| Show 10 vr N JAL 01 R the ives family andy rate hope dave and granny no sooner get ett to their new dwelling in the wilderness than they meet adventure andy is informed by hunters that the home he has taken for his own in the homestead movement was formerly used by them as s a camping place lie Is warned by watson bird businessman not to cross up the hunters who include sig flanagan sheriff II martin artin and sam bragg brace while andy Is in town a hunter deliberately shoots at his bis home pretending to be aiming at a doe andy is infuriated and accompanied by emerson eliot he goes to town and exchanges words with his enemies but sets gets nowhere CHAPTER IX EC 1 I at home today I 1 may be next time ill shoot when and where I 1 cleasel pl easel flanagan said his long thick fingers were working nervously and his black eyes seemed deeper set drawn in by rage dill ill shoot there are laws protecting homes andy said but I 1 dont want to move in here and start lawing awing ive always got along with people and I 1 want to keep it up but you cant make a practice of shooting my house you nor anybody else dont forget that sig flanagan growled thickly and started toward andy 1 I dont take threats from smart alecks like youl you he snarled ill make you wish id shot the wall in with you under III it wait sig sheriff martin said quickly catching his arm ill take care of this flanagan FI anagan shook him oft off and crouched to lunge at andy but the sheriff moved quickly in front of him there are better ways sig he be said softly better ways of handling things like this get hold bold of yourself andy stood very still tensed for the threatened onslaught he knew that flanagan FI anagan could give him a terrific beating for the man was powerful and driven by a fierce temper but he be stood still ready to take what he be had to and to give all he could til ill beat his face in flanagan FI anagan raged stand aside sheriff ill fix hm him so his wife and kids wont know him tor for a week no sig this is my camp a and nd I 1 wont have trouble like this quiet down now take it easy feel better sure come along sig wellons invited lets drink to the house that looked like a daerl come on allow sig flanagan FI anagan faced andy across the sheriffs shoulder he was mouthing curses softly weaving unsteadily well meet again he said ill make you wish stayed home and played marbles with the buckshot I 1 put in your then he turned and followed wellons into the cabin of course mr ives the sheriff said soothingly it was an accident sig have bad any reason to shoot your house im 90 sure well I 1 hope not andy said but I 1 cant see how he happened to shoot it at all look sheriff ive never liked to see land posted against hunting unless there was a mighty good reason for it still a yan qan cant have things like this hap know aping cahow ing you understand that I 1 doh oh surel sure sure ives very disturbing tur bing he looked narrowly at andy then away and as tor for posting your land I 1 hardly think that necessary we deer hunters arent a bad lot after all and too it would lust just make a lot ol of trouble tor for you what kind ot of trouble andy inquired well it happens that the authorities appeal to in case of 0 violations be interested in helping you out you mean I 1 have any protection from you dont put it quite like that sheriff martin begged gently of course ive sworn to uphold the law and to enforce all regulations but I 1 cant do everything alone he shrugged my deputies are all deer hunters the game warden is one too the prosecuting attorney of the county is in camp here with us he nodded toward the cabin taking a nap right now you see how it is 1 I see andy said slowly thanks flipp stands by his new neighbor welcome ives and another bit of advice dont be too quick to have trouble with sig flanagan hes a tough customer when hes riled ailed 1 I cant help how tough he is andy declared when I 1 think im right about something I 1 have to go ahead when he left the camp andy knew that he had accomplished little good by coming he knew he had laid the way open for future trouble with sig flanagan on the other hand he felt that he had established himself as a man who would stand up for his rights maybe that was bad too but it made him feel better to know that he had taken his stand and said his say the sun was setting when he crossed the bridge and headed east wait an ill walk with you someone called just happened to mosey down this way it was mr flipp fillip he was emerging from a clump of sumac near the bank of the bayou carrying his rifle loosely in the curve of his right arm the two fox squirrels swung from his belt revealing that he been to his cabin since leaving the ives premises hello andy greeted him looking for you down here mr flipp asked no questions as they walked along the dim road through the woods andy knew that he had come down here to help him in case he needed it mr flipp must have been concealed across the bayou from the hunters camp listening to the conversation 1 I got along all right said eaid andy good sheriff martin seem to be a bad fellow abaslom spat dang politician he said sadly Slick ern owl grease in august well I 1 can see why some of the newcastle folks feel the way they do about us andy said their families have been here tor for years their grandfathers opened up this country were we re newcomers that dont make us bad people though mr flipp pointed out if they no newcomers to a place stagnate like a slough with no fresh water cornin comin into it andy nodded struck by the aptness of the figure he wanted to thank his gaunt companion tor for being near at hand when trouble threatened but he know just how to go about it he was sure that mr flipp wanted him to think their meeting at the bridge purely accidental so he said nothing sheriff martin come from one of the fine ol 01 families tam fam lies mr flipp said he gits his power through the machine hes built up durin the last twelve years why some good man run for office andy asked that martin outfit be allowed to hold onto things forever absalom flipp shook his head slowly good men dont want the kind of politics have to play to fight the ring theys one or two fellers in newcastle that might give martin a tough fight but in business an dont want to git into mudslinging lingin an trickery who are they well the main ones mr burke hes got a lumberyard hes a fine ei A 4 i stand aside sheriff