Gold

by Stewart Edward White

  CHAPTER XXXVIII

  THE VIGILANTES

  Danny Randall issued his orders as a general would. First he sentwarning word to Cal Marsh, still nursing his shoulder. Through one ofhis barkeepers he caused to be called to his presence four men. Three ofthem were miners, the fourth a lookout at the Empire. He met them in hislittle room, quite openly, which, as I have explained, was in accordancewith his usual custom. He detailed the exact situation in a few words.

  "Now," he ended, "we get busy. Are you in?"

  Each assented, with apparent deep satisfaction.

  "Now," said he briskly, "Munroe, you go to the lower trail, near the bigoak at the second crossing. Wait there. If the express messengers havenot passed by to-morrow morning at ten o'clock, return here. If they docome by, stop them, and tell them to proceed by the cut-off to the placethey know of, and to wait there for me. Understand?"

  To each of the other four men he assigned a different watching on othertrails, giving them the same instructions.

  "Now git!" he finished.

  After informing Yank of my projected absence, I waited at the appointedplace until the appointed time, then returned to the Bella Union.

  "That's all right," Danny greeted my report; "they came across the Hog'sBack, and are now safely in hiding. Here," he gave me a slip of paper."During the day contrive to see these men. Make it casual and easy, asthough you just happened to see them. Chat a few minutes and tell themthis: 'Danny Randall calls a secret miners' meeting at the upper horseflat at nine o'clock to-night. Slip up there without being seen.' Besure to let them understand that it is _I_ who am issuing the call.Get them to tell you whether they will or will not come."

  I took the slip of paper and read over the half dozen names itcontained. They were all known to me; so I nodded my comprehension andwent out.

  All the rest of the day I loafed about, chatting with dozens of people,among the others with Morton himself. That individual professed greatzeal for law and order, and told of the wonderful things he, as sheriff,intended to accomplish. Among the lot I contrived to include the six menwhose names were on my paper, and to deliver my message. I explained asfar as I knew, and got from each a definite and emphatic promise to bepresent.

  "It's time this thing was brought to a head," said one man. "If DannyRandall is taking hold of it, I enlist."

  I returned to report these facts, received an indifferent nod, and,under further instruction, went quietly to camp to await the agreedhour.

  We started up the trail about eight o'clock. Yank insisted that he wasgoing, if he had to roll all the way; but after a little wesimultaneously remembered that the Morenas had owned horses. One ofthese I caught, and on it Yank rode to the place of rendezvous.

  The night was very black. After we had entered the woods its darknessseemed at first to hang in front of my eyes like a filmy curtain, sothat I fairly groped, as one would when blindfolded. In the open a faintstarlight helped us, but after we had entered the pines we had fairly toproceed by instinct. I remember feeling a shock of surprise once, whenwe skirted the river, at seeing plainly the whiteness of the rapids, asthough the water were giving off a light of its own. Straight overheadwere scattered patches of stars with misty abysses of blackness betweenthem. Only after an interval did I appreciate that these apparentabysses were in reality the tops of trees!

  We felt our way slowly, the soft muzzle of the horse at my shoulder.Gradually our pupils expanded to the utmost, so that we caught ghostlyintimations of gray rocks, of dust patches, or seized the loom of a treeor the opening of a forest aisle. Luckily the trail was well marked. Wehad only to stick to it.

  At the Flat Rock we were halted by a low-voiced command. I gave thepassword, as instructed by Danny Randall. This experience was oncerepeated, a little farther on. Then, as we neared the upper horse flat,we were stopped by a man who flashed a dark lantern in our faces,scrutinized us for a moment, shut off his light, and told us to goforward.

  We found a small fire behind a screen of firs, and around or near it thefigures of a dozen men. They stood silent and scattered a little apartfrom the firelight. We could not make out their features. From time totime other men came in, singly or in couples, until probably twenty-fivewere gathered. Then ensued a few moments of waiting. A sudden stirproclaimed fresh arrivals, and four newcomers strode briskly to thefire. As the light fell on them I recognized Randall and the threeexpress riders.

  Danny kicked together the fire until it flared.

  "Somebody put some more wood on this," he said in his natural voice."We've got to see each other."

  In a moment the flames were leaping. I looked about me with considerableinterest to see who of the camp had been summoned. I must confess to afew surprises, such as the gambler from the Empire, but in general thegathering consisted of those whom I should have characterized as solidcitizens--Barnes, the hotel-keeper, Himmelwright, and men of his stripe.They were all armed, and all very grave and sober. Danny ran his eyeover us one by one.

