"
Bud made no move, nor did Greaser when he was ordered. "Go up, somebody,
an' see what's up there!" shouted Buell. "Strikes me you might go
yourself," said Bill, coolly.
With a growl Buell mounted the ladder. When his great shock head hove in
sight I was seized by a mad desire to give him a little of his own
medicine. With both hands I lifted the piece of pine branch and brought it
down with every ounce of strength in me.
Like a pistol it cracked on Buell's head and snapped into bits. The
lumberman gave a smothered groan, then clattered down the ladder and rolled
on the floor. There he lay quiet.
"All-fired dead--thet kid--now, ain't he?" said Bud, sarcastically. "How'd
you like thet crack on the knob? You'll need a larger size hat, mebbe.
Herky-Jerky, you go up an' see what's up there."
"I've a picture of myself goin'," replied Herky, without moving.
"Whar's the water? Get some water, Greaser," chimed in Bill.
From the way they worked over Buell, I concluded he had been pretty badly
stunned. But he came to presently.
"What struck me?" he asked.
"Oh, nothin'," replied Bud, derisively. "The loft up thar's full of air,
an' it blowed on you, thet's all."
Buell got up, and began walking around.
"Bill, go out an' fetch in some long poles," he said.
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