ill fix him so his wife and kids wont know him for a week feller but he dont need the office an but the county needs a good man andy broke in 1 I wish hed run debbe he will it if things git bad enough I 1 think the homesteaders would sport him they came to the fork of the woods road mr flipp said it if ol 01 man eliote still at yore house fid dlin sen him home to supper oreen webster enters the scene the websters came the next after rion non bringing oreen a chunky brown eyed girl of 16 who imperiled natures efforts to make her pretty by using lipstick and rouge her hair was reddish and richly curled she wore a striking red suit the skirt a trifle more than attractively tight perhaps this lack of material made her skirt shorter than good fitting would have prescribed for it ended at her kneecap and gave more publicity to her plump legs than good taste permitted her ankles were rather thick her patent leather high heeled shoes obviously too small for comfort kate and hope were out front greeting the websters when andy and dave arrived with their first of logs look dave whispered dryly they brought their girl this limel cute from here andy said A little hefty but cute dave swallowed hard and wished they brought oreen green specially all dressed up like that well well harley webster called in his raspy voice as the wagon approached hard at work are you why you send me word id have come and helped you get started youve your own work to do andy said thanks just the same never too busy to help a neighbor birdie said les drop over and see how the are makin out an I 1 said all ali right an since oreen go to school today now harley mrs webster broke in wearily it was you that said wed go over and see the right after dinner you said birdie we ought to go over and all right hugah maybe I 1 did no matter who said it first here we are oreen this is dave nice lookin boy aint he hi dave oreen said in a tone that hinted timidity although her manner of address was forthright dave nodded muttered hey he was blushing furiously for three good reasons mr websters tribute so openly spoken his awareness of hopes thoughts and of how she would tease him later and because greens eyes warm and frankly curious were upon him why somebody say something he cut his eyes at hope who looked very very innocent what grade are you in oreen asked the eleventh up at harbison ville he told her im in the tenth she said tossing her curls you to school next week dave shook his head ill have to miss awhile he informed her got a lot to do 1 I dont go she said and a trifle loftily aint much to it kate invited them into the house but birdie demurred we dont want to bother you from your work she said 1 I told harley when he first mentioned comin over that we bother you oh you wont were busy tacking up cardboard where the cracks let cold air in come on in and well give you a job an ill help andy an the boy said harley he slapped dave on his shoulder that Is unless ruther go in with the sonny maybe like to rest awhile an talk to reen keen he laughed merrily ill help with the logs dave said hastily oreen lingered behind the others as they started into the house do you like to go to parties she asked dave not much he wished shed go on with hope who was waiting tor for we have a lot of fun at parties oreen said we play games an dance an all ill let you know when theres goin to be one somewhere dave loves to dance hope put in you ought to see him jitter daves mouth flew open and a high pitched sound came out for his voice was changing and in moments of stress it embarrassed him why hope ives he yelped 1 I never danced a step in my life you know it too daves modest hope said to oreen hes modest and a little bashful too bad combination dave wheeled and went away following the wagon toward the pole fence enclosing what would be the barn lot hed fix hope for chist then he shivered remembering orcena relentless eyes the websters remained until late afternoon harley proved a willing and valuable helper and they made good progress with the barn build ing he would come back the next day and maybe he could bring another neighbor or two dont bother about being beholden to people for free help he said generously get a chance to pay it hack back one way or another say ill wing my frow and rive out some cypress shingles for you im a good hand at that in the house mrs webster and the women worked at tacking up heavy strips cut from boxes over the cracks oreen help with the tacking tor for that would b re made her bend and stretch and she dressed tor for such exertion but she cut pieces of cardboard for the others every time the wagon passed the house she went to the window and watched it go by fuli fali lowing owing i dave with her brown eyes 6 chill granny said at last piqued by her inordinate interest in dave dont you have any arc bribers h ashes our only chick and child mrs craig birdie webster answered before oreen could make reply howd you happen to ask her that the way she watches dave granny said frankly made me wonder if boys arent a sort of curiosity to her I 1 think she had any brothers oreen flushed and tossed her head but her mother either realizing the justice of grannys grandys Gr annys observation or unwilling to let anything threaten the webster ives axis smoothed it over granny needles A flighty girl well you know how girls her age are when a new boy comes around it aint that ashes not used to boys cause ashes had a lot of dates why theres a boy in newcastle beggin her to go steady with him but oreen dont like him much hes got a bad case of adenoids aden an aa keeps his mouth open an that embarrasses oreen I 1 think she likes dave though dont you oreen hes right cute oreen said did he ever go steady with a girl heavens no kate exclaimed why daves just a kid he never did even go unsteady with a girl funny oreen said ive been going with the boys since I 1 was thirteen hes a lot older than thirteen you got an early start granny said dryly oreen was always big for her age said mrs webster and ive taught her well so she knows how to act with boys oreen tossed her curls and looked out of the window mrs webster said cautiously to hope theys one young fellow have to watch pretty close if you go out with him hes slick with the girls who is he hope asked as she fitted a strip of cardboard over a crack at one end of the rough board that served tor for a mantel TO BE CONTINUED tor 4 |
