Page:Hendryx--Connie Morgan with the Mounted.djvu/271

Rh last me all winter. And besides, I'm not going anywhere."

Once more the man turned to his companions, and after some moments of excited conversation, another stepped forward.

"Hey, look-a here," he bellowed, fiercely, "we don't b'lieve ye're no p'lice!" Connie's only answer was a taunting laugh. "We don't know who ye be or w'ere ye come from, but ye hain't nothin' but a kid, an' I'm a-tellin' ye w'en ye cross us ye're tampering with death. We're men o' short temper, we are! We're hard!"

Again Connie laughed. "So your partner told me this morning," he drawled, "when I walked up and took his gun away from him and made him roll around in the snow like a trick bear. Who's been kidding you? Trot along now and don't bother me. I'm hungry. I'm going to fry some nice sizzly bacon and cook up a pot of beans." Suddenly, one of the men raised his rifle and fired and the bullet sputtered dully against the thick logs. "Have all the fun you want," called Connie, "only don't break any windows, or I'll have to take your guns away."

A few more scattering shots were fired, and, as