Irish went in and got his slicker and put it on, and then hesitated over
riding on in search of the cattle and the men in pursuit of them.

Still, the constable might take a notion to ride over thi