When Bill Day and his comrades got up the next morning and began to think of the transactions of the night, they did not seem nearly so ludikerous as they had at the time.  And when Norman Anderson and Bill Day and Bob Short read the notice on the door of Mandluff’s store they felt that “arsony” might have a serious as well as a ludikerous side.

Andrew at first intended to institute proceedings against the rioters, but he knew that the law was very uncertain against the influences which the eight or nine young men might bring to bear, and the prejudices of the people against the Dutch.  To prosecute would be to provoke another riot.  So he contented himself with this

     “PROCLAMATION!

“TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:  I have a list of eight men connected with the riotous mob which broke into the house of Gottlieb Wehle, a peaceable and unoffending citizen of the United States.  The said eight men proceeded to commit an assault and battery on the person of the said Gottlieb Wehle, and even endeavored at one time to take his life.  And the said riotous conduct was the result of a conspiracy, and the said assault with intent to kill was with malice aforethought.  The said eight men, after having committed grievous outrages upon him by dipping him in the water and by other means, warned the said Wehle not to return to the State.  Now, therefore, I give notice to all and several of those concerned in these criminal proceedings that the said Wehle has returned by my advice; and that if so much as a hair of his head or a splinter of his property is touched I will appear against said parties and will prosecute them until I secure the infliction of the severest penalties made and provided for the punishment of such infamous crimes.  I hope I am well enough known here to render it certain that if I once begin proceedings nothing but success or my death or the end of the world can stop them.

     “ANDREW ANDERSON,

     “Backwoods Philosopher.

     “AT THE CASTLE, May 12th, 1843.”

“It don’t look so ludikerous as it did, does it, Bill?” squeaked Jim West, as he read the notice over Bill’s shoulder.

“Shet your mouth, you fool!” said Bill.  “Don’t you never peep.  Ef I’d a been sober I might a knowed ole Grizzly would interfere.  He always does.”

In truth, Andrew was a sort of Perpetual Champion of the Oppressed, and those who did not like him feared him, which is the next best thing.

CHAPTER XXV.

A CHAPTER OF BETWEENS.

Did you ever move?  And, in moving, did you ever happen to notice how many little things there are to be picked up?  Now that I am about to shift the scene of my story from Clark township, the narrow stage upon which it has progressed through two dozen chapters, I find a great number of little things to be picked up.