THE VIGILANTES
Danny Randall issued his orders as a general would. First he sent
warning word to Cal Marsh, still nursing his shoulder. Through one of
his barkeepers he caused to be called to his presence four men. Three of
them were miners, the fourth a lookout at the Empire. He met them in his
little room, quite openly, which, as I have explained, was in accordance
with 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 big
oak at the second crossing. Wait there. If the express messengers have
not passed by to-morrow morning at ten o'clock, return here. If they do
come by, stop them, and tell them to proceed by the cut-off to the place
they know of, and to wait there for me. Understand?"
To each of the other four men he assigned a different watching on other
trails, giving them the same instructions.
"Now git!" he finished.
After informing Yank of my projected absence, I waited at the appointed
place until the appointed time, then returned to the Bella Union.
"That's all right," Danny greeted my report; "they came across the Hog's
Back, 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, as
though you just happened to see them. Chat a few minutes and tell them
this: 'Danny Randall calls a secret miners' meeting at the upper horse
flat at nine o'clock to-night. Slip up there without being seen.' Be
sure 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 it
contained. They were all known to me; so I nodded my comprehension and
went out.
All the rest of the day I loafed about, chatting with dozens of people,
among the others with Morton himself. That individual professed great
zeal 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 men
whose names were on my paper, and to deliver my message. I explained as
far as I knew, and got from each a definite and emphatic promise to be
present.
"It's time this thing was brought to a head," said one man. "If Danny
Randall 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 agreed
hour.
We started up the trail about eight o'clock. Yank insisted that he was
going, if he had to roll all the way; but after a little we
simultaneously remembered that the Morenas had owned horses. One of
these I caught, and on it Yank rode to the place of rendezvous.
The night was very black. After we had entered the woods its darkness
seemed at first to hang in front of my eyes like a filmy curtain, so
that I fairly groped, as one would when blindfolded. In the open a faint
starlight helped us, but after we had entered the pines we had fairly to
proceed by instinct. I remember feeling a shock of surprise once, when
we skirted the river, at seeing plainly the whiteness of the rapids, as
though the water were giving off a light of its own. Straight overhead
were scattered patches of stars with misty abysses of blackness between
them. Only after an interval did I appreciate that these apparent
abysses 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 ghostly
intimations of gray rocks, of dust patches, or seized the loom of a tree
or the opening of a forest aisle. Luckily the trail was well marked. We
had only to stick to it.
At the Flat Rock we were halted by a low-voiced command. I gave the
password, as instructed by Danny Randall. This experience was once
repeated, 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 go
forward.
We found a small fire behind a screen of firs, and around or near it the
figures of a dozen men. They stood silent and scattered a little apart
from the firelight. We could not make out their features. From time to
time other men came in, singly or in couples, until probably twenty-five
were gathered. Then ensued a few moments of waiting. A sudden stir
proclaimed fresh arrivals, and four newcomers strode briskly to the
fire. As the light fell on them I recognized Randall and the three
express 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 considerable
interest to see who of the camp had been summoned. I must confess to a
few surprises, such as the gambler from the Empire, but in general the
gathering consisted of those whom I should have characterized as solid
citizens--Barnes, the hotel-keeper, Himmelwright, and men of his stripe.
They were all armed, and all very grave and sober. Danny ran his eye
over us one by one.
"Meeting come to order," he commanded briskly. "This is a Vigilante
meeting. I hope you all realize what that means. There are just thirty
of us here; and Morton's gang is probably a hundred strong when it is
all together. We cannot fight them; but we can give the honest, decent
men of this camp a chance to fight them. I myself believe the honest men
will back us, and am willing to risk it. If any of you who are here now
think 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, to
stand 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 God
deny 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 on
Bible oaths, any one of us, but we must promise. Frank Munroe, step
forward!"
I obeyed. The little man stared up into my eyes, and I will freely
confess that never have I experienced quite the queer sensation it gave
me. Danny Randall had become not only formidable, but great. He seemed
to see through into the back of my mind. I braced myself as though to
resist some strong physical force.
"Do you, Frank Munroe, subscribe to this document as a man of honour, so
help you God?" he demanded.
"I do," I answered solemnly, and affixed my signature below that of
Danny Randall. And queerly enough, as I stepped aside, I felt somehow
that I had assisted at something sacred.
One by one Danny Randall called us forward and administered his simple
oath. The fire leaped, and with it the mighty shadows. Outside the
circle of light the tall pines and fir-trees watched us like a multitude
standing witness. The men's faces were grave. There was about the
roughest of them something noble, reflected from the earnest spirit of
justice.
Randall had the plans all made, and he detailed them rapidly. We were to
arrest four men only, and he named them--Morton, Scar-face Charley, who
had recovered, a gambler named Catlin, and Jules, the proprietor of the
Empire.
"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, but
maintained that the first thing to do was to get hold of the real
leaders, the brains and motive power of the gang. The five first
designated filled that description.
"Can we really prove anything against them?" asked someone.
"No," said Danny instantly, "we cannot. Does any one here think any of
them guiltless? Consult your consciences, gentlemen. I agree with you
that it is a fearful thing to take a man's life. Vote carefully. Consult
your consciences."
We balloted at last on each name separately, and the five leaders were
condemned to death.
Next came up the vital questions of ways and means. Many were in favour
of a night surprise, and an immediate hanging before the desperadoes
could be organized for defence. Danny had a hard time showing them good
reasons against this course, but at last he succeeded.
"This must be done deliberately and publicly," he maintained. "Otherwise
it fails of its effect. We've got to show the gang that the camp is
against 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 to
arrest each of the five men, that the prisoners should be confined in a
certain isolated log cabin, and that the execution should take place in
broad daylight. There remained only to apportion the committees. This
was done, and at about two or three o'clock we quietly dispersed. I was
instructed to cooeperate with three of the miners in the arrest of
Catlin.
With the members of my committee I returned to our own camp, there to
await the appointed hour of seven. This had been selected for several
reasons: it was daylight, the roughs would be at home, and the
community, although afoot, would not yet have gone to work. While
waiting we cooked ourselves some hot coffee and made some flapjacks. The
chill, gray time of day had come, the period of low vitality, and we
shivered with the cold and with excitement. Nobody had much to say. We
waited grimly for the time to pass.
About six o'clock Yank arose, seized his long rifle and departed for the
log cabin that had been designated as the jail. His lameness had
prevented him from being appointed on one of the arresting committees,
but he had no intention of being left out. A half hour later we followed
him into town.
It was a heavenly fall morning of the sort that only mountain California
can produce. The camp was beginning to awaken to its normal activity. I
remember wondering vaguely how it could be so calm and unconcerned. My
heart was beating violently, and I had to clench my teeth tight to keep
them from chattering. This was not fear, but a high tension of
excitement. As we strolled past the Bella Union with what appearance of
nonchalance we could muster, Danny Randall nodded at us from the
doorway. By this we knew that Catlin was to be found at his own place.
[Illustration: "WE MARCHED OUR PRISONER IN DOUBLE-QUICK TIME ... TO THE
AGREED RENDEZVOUS"]