  "Meeting come to order," he commanded briskly. "This is a Vigilantemeeting. I hope you all realize what that means. There are just thirtyof us here; and Morton's gang is probably a hundred strong when it isall together. We cannot fight them; but we can give the honest, decentmen of this camp a chance to fight them. I myself believe the honest menwill back us, and am willing to risk it. If any of you who are here nowthink differently, say so."

  He paused, but no one spoke up.

  "If anybody doesn't want to go into this, now is the time to back out.Just keep your mouths shut, that is all."

  He paused again, but again no one moved.

  "That's all right," observed Danny with satisfaction. He lifted a paper."Listen to this: 'We the undersigned agree, as we are decent men, tostand by each other to the last, to avenge the death of any one of us,and to obey the orders of our leaders. And if we fail in this may Goddeny us mercy.' Boys," said Danny Randall earnestly, "this is serious.If we start this now, we've got to see it through. We are not much onBible oaths, any one of us, but we must promise. Frank Munroe, stepforward!"

  I obeyed. The little man stared up into my eyes, and I will freelyconfess that never have I experienced quite the queer sensation it gaveme. Danny Randall had become not only formidable, but great. He seemedto see through into the back of my mind. I braced myself as though toresist some strong physical force.

  "Do you, Frank Munroe, subscribe to this document as a man of honour, sohelp you God?" he demanded.

  "I do," I answered solemnly, and affixed my signature below that ofDanny Randall. And queerly enough, as I stepped aside, I felt somehowthat I had assisted at something sacred.

  One by one Danny Randall called us forward and administered his simpleoath. The fire leaped, and with it the mighty shadows. Outside thecircle of light the tall pines and fir-trees watched us like a multitudestanding witness. The men's faces were grave. There was about theroughest of them something noble, reflected from the earnest spirit ofjustice.

  Randall had the plans all made, and he detailed them rapidly. We were toarrest four men only, and he named them--Morton, Scar-face Charley, whohad recovered, a gambler named Catlin, and Jules, the proprietor of theEmpire.

  "Crawford is back in town," said some one.

  "Make it five then," said Danny instantly.

  We had a long discussion over all this. Many other names were suggested.Danny agreed that they were those of men guilty of the worst crimes, butmaintained that the first thing to do was to get hold of the realleaders, the brains and motive power of the gang. The five firstdesignated filled that description.

  "Can we really prove anything against them?" asked someone.

  "No," said Danny instantly, "we cannot. Does any one here think any ofthem guiltless? Consult your consciences, gentlemen. I agree with youthat it is a fearful thing to take a man's life. Vote carefully. Consultyour consciences."

  We balloted at last on each name separately, and the five leaders werecondemned to death.

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p; Next came up the vital questions of ways and means. Many were in favourof a night surprise, and an immediate hanging before the desperadoescould be organized for defence. Danny had a hard time showing them goodreasons against this course, but at last he succeeded.

  "This must be done deliberately and publicly," he maintained. "Otherwiseit fails of its effect. We've got to show the gang that the camp isagainst them; and that won't be done by hanging some of them secretly."

  "Suppose the camp doesn't back us up?" queried a miner.

  "Remember your oath, gentlemen," was Danny's only reply to this.

  It was decided at last that five committees should be appointed toarrest each of the five men, that the prisoners should be confined in acertain isolated log cabin, and that the execution should take place inbroad daylight. There remained only to apportion the committees. Thiswas done, and at about two or three o'clock we quietly dispersed. I wasinstructed to cooeperate with three of the miners in the arrest ofCatlin.

  With the members of my committee I returned to our own camp, there toawait the appointed hour of seven. This had been selected for severalreasons: it was daylight, the roughs would be at home, and thecommunity, although afoot, would not yet have gone to work. Whilewaiting we cooked ourselves some hot coffee and made some flapjacks. Thechill, gray time of day had come, the period of low vitality, and weshivered with the cold and with excitement. Nobody had much to say. Wewaited grimly for the time to pass.

  About six o'clock Yank arose, seized his long rifle and departed for thelog cabin that had been designated as the jail. His lameness hadprevented him from being appointed on one of the arresting committees,but he had no intention of being left out. A half hour later we followedhim into town.

  It was a heavenly fall morning of the sort that only mountain Californiacan produce. The camp was beginning to awaken to its normal activity. Iremember wondering vaguely how it could be so calm and unconcerned. Myheart was beating violently, and I had to clench my teeth tight to keepthem from chattering. This was not fear, but a high tension ofexcitement. As we strolled past the Bella Union with what appearance ofnonchalance we could muster, Danny Randall nodded at us from thedoorway. By this we knew that Catlin was to be found at his own place.

  "WE MARCHED OUR PRISONER IN DOUBLE-QUICK TIME ... TO THEAGREED RENDEZVOUS"]