e Flying U."

Andy grinned while he inspected his cigarette. "Funny--I heard a man
brag once about how he'd break the Flying U, with sheep," he drawled.
"He didn't connect, though; the Flying U broke him." He smoked until he
saw an angry retort parting the red lips of the lady, and then continued
calmly:

"The Flying U has got nothing to do with this case. As a matter of fact,
old man Whitmore is pretty sore at us fellows right now, because we quit
him and turned nesters right under his nose. Miss Hallman, you'll have
one sweet time proving that we ain't bona fide settlers. We're just
crazy to make homes for ourselves. We think it's time we settled
down--and we're settling here because we're used to this country. We're
real sorry you didn't find it necessary to pay your folks for the fun of
pointing out the land to us and steering us to the land office--but we
can't help that. We needed the money to buy plows." He looked at her
full with his honest, gray eyes that could so deceive his fellow men--to
say nothing of women. "And that reminds me, I've got to go and borrow a
garden rake. I'm planting a patch of onions," he explained engagingly.
"Say, this farming is a great game, isn't it? Well, good day, Miss
Hallman. Glad I happened to meet you."

"You won't be when I get through with you!" predicted the lady with her
firm chin thrust a little forward. "You think you've got everything your
own way, don't you? Well, you've just simply put yourself in a position
where we can get at you. You deceived me from the very start--and now
you shall pay the penalty. I've got our clients to protect--and besides
that I shall dearly love to get even. Oh, you'll squeal for mercy,
believe me!" She touched up the horses with her whip and went bumping
away over the tough sod.

"Wow!" ejaculated Andy, looking after her with laughter in his eyes.
"She's sure one mad lady, all right. But shucks!" He turned and galloped
off toward the farthest claim, which was Happy Jack's and the last one
to be furnished with a lawful habitation.

He was lucky. The Happy Family were foregathered there, wrangling with
Happy Jack over some trifling thing. He joined zealously in the argument
and helped them thrash Happy Jack in the word-war, before he came at his
errand.

"Say, boys, we'll have to get busy now," he told them seriously at last.
"Florence Grace is onto us bigger'n a wolf--and if I'm any judge, that
lady's going to be some fighter. We've eith