with that bresh!" he yelled authoritatively, when a glance
showed him that the Happy Family was hesitating and eyeing him
uncertainly. "Git a fire goin' quick's yuh kin--I'll do the rest. Down
in Coconino county we used to have a way uh fixin' sheepherders--"

"Aw, gwan! We don't want no torture business!" remonstrated Happy Jack
uneasily, edging away.

"Yuh don't, hey?" Big Medicine turned in the saddle wrathfully and
glared. When he had succeeded in catching Andy Green's eye he winked,
and that young man's face kindled understandingly. "Well, now, you
hain't runnin' this here show. Honest to grandma, I've saw the time when
a little foot-warmin' done a sheepherder a whole lot uh good; and, it
looks to me, by cripes, as if this here feller needed a dose to gentle
him down. You git the fire started. That's all I want you t' do, Happy.
Some uh you boys help me rope him--like him and that other jasper over
there done to Andy. C'mon, Andy--it ain't goin' to take long!"

"You bet your sweet life I'll come on!" exclaimed Andy, dismounting
eagerly. "Let me take your rope, Weary. Too bad we haven't got a
branding iron--"

"Aw, we don't need no irons." Big Medicine was also on the ground by
then, and untying his rope. "Lemme git his shoes off once, and I'll show
yuh."

The bug-killer lifted his stick, snarling like a mongrel dog when
a stranger tries to drive it out of the house; hurled the stick
hysterically, as Big Medicine, rope in hand, advanced implacably, and,
with a squawk of horror, turned suddenly and ran. After him, bellowing
terribly, lunged Big Medicine, straight through the band like a
snowplow, leaving behind them a wide, open trail.

"Say, we kinda overplayed that bet, by gracious," Andy commented to
Weary, while he watched the chase. "That gazabo's scared silly; let's
try the other one. That torture talk works fine."

In his enthusiasm Andy remounted and was about to lead the way to
the other herder when Big Medicine returned puffing, the bug-killer
squirming in his grasp. "Tell him what yuh want him to do, Weary," he
panted, with some difficulty holding his limp victim upright by a
greasy coat-collar. "And if he don't fall over himself doin' it, why--by
cripes--we'll take off his shoes!"

Whereupon the bug-killer gave another howl and professed himself eager
to drive the sheep--well, what he said was that he would drive them to
that place which ladies dislike to hear mentioned, if the Happy Family
wan